23 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 68
68
HORSEWEEK
FARMWEEK
MARCH 04 2021
Local man on a mission to improve
welfare of working equines abroad
By Bree Rutledge
P
ATRICK
Finnegan
(better
known as
Paddy) from
Newtownards, Co.
Down may have
retired from his day
job, but he is a long
way off from putting
his feet up! While
most people would
be starting to wind
down and take life
a bit easier, Paddy
has been designing
and developing a
range of equine
tools and equipment
that could greatly
enhance the welfare
of working equines
throughout the
world and, as
a result, have a
positive effect on
the people working
with them. He does
so in memory of his
mother and father
and his younger
brother, who have all
passed away in the
last few years.
Paddy has been
using and making
tools for as long as
he can remember.
As a teenager, he
served his time in
the Harland and Wolf
shipyard, as one of
the last blacksmith
apprentices. He
ended up working
in the drawing ofce
there.
Paddy’s family
were into horses
in a big way and,
over the years, he
has been involved
in show jumping,
eventing, driving
FINNEGAN EQUINES: Some of the Finnegan Equine horses, ‘Mandy’,
‘Bambi’, ‘Belle’, ‘Ted’, ‘Megan’ and ‘Candy’ all barefoot and going
jumping in 2014. (FW09-534NN)
FINNEGAN TOOLS: Paddy Finnegan pictured
with a selection of the tools he makes, which
are now on their way to South Africa.
(FW09-532NN)
and breeding. Many
years ago, a friend
of the family taught
Paddy how to handmake shoes and to
shoe horses, which
led him to design
and make a machine
to make horseshoes!
While working as a
tooling engineer in
the aircraft industry
in California in 1990,
Paddy got a patent
published for his
horseshoe machine.
The following year,
he was contacted by
a steel rolling mill
in Mexico, inviting
him to come and set
up a factory there,
as they didn’t have
horseshoe machines
FAMILY: Paddy pictured with his older
daughters, Janna, Samara and Terri and his
Finnegan Equine mares ‘Mandy’, ‘Bambi’,
‘Susy’ and ‘Abby’. (FW09-535NN)
DRIVING: Paddy doing some Council tourist
work with his horses at Groomsport - his great
friend, Ringland Morrison helped Paddy to build
this cart. (FW09-539NN)
there at that time.
Paddy accepted
and set up the rst
horseshoe factory
in Mexico City 30
years ago... And,
while there, he met
his wife!
When they
returned to Northern
Ireland some 25
years ago, Paddy
began working as
an engineering
lecturer in the
technical college,
from which he has
only recently retired.
He gained a wide
range of experience
of making things
- having made
everything from
guitar-making jigs
to horse-drawn
carriages!
In recent years,
Paddy has developed
an innovative
hoofstand (under the
banner of Finnegan
Tools), that is not
only designed for
farriers, but also
for assisting horse
and pony owners
(or their grooms!).
Queen’s University
carried out research
on his hoofstand,
which showed that it
can be used to help
put in studs etc.
WINDSOR VISIT
The Queen’s Head
Groom read the
research and was
so impressed that
he invited Paddy
over to Windsor to
demonstrate how to
use the hoofstand
effectively and
train the private
grooms in its use.
This visit was
somewhat ironic,
as 50 years earlier,
Paddy’s father had
beaten the Duke
of Edinburgh at
Flying 15s in the
1958 UK National
Championships
(sailboat racing)!
During lockdown,
Paddy has further
rened the
hoofstand design
and it is now
completely made of
stainless steel and
weighs in at less
than 2kg, so it can be
shipped anywhere.
The cradle height
can be adjusted, so
that it can be used
on donkeys and
horses.
WELFARE
Paddy is very
aware that there are
100 million working
equines around the
world - many of them
in under-developed
countries, where
welfare can be an
issue. He has learned
that this can be due
to harsh weather
conditions and a
lack of money, but
not due to cruelty
- contrary to what
many people might
think. In fact, in
many cases, these
equines (primarily
donkeys) are
valuable assets to
their owners and
are basically part
of the family - when
the donkeys are t
and able to work,
the family can earn
money to buy food;
if they are unable
to work, the family
income suffers.
It is therefore in
the owner’s best
interests to keep
their animal in good
health.
Paddy has
discovered that,
while these equines
are in work, their
feet do not tend
to cause them
problems, as the
terrain they cover
keeps them right.
It is only when the
equines get injured
and are out of
work that their feet
become problematic
- perhaps the most
common reason
for them to be out
of work is due to
wounds sustained
from ill-tting
harness.
POWERSET
Paddy decided
he would like to
do something to
improve the welfare
of these working
equines. He became
aware of the work
of Dr Peta Jones
in South Africa. Dr
Jones has designed
the Powerset
harness system that
greatly eases the
strain on working
donkeys and has
written a book,
which is available
online.
Paddy set about
making this
lightweight humane
harness. He has
woven his own
version using a
simple loom that
uses hollow PVC
tubes to weave
belting out of
netlon cord. This
new ‘Irish’ simple
loom technique,
along with the use
of wooden toggle
buttons, make
this harness fully
adjustable for the
best t. He hopes
to supply charities
(and schools) with
the materials to
manufacture both
the looms and the
harness.
TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFER
His plan is to set
up a ‘technology
transfer programme’
with schools in
under-developed
HOOFSTAND: Some Finnegan Tools, including
the hoofstand, which weighs only 1.5kg,
making it easy to ship. (FW09-536NN)
countries, so that 13
and 14-year-olds can
be taught to make
the harness and a
range of craft and
welfare tools.
Paddy was hoping
to get this underway
here initially, with
a college being
set up at Cultra
to show teachers
how to make the
harness, so that
they could pass on
the skills to pupils
on these shores.
Unfortunately, Covid
restrictions forced
him to put this on
hold for the past
year.
He has now listed
the ‘Finnegan
Hoofstand’ for sale
on eBay and he
plans to use the
proceeds to support
local making in
under-developed
countries by owners
of working animals
of sets of harness
for their working
equines. He is trying
to get companies
in the developed
world to support the
project.
Paddy’s plan goes
beyond harness. He
has already started
gathering up waste
materials from
factories here, which
can be used to make
affordable tools. He
would like to teach
schoolteachers in
the under-developed
countries how to
make their own tools
locally, giving the
local kids practical
hand skills that
will benet animal
welfare. In fact, he
says his hoofstands
could be made and
sold cost effectively
and sustainably in
Africa. He has also
made simple musical
instruments, jigs and
tools and sent them
to Africa for copying.
Paddy’s main aim
is to help people
to present better
animals. He feels
that people know
the value of a good
animal, even if they
are not educated.
Paddy wants to
assist the charities
in these countries
to help local people
to improve the value
of their animal and,
in order to do this,
IN ACTION: A picture of the hoofstand
designed and made by Paddy Finnegan being
used by Christine Pinna in South Africa.
(FW09-533NN)
he is setting up
‘Finnegan Tools’.
AGENT
He already has
a ‘Finnegan Tools’
agent in South Africa
- Christine Pinna
is a hoof trimmer
and trainer of
trimmers. Christine
is helping Paddy
by taking orders
out there for the
hoofstands he makes
and by working
with different
welfare groups, like
Amatrculuntu.co.za
and Blindlove.co.za
in teaching routine
maintenance work.
Paddy has recently
sent four 2021
models of his new
adjustable hoofstand
out to Christine,
along with some
other new sample
tools for her to eld
test.
Their plan is to
support secondary
schools out there to
make local copies of
all the samples that
Paddy can send out
from here.
Paddy has also
just discovered a
manufacturer here
in Ireland that may
be able to produce
the cord he needs
for harness making,
out of recycled
plastic. His hope is
that he can organise
this and ship it all
over the world to
provide subsidised
supplies to schools
and to all the
non-governmental
organisations
working towards
improved animal
welfare.
Paddy has started
writing a book
about his project
and plans to sell it
online, chapter by
chapter, to help to
raise funds to get the
project underway - if
you would like to
support Paddy or
nd out more about
his project or Dr
Peta Jones’ book,
please contact him
on pnnegan44@
gmail.com
POWERSET HARNESS: The lovely ‘Fudge’ and
‘Dennis’ of Kinedale Donkeys, Ballynahinch,
modelling the first pair of the Powerset
harness, which Paddy made over the
Christmas holidays. (FW09-538NN)
EQUIPMENT: Dual purpose Finnegan Tools
and box making jig. (FW09-537NN)