How the racetrack shaped the gear
The family’s racehorse background, the failures that prompted better molds and the thinking behind K&D buckets.
Read the origin storyK&D Equestrian | Gainesville, Texas
F-Bar Ranch: The Work Behind the Gear
F-Bar Ranch is the working, family-owned proving ground behind K&D Equestrian. Here, barn equipment meets real horses, real chores, Texas weather and the people who depend on it every day.
Family-ownedHorsemen making decisions
Gainesville, TexasReal heat, rain, grit and work
Horse-firstComfort and function lead
Built for daily useBarn sense over buzzwords
The family behind the F-Bar
Horsemen first. Toolmakers, too.
K&D began in 1983 with Ken and Doris Fomby. Their names became the name on the equipment. Ken brought a toolmaker’s experience to a problem the family knew from the barn: buckets cracked, handles failed and broken tools interrupted the work.
The Fomby family’s racehorse background in Texas and New Mexico gave those problems urgency. Ken responded by building better molds. His son, Kenneth “K.R.” Fomby Sr., grew up around those racetracks, learning the work from stall cleaning to preparing horses.
Today, the family-owned F-Bar Ranch in Gainesville, Texas, keeps that connection between making equipment and using it close. Daily chores help shape the questions K&D asks about a product’s fit, handling, cleanup and durability.
Read the Fomby family history
From the shop to the barn
The building is part of the manufacturing side of the story. F-Bar supplies the working-ranch perspective: how the equipment fits the horse, the handler and the chore. Both matter when a good idea has to become a useful tool.
A closer look at the equipment
The bucket makes the story concrete
A full bucket puts weight on its handle and attachment points. A curious horse finds exposed hardware. Repeated filling, carrying and cleaning puts the whole design to work. Those are specific problems a bucket has to answer.
Reinforcement where the load travels
The KD-120 Platinum bucket uses a one-piece perimeter metal reinforcement ring to help distribute handle loads and resist pull-through.
Attention to the horse’s contact points
The Mane & Tail Saver encloses the crimped handle ends, covering exposed corners that can catch hair.
Construction you can examine
Thick-walled, high-impact construction is one part of the design. K&D’s published demonstrations let you see how tested equipment responds to impacts and crush loads. The written Platinum Bucket Promise explains the support terms.
Demonstrations show the tested items under the conditions shown. Choose and use each product according to its own specifications.
The work behind the words
What ranch use helps us see
Some problems only become obvious when a tool joins the daily routine. Does the handle feel balanced when loaded? Can the feeder be emptied and scrubbed easily? Does the shape fit the stall or trailer where it will be used?
Horse and handlerContact points, reach, balance and access during ordinary chores.
Repeated workRims, handles and mounts through filling, carrying, emptying and cleaning.
The whole routineHow the tool fits the space, stores between jobs and returns to service.
What “ranch-tested” means here
F-Bar experience informs K&D design and refinement. It is not a promise that every item survives every force, or that every partner-brand product sold by K&D was developed at the ranch.
Straight from the F-Bar
Get to know the voice behind the stories
Kenneth Fomby writes about the equipment, routines and convictions behind K&D. These stories carry the ranch perspective beyond a product description.
Why the manufacturing name matters
Kenneth explains King of Kings Manufacturing and the responsibility he connects with putting a product into the world.
Read Kenneth’s perspectivePreparation, care and consistency
A note from Kenneth on showing up ready and looking after the gear that travels with you.
Read the note from KennethFrom F-Bar to your barn
Start with gear built around the work
Whether you are cleaning one stall or running a full facility, start with the job in front of you.
Stall cleanup tools
Forks and rakes chosen for reach, control and the daily realities of keeping a barn moving.
Shop forks and rakes
Platinum Line buckets
Heavy-duty horse buckets and barn gear for buyers who put long service life first.
Shop Platinum Line
Feeders and scoops
Simple, dependable tools for measured feed, efficient chores and cleaner routines.
Shop feeders and scoops
Horse toys and enrichment
Purposeful stall and pasture options selected to support movement, curiosity and play.
Shop horse enrichmentStraight answers
F-Bar Ranch FAQ
What is F-Bar Ranch?
F-Bar Ranch is K&D Equestrian’s family-owned working ranch and real-world proving ground in Gainesville, Texas. It is where practical horse and barn experience informs K&D product design, refinement and selection.
Where is F-Bar Ranch located?
F-Bar Ranch is in Gainesville, Texas, in North Texas horse country.
What does ranch-tested mean at K&D Equestrian?
It means products are judged through practical use and horseman-led evaluation, including function, handling, fit, durability, weather exposure and the effect a design has on daily barn work.
Does every product sold by K&D originate at F-Bar Ranch?
No. K&D offers both K&D-designed products and carefully selected products from partner brands. F-Bar’s practical standard shapes original K&D gear and guides what the company chooses to offer.
What kinds of products does K&D evaluate and sell?
K&D focuses on useful horse and barn equipment, including stall forks, rakes, buckets, feed tubs, scoops, feeders, travel storage, horse toys, enrichment products and other everyday equestrian gear.
Can the public visit F-Bar Ranch?
F-Bar Ranch is a private working ranch, not a public attraction. Media and partnership inquiries can be sent through the K&D contact page.
Where can I buy K&D Equestrian products?
You can shop K&D online or use the dealer locator to look for participating retailers.
Can my store become a K&D dealer?
Yes. Qualified equestrian and farm retailers can review the program and apply to become a K&D dealer.
Built by horsemen
Put the F-Bar standard to work in your barn
Start with the K&D gear horse people reach for when the job needs to get done right.