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Roland’s nags and nails: practising shoe-makingRoland is frustrated by his slow progress, but knows that a week at the anvil will have done him good
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Roland’s nags and nails: hard ground and welcome rainThe hard ground has been taking is toll on the hooves of Roland's equine clients and he is glad to finally see some rain
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Roland’s nags and nails: mock exams and steep learning curvesRoland's fellow apprentice Alex is preparing for his final exams after four years of intensive training
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Roland’s nags and nails: sheared heels and a nest of maggotsRoland is back to school once more and is shocked to find a nest of maggots in the frog of one equine client
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Roland’s nags and nails: my first shoe-making competitionRoland's first shoe-making competition at Devon County Show has been and gone, but was Roland up to the challenge?
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Roland’s nags and nails: remedial farriery and a human salt lickRoland finds the remedial side of farriery fascinating, but can't avoid being treated as a human salt lick by some of his equine clientele
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Roland’s nags and nails: what’s hiding in the freezer?Roland's training farrier has an unusual item being stored in his freezer ready for the farrier competition at Devon County Show
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Roland’s nags and nails: three-day working weeksFarrier's apprentice Roland Thompson enjoys a short working week, but has plenty of work to do to improve his shoe-making and his photography skills
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Roland’s nags and nails: biting flies and ‘hedgehog’ whiskersThe start of the showing season has introduced Roland to another unexpected discomfort suffered by farriers around the country
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Roland’s nags and nails: busy times as the sun shinesLife is getting busier and busier as Kris takes a holiday and Roland adds trimming the sole and frog to his other farriery duties
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Roland’s nags and nails: appropriate attire and blaming your toolsRoland has decided to stick with his trusty polo shirt, despite the unseasonably warm weather, and wishes that his tools wouldn't conspire against him
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Roland’s nags and nails: another week, another knee trembler…Roland is back at work and is working hard on his shoemaking in preparation for his competition debut at next month's Devon County Show
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Roland’s nags and nails: a little knowledge and some experience
With his first period of college training behind him, and his exams passed, Roland is back with his training farrier
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Roland’s nags and nails: final week of my first college blockRoland has reached the final week of his first period of college training and will be back at the coal face with his training farrier next week
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Roland’s nags and nails: teaching an old dog new tricksRoland is finding being back in the classroom less traumatic than he thought, although his drawing skills are letting him down
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Roland’s nags and nails: going back to schoolRoland has returned to the classroom for the first block of his college training and finds that much has changed since he was last in a learning environment
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Roland’s nags and nails: rubbing shoulders with some of the bestRoland is celebrating reaching an important milestone and has been rubbing shoulders with one of the most highly regarded farriers in the UK
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Roland’s nags and nails: handling horses and getting a spanking!Roland got more than he bargained for this week when an owner taught him to think twice before patting an unknown horse on the quarters
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Roland’s nags and nails: aching muscles soothed by tea and biscuitsFive weeks into his apprenticeship and Roland's enthusiasm remains unabated, fuelled in part by a constant supply of tea, coffee and biscuits
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Roland’s nags and nails: blood blisters and canine helpersRoland is struggling to keep up with the requirements of his fellow farriers when out on the job but is still loving every minute of his new career
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Roland’s nags and nails: discovering my disco legsIn week three of his apprenticeship, Roland has some fitness tips of the skiers among you and has been practising the art of shoemaking
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Roland’s nags and nails: enjoying the sleep of the justA very tired Roland has survived week two of his apprenticeship, no thanks to a couple of horses with a sense of humour...
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Roland’s nags and nails: Week one as a farrier’s apprentice
Our newest blogger is physically and mentally exhausted after a week of trying to get to grips with the basics of working as a farrier
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Roland’s nags and nails: life as a farrier’s apprenticeWelcome to H&H's newest online diary, featuring former software company director Roland Thompson, who is retraining to become a farrier at the age of 39
