Breaking into a professional career in dressage can feel daunting, and at times, even out of reach. Unlike some industries, there’s no single, clear-cut pathway to success – every top rider, trainer and professional has carved their own unique route.

But if you’re passionate about dressage and eager to turn it into a career, there are now more opportunities than ever to help you get started.

As the sport has evolved, so too have the career options surrounding it. Think about the last competition you attended – beyond the riders in the arena, there were show organisers, photographers, content creators, commentators, sponsors and countless others working behind the scenes to make it all happen.

If you’re passionate about the sport there will be opportunities to be involved in it – but they may not be the ones you had initially envisaged. Gaining experience at local events, building a portfolio, and networking with brands and publications, as well as people you admire, can open doors.

“I always thought I’d be a dressage rider, but by 18 I was doing some work with young horses for Sandra Biddlecombe and I realised around that time that not everyone can be a rider,” recalls Lucy Scudamore, Carl Hester’s now award-winning groom, who also runs her own business.

“It was hard to let go of my dream to be a professional rider, but when I realised being a groom would involve travelling around the world to shows, I knew it was perfect. This job was made for me without me even knowing it.”

To kickstart your dressage career, we’ve put together a guide to the key opportunities available. While this isn’t an exhaustive list, there are plenty of pathways in the sport – so if your dream role isn’t mentioned, don’t be discouraged. Chances are, there’s a way to make it happen!

Apprenticeships

British Dressage (BD) has partnered with the apprenticeship training provider Sport Structures to offer a range of dressage apprenticeships, from working hands-on with horses to business development roles.

They currently offer six apprenticeships: equine groom (level 2), senior equine groom (level 3), business administrator (level 3), digital marketing (level 3), team leader/supervisor (level 3) and operations/departmental manager (level 5).

Their apprenticeships are real salaried jobs, paying at least minimum wage, that offer the opportunity to train at the same time as working. Around 20% of your apprenticeship must be spent in off-the-job training or additional added-value activities, such as yard or competition visits.

BD advertises apprentice jobs on its website, but if you’re already employed, your employer can register with the programme if they’re BD members. Employers who register also receive a financial incentive per apprentice hired.

Apprenticeships are currently 95% funded by the government and 5% by the employer.

Level 2 (intermediate) apprenticeships are equivalent to 5 GCSE passes and are a good entry point for those starting out. The BD level 2 equine groom apprenticeship takes 13 months to complete, predominantly consists of on-the-job practical training, and you can start when you’re 16. Riding can also be included in the course.

There can sometimes be a misconception that qualifications for grooming are not valued at professional yards, but as grand prix rider and owner of Elite Dressage Anna Ross explains, that isn’t the case: “I’m a fully qualified BHSI myself, and I like it if people who work for me have done their BHS exams or an apprenticeship because it shows they have stable management skills, know how to care for the horse and are passionate and committed enough to further their skills.”

Level 3 (advanced) apprenticeships are more advanced and typically require you to have completed either a level 2 apprenticeship or to have five passes at GCSE. They’re considered to be the equivalent of two passes at A-Level.

BD’s four level 3 apprenticeships take between 13 and 18 months to complete but upon completion will offer you the chance to be permanently employed by the company you’re working at.

Level 5 (higher) apprenticeships are equivalent to a degree, and require you to have completed a level 3/4 apprenticeship, A-Levels, BTEC or an NVQ. BD’s level 5 operational and departmental manager apprenticeship is the longest at 18 to 22 months.

Scholarships, academies and riding careers

Beyond apprenticeships, there are several other pathways to train for a career in dressage.

Hartpury College’s Equine Academy offers a structured programme for students competing on their own horses. The academy has three tiers: the elite squad, elite development squad, and development squad. To be invited to ridden trials for the development squad, riders must have at least 15 points at elementary. The elite and elite development squads require points at advanced medium.

For para riders, eligibility is set at over 60% at a CPEDI3* at any grade for the elite squads and over 60% at a CPEDI2* or BD national para class. Riders in the elite squad benefit from weekly training sessions, tailored gym programmes, sports psychology support, and help with competition planning – previously, even Carl Hester has been an invited coach. Additionally, three scholarships are awarded annually to outstanding candidates.

Another professional development route is BD’s Young Professionals Programme, a 12-month Sport England-funded initiative designed for aspiring equine professionals. Participants attend eight core sessions delivered by industry experts, covering business management, finance, insurance, personal development, and media awareness. To apply, riders must be 19-28 years old, not in full-time education, and committed to a long-term career in the industry.

For under-25 riders, BD Youth’s Foundation and National Academies provide another structured training programme. Riders on B, B+, or A Squads who have attended squad assessments between 1 December and the Inter-Regional cut-off date, and consistently score 66% or above at elementary will be eligible for the Foundation Academy.

Each year, 12 standout riders progress from the Foundation Academy to the National Academy, where they benefit from nine months of elite coaching, training camps, and athlete development sessions led by top professionals. Fully funded by Sport England, the programme is designed to equip young riders with the knowledge and skills to advance in dressage – or build a successful career in the sport.

The role of riding schools in career development

Many of today’s top dressage riders, coaches, and grooms started out in riding schools, gaining essential hands-on experience that shaped their careers. For young riders without their own horses, riding schools offer a crucial stepping stone, proving that talent and dedication matter just as much as access to elite training.

Larger riding schools provide structured riding tuition, stable management training, and coaching experience, equipping riders with the well-rounded skills needed to succeed in the sport.

“Talent is entry-level in this industry – everyone is talented,” explains Anna, who has seen riders like Beth Bainbridge, Alex Baker, and Tom Carter move into professional riding careers. “It’s not always the most talented that go on to succeed; it’s going to be the ones that people want to spend time with and work hard.”

“Versatility is also huge for young riders looking to make it. We breed horses, and I can’t breed horses that they specifically like or don’t like. What I’m looking for is whether they can ride nearly all of the horses and get a good tune out of them.”

“It’s also important to be humble. There’s a lot of competition, and those elusive riding jobs where you ride all day are few and far between. The riders who get there have worked for a long time to reach that point.”

Other routes to a career in dressage

If you’re over 18 and a BD member you can apply to take your British Dressage Coaching Certificate (BDCC) qualifications, which is a government-recognised qualification.

While you’ll need to fund the workshops and assessments yourself, gaining this certification can enhance your credibility as a coach and open doors to further development opportunities through BD.

Similarly, dressage judging can be a valuable tool for career progression, especially for trainers. While it’s unlikely to replace a full-time income, judging refines your ability to assess horses and riders, adding an extra layer of expertise to your coaching.

“Being a judge doesn’t make you money, so you need to do it alongside other things,” explains Alex Harrison-West, currently the youngest person ever to become a List 1 judge. 

“I’ve found it very helpful in terms of training my clients because judging gives you a more in-depth knowledge of the sport and where the marks are coming from.

“You learn to evaluate horses quickly which helps when you’re training clients as it trains your eye to hone in on the bigger issue.”

At its core, a career in dressage demands adaptability, dedication, and a constant willingness to learn – whether you’re riding, coaching, judging, or even working behind the scenes in equestrian media.

For those who’ve made it, the biggest lesson is often being open to different paths.

“I’ve learned so much from watching other people train,” Becky Moody says. “At the top level, everyone is learning from each other, and that’s what makes the sport so exciting.”

With more career pathways than ever, dressage has never been more accessible. But the key to success? Be proactive, reach out to people and stay open-minded – because the best opportunities often come from places you least expect.

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International grand prix dressage rider and trainer Anna Ross discusses educational apprenticeships and why good horses don’t come cheap

TWO weeks ago, it was National Apprenticeship Week, and there has been much discussion about equestrian degrees and colleges, particularly whether they adequately prepare students for the industry. After all, it is one that ultimately needs staff who can read a horse, not a textbook.

Apprenticeship schemes provide learning “on the job”, overseen by a college supervisor, and I have been fortunate to have had many great apprentices who have gone on to carve successful careers. Then again, those who enter into it without an open mind are unlikely to find themselves on podiums in the future.

I have several great long-term staff who came up through the scheme, including international and grand prix riders Beth Bainbridge (pictured above) and Alex Baker, along with the up-and-coming Jess Ralton, who now help train our teams of apprentice riders as well as our horses.

Some college students, though academically gifted, lack experience and therefore have a false sense of security around untrained sport horses. Even if students are taught correct protocol at colleges, the consequences of being unprepared can remain undemonstrated.

One such student was recently reluctant to use protective gear to lunge a young horse. “Gloves or skin graft,” I overheard Jess ask cheerily…

In my experience, there are plenty of young people out there who are happy to work hard if their own hopes and dreams are being fulfilled.

The real cost of producing young sport horses

WE’VE had brisk sales of young horses at Elite Dressage recently, so I read with interest the recent feature in Horse & Hound magazine about the cost of buying a horse (3 February).

If the real costs of labour, housing, broodmare investment, vet fees, semen costs, failed attempts and keep fees are taken into account, it costs around £15,000 to bring a purpose-bred young dressage horse to three years old.

Costs after this point increase considerably as it needs to be backed and trained in preparation for a new partner. Most clients want horses that have been to a couple of shows in the hope that it will not take off like a greyhound out of the traps the first time it hears the judges’ bell, or perform a full pike and twist at its first sight of the warm-up arena.

Giving a horse these early experiences may take an experienced rider and handler half a day at a time. Approximately four to five hours for two skilled people at just minimum wage is over £100, plus affiliation, entry fees and travel coming to another £100 – the costs of that good education add up fast.

What’s the solution for riders with lower budgets? Breeding a horse themselves out of a solid mare using a proven stallion, or buying a younger horse can spread the costs. Yearlings and two-year-olds can represent good value, or perhaps wait a year longer and save the money you would have spent on livery in that time to put towards the purchase price?

Consider whether the horse needs to be a purpose-bred warmblood for the job required. Does it need a perfect set of X-rays if it has a good history of soundness? Is it the end of the world if it has a minor stable “vice” or a small sarcoid? And do bear in mind that walks and canters need to be bought,

but a good trot can definitely be created.

If a purpose-bred dressage horse is backed, competed and sold for less than £20,000 at four years old, it’s likely someone is making a loss. There can be genuine reasons, but it’s wise for the buyer to be aware of this.

Some clients request the dressage equivalent of Red Rum with a similar winning record but without his well publicised soundness issues – along with a guarantee it will never be sick, sorry, lazy or crazy – for less than the cost of production.

This sort of unicorn does exist but it has wheels or rockers, not hooves and a heartbeat.

• What do you think is a fair price for a horse? Let us know at hhletters@futurenet.com

This exclusive column will also be published in Horse & Hound magazine, on sale Thursday 24 February

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The Equestrian Employers Association (EEA) is urging yards to look at their business models ahead of a hike in the minimum wage.

The national living wage, the minimum legal hourly pay for workers aged 25 and over, and national minimum wages for all younger age brackets will increase on 1 April.

The living wage will rise by 6.2%, from £8.21 to £8.72 per hour — which the government says is the “biggest cash increase ever” — with increases of between 4.6% and 6.5% for younger workers on the minimum wage, dependent on their age.

“It is absolutely right that everyone is paid fairly,” said EEA president Tullis Matson. “However, in some cases equestrian businesses are already struggling; this rise will be a challenge for them. It’s vital increases in the living wage are manageable and do not put jobs at risk.“This government has promised a reduction in the jobs tax through an increase in the employment allowance [money off an employer’s national insurance bill]. With a living wage increase of this size now on the horizon, it’s critical that it delivers swiftly.

“As a small employer, equestrian businesses must consider a rise in their prices in response to living wage increase of this magnitude. There needs to be an industry-wide increase, the employer cannot be tasked with this on their own.”

A statement from the EEA said HMRC is “certainly targeting the equestrian industry” with “hefty fines being issued” for non-compliance.

“The EEA is concerned about the impact on many equestrian business, remembering that it’s not a choice to pay [at least] the minimum wage [for the relevant age], it’s the law,” said an EEA spokesman.

“For a groom working a 50-hour week, this will be an annual pay rise of £1,326.”

The EEA has also questioned whether the Conservative Party’s pledge to raise the living wage to £10.50 an hour for everyone over 21 by 2024 is sustainable for an equestrian business. The EEA has worked out that a yard employing four staff — across four of the five minimum and living wage age brackets — on a 50-hour week, could result in an increase in staffing costs of around £4,500 per year.

On the other side, provided the rise does not result in job or hour cuts, employees on the living wage working a 35-hour week will be better off to the tune of around £930 a year under the proposal.

Hubbards Hall Livery’s Mike Hallows, who will be speaking at the first EEA conference in Shropshire on 25 February, told H&H those who pay for services, such as livery, need to realise the financial impact and why costs may rise.

“It isn’t because the [business] owners or the business are getting more out of it, it is covering our costs and people have to realise that they need to be prepared to pay enough for livery so that we can pay to provide it,” he said.

He added the impact for individuals will all depend on each person’s business models and where money comes from to bankroll that. For example, if an equestrian business is entirely self-sufficient — relying totally on money coming in from the services it provides — the increase may have a different effect to a business that has a substantial amount of capital invested from another source.

Appenticeships

An independent think-tank report has raised concerns over the rapid emergence of “fake apprenticeships” diluting the apprenticeship brand as a whole, but the equine world has been reassured this is not the case in the equestrian industry.

Chris Hewlett, managing director of apprenticeship training provider Haddon Training and chairman of the British Grooms Association, told H&H the report’s finding “generally doesn’t apply to the equine industry”, but issues are found more within the business sector and are being “stamped out”.

He added apprenticeships and the way they are run have become much more transparent, with personal learning records and final assessments.

“There are some challenges within the [equine] industry,” he said. “For example, if someone does their BHS stage two, they cannot then come and do an apprenticeship level two [on a similar subject].”

He added this, combined with a lack of careers advice in schools, can lead to innocent mistakes and people having to be turned away from possible positions.

An overhaul of apprenticeships happened in 2017, with the changes in the equine sector coming into force around 16 months ago. This means the first cohort under the new scheme have only recently finished their 12-month positions, and feedback so far has been positive.

“It is a much more stringent product,” said Mr Hewlett, adding there were teething problems, but it is working well. “People have enjoyed the experience and employers think it is more fit for purpose.

“The minimum wage increase is a challenge for the equine industry, and will put pressure points on businesses to survive and training providers to make sure that people are genuinely [employed in apprenticeship positions].

“Apprenticeships are a fantastic tool in developing the next generation of staff — there is no better way to develop those skills than on the job.

“The backbone of the industry is the work force. For all the medals, behind all of that, there is a really hard working team.”

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There will be greater chances for apprentices in the equestrian industry thanks to the government’s approval of a new scheme.

The equine groom and senior equine groom apprenticeships’ standards were approved by David Cameron this summer, and next month work will begin on the assessment plans.

The apprenticeships were drawn up by a cross-discipline group representing all facets of equestrianism, from the British Equestrian Federation and the British Horseracing Authority to the Household Cavalry.

Through the radical reform of apprenticeships, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills aims to increase their quality, put employers in the driving seat and simplify the system.

In doing so, it expects that the successful apprentice will be held in the same esteem as a university graduate.

The government is currently redesigning 76 different apprenticeship schemes, ranging from TV production to welding.

The standards for the new level two and three equine apprenticeships have been drafted by the Equine Trailblazer Apprenticeship group.

“These standards have been carefully formulated to fulfil the government’s aim to produce world-class grooms who are industry-ready,” said Sue Martin, chairman of the Equestrian Trailblazers.

“The reform aims to standardise the core knowledge and skills of the grooms, while offering training in a chosen sector of the industry including breeding, driving, racing, riding and equestrianism as a whole.”

The standards received 93% approval from employers, confirming the need for change in preparing the future professionals for the equestrian industry.

Nick Boles, the minister of state for Skills, commented: “Businesses are better placed than anyone to train the next generation of workers and will help us deliver three million high-quality apprenticeships by 2020.

“By designing apprenticeships, employers like Trent Park Equestrian Centre are ensuring that young talented people develop the skills needed to progress up the career ladder and help drive businesses forward.”

Ref: H&H 22/10/15

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Equestrian employers are needed for a survey looking into the standards required for the new equine groom apprenticeship.

Through the radical apprenticeship reform, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills aims to increase the quality of apprenticeships, put employers in the driving seat and simplify the system.

In doing so, it expects that the successful apprentice will be held in the same esteem as a university graduate.

The government is currently redesigning 76 different apprenticeship schemes, ranging from TV production to welding.

Now a steering group — which includes representatives from the British Equestrian Federation, British Horseracing Authority and the Household Cavalry — is working together to standardise the national equine groom apprenticeship into a qualification that fits the needs of today’s employers.

The standards for the new level two and three equine apprenticeships have been drafted by the Trailblazers Equine Apprenticeship group.

The employers’ feedback survey runs from 1-21 April and is part of the government’s request for world-class apprenticeships.

“We need employers’ input to the proposed standard to ensure it meets the requirements of the industry and that we deliver the government’s request for world-class apprentices,” said Sue Martin, who set up the steering group for the new Trailblazers Equine Apprenticeship group. She is the owner of the Trent Park Equestrian Centre on the outskirts of London.

“The reform aims to standardise the core knowledge and skills of the grooms, while offering training in a chosen sector of the industry including breeding, driving, racing, riding and equestrianism as a whole,” she added.

Brian Hutton, a member of the steering group and manager of Talland Equestrian Centre, added: “What we are trying to do by providing level two and three apprenticeships is to drive a wedge of good practice into the heart of the industry.”

The proposed standards for the level two apprenticeship were agreed at a meeting earlier this month.

“Feedback is now needed from all employers right across the equine industry,” added Mr Hutton.

By 2017, the government hopes that all apprenticeships will use employer-led designed standards.

To take part in the survey, visit: www.equinetrailblazerapprentices.com

Ref: Horse & Hound; 2 April 2015

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Key players from the equestrian world are working together to standardise the national equine groom apprenticeship into a qualification that fits the needs of today’s employers.

The government is currently redesigning 76 different apprenticeship schemes, from TV production to welding, and including grooms.

Currently, there are many different apprenticeship schemes open to people wanting to work with horses.

Now member bodies of the British Equestrian Federation, the British Horseracing Authority, equestrian charities, The Household Cavalry and The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, as well as representatives from polo and hunting, have become part of a steering group, facilitated by Trent Park Equestrian Centre, to standardise apprenticeships by 2017.

“The overall outcome of the reform is to ensure that every industry benefits from a well-trained workforce with transferable skills,” said Sue Martin of Trent Park Equestrian Centre.

“We will produce a standard of apprenticeship for the equine industry that is world class and builds on existing strengths, with industry and the grooms benefiting from having specialised training.”

Brian Hutton of Talland School of Equitation added: “This will give the many strands of the horseworld the opportunity to work together to create a rounded, educated, practical groom with all the skills for the future of the industry.”

Through the radical apprenticeship reform, The Department for Business Innovation and Skills aims to increase the quality of apprenticeships, put employers in the driving seat and simplify the system.

In doing so it expects that the successful apprentice will be held in the same esteem as a university graduate.

“It’s good that employers are having an input to ensure that the apprenticeship is designed to produce quality staff with the real skills they need to run their businesses. It is important to remember that an apprentice is still an employee, and must be treated as such,” Lucy Katan from the British Grooms Association told H&H.

To find out more about the Trailblazer scheme visit www.gov.uk/government/publications/

Ref: H&H 27 November 2014

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A new equine groom apprenticeship was announced by the government earlier this month (23 October) following a united campaign by the equestrian community.

The standard of the new apprenticeship scheme was set by the member bodies of the BEF, the British Horse Racing Authority, equestrian charities, The Household Cavalry, The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and facilitated by Trent Park Equestrian Centre.

In this third phase of the government’s apprenticeship initiative 700 employers will design 76 apprenticeships in professions ranging from TV production to welding and including the occupation of equine groom.

“This will give the many strands of the horse world the opportunity to work together in a universal way for the first time to create a rounded, educated, practical groom with all the skills for the future of the industry,” said Brian Hutton of Talland School of Equitation.

The government hopes the reforms will increase the quality of apprenticeships and enable the successful apprentice to be given the same esteem as a university graduate.

“Our reforms have empowered businesses small and large to design and deliver world-beating apprenticeships that offer a real route to a successful career,” said business secretary Vince Cable.

Launched in 2013 the government’s Trailblazers scheme now has 1,000 employers involved in designing apprenticeships.

“The overall outcome of the reform is to ensure that every industry benefits from a well-trained workforce with transferable skills able to meet the needs of the future economy for years to come,” said Sue Martin of Trent Park Equestrian Centre.

“We will produce a standard of apprenticeship for the equine industry that is world class and builds on existing strengths, with industry and the grooms benefiting from having specialised training in their chosen field,” she explained.

Skills minister Nick Boles congratulated the equestrian Trailblazer team for “the key role it is playing in developing new top quality apprenticeships.”

He said through the Trailblazer initiative companies like Trent Park Equestrian Centre, working with their industry partners “will give people the skills they need to thrive and our businesses need to compete.”

More information here

The first equine apprentices have been enrolled at South Staffordshire College.

The eight students are taking their Level 2 horse care and riding apprenticeships at the College’s equestrian centre on its Rodbaston campus.

The students will spend one day a week at the College and the rest of the working week on placements.

After completing their Level 2 apprenticeship, students can progress onto their Level 3 apprenticeship in equine or take an extended diploma in horse management.

“The college side is great, and I am finding I can apply what I have learned at work,” said new student Emily Hunt.

John Renshaw, apprenticeship manager at South Staffordshire College said: “This is a great opportunity and has been met by local employers with enthusiasm as a local college helping to meet their business needs.”

The apprentices on the course also help with the centre’s busy events programme which includes dressage, showjumping and BHS Stage 1 training and exams.

South Staffordshire College is currently upgrading facilities with a new indoor arena surface and showjumps.

The College has a 60m x 30m indoor arena flanked by a 60m x 20m covered outdoor arena and a 40m x 20m uncovered outdoor arena.

More information on South Staffordshire College

Thankfully the weather has got colder — what a relief. I can actually work on a horse without breaking into a sweat!

There’s so much I still have to grasp about shoeing horses. I feel like I’ve been writing this blog all of my life, but I feel I know nothing more about horse shoeing. I make a great deal of mistakes still and often miss the blinding obvious, except it’s not really the blinding obvious.

For example, many horses have slightly different sized feet. One might be slightly flatter and the other one may be more upright. To the layperson you would never notice it. I’m somewhere between a layperson and a specialist and will not always spot these subtle nuances. Arrrgh! As hard as I try, sometimes, I just do not see it!

My midway review is happening this week. I get a visit from the farriery training people who come and make sure I’ve done all my homework and review my training to date. The Farriery Training Agency has been closed down (as you may have read in the press) and has been replaced by those who run the farriery college courses.

It will be interesting to see if anything has changed. These visits to the work place are quite important for monitoring purposes and each and every one of us apprentices gets 2 visits a year.

I’m hoping for some nice cold weather from now on. No more hot days please. They are murder! I have though, got to be careful what I wish for. I’d hate to be the cause of a Siberian winter. Somewhere between 10 to 12 degrees centigrade will do me nicely!

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails 

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As I’ve progressed though my farriery apprenticeship, it has dawned on me that it’s not only shoeing and trimming horses that we do. Perhaps 90% of our work is to do with that bit of farriery.

The other 10% of our work can probably be split as follows; 7% dispensing advice on the management of horses, weight and stable management, sounding board on all aspects to do with horses and riding. For example, horse handling and training, condition and feeding. The final 3% as agony aunt, confidant and life coach!

With regards to advice on horse matters, that’s easy to justify. Many farriers will have had a great deal of exposure to a great many different horse issues. So why not speak to your farrier about your horse. He (or she) sees your horse every 6 weeks or so and will be able to tell if it’s lost weight or gained weight for example.

Also, farriers have a tremendous equine knowledge base built up over the years of being around horses, from a variety of customers, yards and horse disciplines, and from working with vets and other professionals (back specialists etc). They will also have a great many contacts and can probably put you in touch with someone on their round who has had a similar issue or is set up to solve your particular problem.

The life coach bit though is, perhaps, a little more difficult to justify! Maybe it’s because we’re bent over in a vulnerable position that makes us easier to speak to! I had my first real taste of being an agony aunt this week. I’m not sure I was any good though as I have to concentrate hard on what I’m doing, which made it difficult to follow the gist or think of anything sensible to say. Perhaps my grunts of sympathy were sufficient, as more and more personal information came tumbling out. A problem shared is a problem halved, so they say, even if you are talking to a mute farrier apprentice!

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails 

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As my apprenticeship in farriery progresses, I am humbled by the level of skill that is required to shoe a horse well. I suppose that I am really only now understanding the complete art of shoeing, even though I have been in the apprenticeship scheme for 2½ years. I am beginning to master some aspects of the craft, but I have a long way to go before mastering all of it. In fact, a good farrier will say that they will never truly master the craft, but that they will continue to try.

I am beginning to do more hot shoeing now and it’s one thing to put a shoe on a horse that fits the foot, but an entirely different thing to put a shoe on a foot that both fits and gives the right support.

Damage can be done by not considering the hoof capsule, what it is trying to do and the general conformation of the horse. Does one side of the hoof need more support than the other? What if the hoof needs support, but the horse brushes or is renowned for pulling shoes off? How do you balance the needs of the hoof capsule with the general behaviour and movement of the horse?

Putting the right ‘fit’ of steel on the hoof is the key to good farriery and it will often involve compromising the ideal fit with the need to keep the shoes on for the entire shoeing period.

I have to admit, I’m a bit lost on some of these compromises, and am just pleased to be able to shoe a horse safely without injury to it or myself! Actually, I’ve yet to complete a shoeing job without causing injury to myself! My hands and arms are covered in burns and nail pricks, but I suppose that is a good indication of my level of competence (or incompetence)!

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails 

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Have I ever mentioned just how long the farriery apprenticeship is? Sometimes, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but at other times, it seems a never-ending journey. To acquire the skills to be good enough to shoe horses takes a great deal of patience and practice. I still feel a long way off being good enough to shoe horses and that is when the tunnel is at its darkest.

The whole 4 years of training comes down to one big set of exams, which includes a 2½ hour written paper, an oral with a vet, an oral with a farrier and then a 2½ hour practical exam.

This weekend, I attended a ‘recreation’ of the exams I will have to take – a gruelling series of mock exams. Although I won’t be sitting my exams until November 2014, I felt it would be a useful exercise to get the experience. The other candidates there were taking their exams this November, so they only have a few months until the big day. Speaking with many of them, I learnt a bit about how I would be feeling 2 months away from my finals.

Everyone had differing strengths and weaknesses. Many feared the oral with the vet, which includes reading X-rays and discussing diseases and foot conditions. Just as many feared the practical exam, whilst others were dreading the theory paper exam. Basically, everyone was feeling the pressure.

At no point did I reveal to the examiners that I was still 18 months away from taking my exams for real, so the feedback I received was with the prospect of me taking those exams in 2 months time. My theory paper was a comfortable pass, and so was my oral with the vet. The oral I had with the farrier was a bit of a disaster, as he found lots of gaps in my knowledge, including ringbone and other osteoarthritis conditions. My practical exam was a marginal pass.

All in all, I was very pleased with what I achieved.  I was given some very clear guidance on how to convert an overall marginal pass to a comfortable pass and there is nothing more valuable than feedback such as that. Perhaps then, there is a pin prick of light at the end of my tunnel now?

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails 

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The amount of work involed in shoeing a horse can vary tremendously. It can depend on how long ago the horse was last shod and/or how co-operative it is. Would it not be reasonable, therefore, to charge by the minute? If your horse can be shod in 45min then, rightly, it should cost less than if it takes 1½hr to shoe it. I expect most farriers charge a standard price no matter how long it takes. Certainly, we do.

For some of our customers, we end up running around after them to keep their horses on the road. It’s always those customers that want to stretch their shoeing period. Shoes are lost or spread, new nails need inserting and often clenches need tightening. It’s always the same customers. Whilst their horse might be easy to shoe, there’s a great deal of additional time required from the farrier to keep their horse going.

If they had their horse shod more regularly, there would be none of the out of hours’ work we have to do. Should we charge them, therefore, for that running around? I know many farriers do charge. I wonder if they have less customers stretching their shoeing cycle as we do? It is more economical to have your horse shod more regularly than pay call outs for extending the life of the shoes?

These are all considerations that I will need to factor into my own pricing policy when I qualify. I am only too aware that, if a horse loses a shoe, the expectation is that it’s the farrier’s problem so he/she should put it right. But there’s a fine balance between being “taken for a ride” and offering a good service at a fair price.

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

Would you be happy to pay more/less for your horse’s shoes depending on how long it takes for them to be shod? Let us know what you think of Roland’s idea below…

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I’ve been reflecting on the kind of life I now lead, having been a corporate businessman and entrepreneur before. Obviously, being a farrier couldn’t be more different and many of the people I now meet couldn’t be more different either.

I still have some contact with my previous corporate world and many of my friends now hold senior positions in big companies, but I never remember discussing work as much as I do now. Anyone who finds out I’m training to be a farrier seems to be immediately interested.

I can understand why farriery is so interesting to people. It is an incredibly evocative craft with strong connotations to the past, but as relevant as any other modern trade is. Questions I am often asked include “why do horses wear shoes?” and “why do you need to burn the shoes on?” and “does it hurt the horse?” By far the most common question is “how is your back”?

There is no doubt about it, it is back-breaking work, but I just smile and say that I’m in better shape now than I have ever been. One thing is for sure, sitting at a desk day-in, day-out does nothing for your fitness, or your back for that matter!

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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I’m always surprised by how much of an effect the weather has on horses’ hooves.

At the moment they have become extremely hard because of the dry weather and so it takes a great deal more effort to trim them. In prolonged periods of wet, they become significantly softer. The horse’s internal systems will regulate the moisture content to some extent, but the conditions and weather they are kept in has the most effect.

For example, those horses that have not had their hooves picked out often during this warm period will have trapped warm muck, usually in the frog clefts, which is providing the perfect breeding ground for thrush.

For the second time in my apprenticeship I have come cross a nest of maggots wriggling like fury in the central frog cleft. The thrush, combined with the appetite of the maggots, had resulted in most of the frog horn being eaten away, exposing the corium (the germinative layer for producing the frog).

The maggots were soon dispatched, all infected horn cut away and an anti-bacterial solution applied. A 2min job, but if left untreated, further infection is likely and the hoof can become compromised, which is much harder to rectify.

Stable management varies tremendously from yard to yard and as farriers we see both ends of the spectrum and all in between. As my mother always said, you can judge the quality of a restaurant by its toilets and on that basis, I tend to turn down the offer of refreshments from those yards that have a poor track record in stable management!

Filthy stable, filthy kitchen? For all I know there could be something growing in the cake I’m offered, so I’ll wait until we arrive at the next yard for my cuppa and a slice!

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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It’s got to the point where I don’t care what I look like. I’ll wear anything to stay cool (or perhaps it would be better to wear nothing!) Our summer weather has reduced me to donning a bandana and carrying a towel on my tool box. As of today I am wearing shorts.

If that does not work, then I will have to consider the muscle top option, something I swore I would never do! It doesn’t help that the horses are so hot and working on them is like doing a full workout whilst leaning against a radiator.

Fitting shoes is still my main challenge and priority as I continue to try to see the different shape that each hoof has. I’ve found my trimming work has deteriorated as a consequence of being preoccupied with the fitting side.

Trying to knit all the elements together is actually quite hard. Placing the last piece in the jigsaw, which is effectively what I have to do to be able to shoe a standard horse well, seems a long way off.

And of course frustration leads to lack of confidence, which leads to self-doubt and so on. It’s a hard cycle to break and Kris, my training farrier, and I are working hard on trying to reverse the spiral. It doesn’t help that I can’t see what I’m doing for the sweat in my eyes!

No more excuses! Bring me another hot horse to work on…

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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My survival kit at the moment includes a sweat band, sun cream, hay fever tablets, accurate horse fly swatting and gallons of water. Oh, and a trip to the hospital — but that wasn’t weather related. I managed to drive a nail into my knee, which was not very clever.

There was no obvious problem with my knee initially but, by the time I got home in the evening, I couldn’t walk. It turns out that it had become infected (not surprising really as the nail had already been through the hoof and exited into my knee), so I’m now on a course of antibiotics.

I have, in the past, nailed hooves to various bits of me including my hand and I expect I will continue nailing hooves to different parts of my body while my levels of competence improve slowly. Being an apprentice is a painful journey!

I won’t go into the amount of burns I’ve sustained from hot fitting but, suffice to say, I always seem to carry an injury of some kind. It’s par for the course. I’ve yet to patch a cut up with superglue, which is a trick of Kris my training farrier. Next time I cut myself, I might give it a go! I’m sure I won’t have to wait long.

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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College block one — tick

College block two — tick

College block three — tick

College block four — tick

AND… College block five — tick

Phew! I’m back after a gruelling three weeks at Warwick College of Farriery. They drive you hard and now that we’re nearing the ultimate college block (block eight) where we will either become farriers or not, the thumb screws are really beginning to be tightened. In some ways it seems like yesterday that I was completing college block one, but in other ways it feels like a long time ago.

The homework which we need to submit in six months’ time at our next college attendance is, again, wide ranging and challenging. It will mean more late nights and weekends sacrificed to get it all done. There’s no let up and the pressure is on to build up our skill set further.

Being back at work this week will hurt. Three weeks at college does not do your shoeing fitness any good and I know that by Wednesday I will be in bits. However, with the weather as it is, I’m more likely to faint than pull a hamstring!

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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Today was my first day back at college for the start of block five. There are eight college blocks in all, so this college attendance really marks the beginning of the end. It’s good to see everyone — we are all comparing stories and experiences from the past nine months since we were last here.

Thinking back to college block one, when we were all fresh faced, we look quite different now. Everyone is chiseled and wirey, rugged and weatherbeaten. There’s not an ounce of fat between us and we’re all suffering from insatiable appetites. The queue for the coffee break counter now requires a visit to the hot food counter just to see us through to lunch!

For the equine lady students and other girl students, who also study at the college, the farrier apprentices offer some serious eye candy! And don’t they know it. Muscle tops and tight t-shirts are the order of the day and there is a great deal of strutting and attention seeking.

Of course, I cannot include myself in this! Firstly, I am far too old to be considered as eye candy. Secondly, I cannot compete with my younger strutters and thirdly, I swore never to wear a muscle top. That’s a young man’s game, so I keep my shoulders covered and maintain an aloofness that won’t get me into trouble (hopefully).

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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Being a farrier apprentice is pretty all consuming. Firstly, the hours are long and the work is hard. Then there is the homework and shoemaking practice, which can only be done at weekends and evenings, and then there is revision to do. That does not leave much time for anything else. It’s particularly gruelling at the moment as I’m off to college in a week and there’s plenty of paperwork to get done.

Still, only 18 more months to go and then I’m my own boss again. The thing about being your own boss is (as I know from experience) that you work even harder. No one else can do your work and you are only as good as your last job. Service, reliability and dedication are required to build a decent round and it’s hard to say no.

My plan is to work sensible hours and shoe only four or five horses in a day. Of course, to start with I will have no customers, and I don’t know how long it will take to build a round that keeps me reasonably busy. It could take a long time or, if I’m lucky, no time at all. It will depend on the area I decide to set-up in and whether there’s plenty of fed up customers looking to switch to a new farrier, or maybe a farrier retiring… Who knows?

I need to think about a trading name, too. Do I use Nags ‘n’ Nails as my business name? it’s been a good blog name, but is it a good business name? Roland Thompson Farrier seems a bit dry. I don’t know. Maybe I could even go into partnership with someone.

Farriers tend not to advertise as people will wonder why they need to — “Must be no good if they’re advertising”. I think that was true years ago, but nowadays the competition is much fiercer, so perhaps it’s more justified to advertise now. Anyway, these are all distant problems that need addressing in due course.

However, I would really welcome any feedback and ideas about location, name and ways to market my business… AND I’d be happy to shoe your horse for you if nothing else!

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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Devon County Show starts later this week (16-18 May) and I am participating in the shoe-making competition. Kris, my training farrier, runs the competition for the three days of the show and I will be supporting him.

Farriers from all over the UK will be competing in a variety of classes and disciplines. It’s great fun to watch and immensely impressive what the top guys can do, so come and see us at the show.

For my own part, I am competing in the third and fourth year apprentice class. It’s hard to second guess what we will be asked to make, but I spent a bit of time on Saturday practising making a bar shoe (see the picture). There are many types of bar shoe — straight bar, heart bar and egg bar are the most common. They each have a different application and are fitted for different reasons. The shoe I made is an egg bar and is fitted with length to give maximum support to the back of the leg. It is a risky shoe to fit as the horse can pull it off easily by treading on it, so it is not often fitted unless the horse is on box rest.

As with all handmade bar shoes, they require welding which is a whole new skill set that I have to master. Firstly, forging the steel carefully to allow the joining of the two ends is one aspect but the really tricky bit is the welding. The steel is heated to a precise point where it begins to develop an oily surface. It’s a fraction of a degree below the point that the steel will burn. If you are too cautious the weld will not work so it’s a balancing act.

With the steel heated to the perfect point, the two ends can be hammer welded together. To achieve a good strong weld the steel needs to be brought up to the welding temperature two to three times, so there’s plenty of opportunity for me to ruin the shoe. I just hope that the shoes that we have to make in the forthcoming competition are not bar shoes because my welding is nowhere near competition ready!

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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There’s no doubt about it, it’s a hairy time of year as summer coats come through. After each shoeing job, Kris my training farrier and I have to brush ourselves off before getting into the van. But it’s a nice problem to have as it marks the onset of summer. And so do the flies… blighters!

I’m back to college soon for the fifth of my eight blocks. There’s quite a bit to do in preparation for it, including making shoes and completing various assignments. Fortunately, I have done quite a lot of the ground work and completed most of the assignments so can now concentrate on the few competitions that I have entered.

The first is Devon County Show in two weeks time. I am entered into the third and fourth year apprentice class and the Eagle Eye class, which I’ve never taken part in before. Each competitor has 30sec to look at (but not touch) a hoof, then 15min to make a shoe for it. The competitor who makes the closest fitting shoe wins.

Competitions are a great way to prepare for the final diploma exams as there’s a great deal of pressure and nerves to manage. Apprentices are encouraged to take part in as many as possible. However, many apprentices decide not to compete, which is surprising as they really are extremely useful to our training. There’s a huge amount one can learn from the qualified farrier competitors, who are only too ready to give advice and encourage us.

Finally, on a serious note, following the recent OFSTED report, which found the Farrier Training Agency “inadequate”, I wanted to make clear that the standard of farriers qualifying is just as high as it has always been. The standards and diploma exam, which every apprentice has to pass to become a farrier, is set by the Worshipful Company of Farriers, not the Farrier Training Agency. Therefore, while the training agency has been called into question, the standards have not. The UK continues to produce the best farriers in the world and there is no doubt about that.

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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It must be time for the competition season as there’s been a sudden run on stud holes. From a farrier’s point of view it’s reasonably easy to put them in although it’s important to make sure the hole is the right size and the thread is true.

The difficult bit is putting in the stud when you’re at a competition as I observed today at a hunter trials. I watched a competitor pick out the cotton wool which she had packed the hole with to keep it mud free, re-tap (threading) the stud hole and then screw in the stud. It took twice the time it takes to groom and tack up a horse. What a palaver.

There must be an easier way? I’m going to research it and just maybe there’s an opportunity to invent a better system. If so, perhaps I can make my millions!

Speaking of which, everyone seems to believe that a farrier is loaded. Perhaps in the old days they were, but costs have risen so much and farriers have had to absorb them to a large extent, considerably eroding profit margins. It’s probably the same for many professionals.

There’s no doubt about it, lots of people are feeling the pinch as everything is so expensive now. Farriers, along with other professionals, have to be sensitive to the price. Anyway, money is definitely not the reason I’m training to be a farrier. I intend to be a gentleman farrier, shoeing three to four horses a day and then returning home for a leisurely early finish. Well, that’s the plan anyway!

The Farrier Training Agency (FTA) has just been OFSTED inspected and was found to be inadequate! I am extremely disappointed by the score awarded. They were found to be lacking vision, insight and leadership. One thing that has not changed is the high standard that we have to achieve to become a farrier.

The examination standards are maintained separately and so there is no difference between the quality of farriers qualifying today as there was five years ago. Instead, the system of back blocking (making students repeat a college block again, thereby adding a further six months to their apprenticeship) as a punitive measure, was brought into question as well as the instances of bullying and humiliation which the FTA failed to follow-up on.

They will have a period of time to address OFSTED’s concerns, which I am sure they will, and it will result in our training programme being modernised in line with current day practices.

Amongst other things, I am hopeful that I will be allowed to type my assignments in future rather than writing them by hand which would be a massive relief as I have the hand writing of a spider on acid!

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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In this week's edition of our farriery apprentice's blog, he is struggling with the technique of ringing-off the protruding nail end once it’s exited the hoof. It's yet another challenge for him to overcome

There’s nothing like a farrier apprenticeship to make you feel unco-ordinated and clumsy. As each new task is introduced to me, I manage to make myself look ridiculous. I often wonder what our customers think when they see me working on their horses — they are probably terrified!

The current co-ordination issue I’m having is with nailing on shoes. Kris Parsons, my training farrier, always makes it look so easy and I make it look really, really hard.

Nailing shoes on is actually one of the easier elements of shoeing a horse. As Kris puts it, “just aim and fire”. It’s actually quite difficult to send a nail into the wrong place, so the skill really is about nailing into quality horn and not using old nail holes or nailing into broken horn.

Presentation is also important so lining up the nails so they exit in a neat line makes the job look neater. The nails do not want to exit too low down, as the horn is not as strong there, and neither do they want to exit too high, as they may cause pressure on the sensitive structures (a bit like having a splinter under your finger nail). So there is a sweet spot to aim for and, if the wall of the hoof is thin, this is harder to achieve.

Even though I am only really nailing shoes on horses that have thick hoof walls, I still manage to make it look hard. There are tricks that can help, such as “tipping” the nail to alter its trajectory, as well as angling the hammer blow to affect the line of penetration. The bit that I struggle with most is ringing-off the protruding nail end once it’s exited the hoof. There is a technique to that which I do not possess yet.

Watching me tie myself in knots trying to ring-off the nail is probably quite amusing if it’s not your horse I’m working on! Suffice to say, I’m quite safe, but my clumsy action does not inspire confidence. One thing is for sure, It’s a good job I’m not looking to impress any of the stable girls!

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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I’ve accumulated some more injuries this week. One is a nail puncture wound to my hand — something I was bound to get at some stage.

However, I was not expecting a grazed eyeball. An over-friendly cob wanted to sniff my face and his rough old top lip wrinkled, twitched and jabbed me straight in the eye. It was so painful and all day my eye streamed. Not your everyday farrier injury!

There’s a rumour that the weather might start getting better, so fingers crossed that comes true. I was massively disappointed by the snow flurry we had this week, but it didn’t affect things too much.

The ground has started to dry up and so have the hooves. They become very hard — almost like concrete — when there is a prolonged dry spell, but for now it’s just such a relief not to be working on wet, muddy ones.

On another note, I weighed myself this week. I can’t actually remember whether I’ve weighed myself at all since starting this apprenticeship, so it was a real revelation what the scales were saying. A lot of people have commented on how much weight I’ve lost recently, so that’s what prompted me to get on the scales.

It’s very liberating being able to eat exactly what I want and not to having to worry about weight. When I was a corporate office worker, I was losing the weight battle. There was no such thing as guilt-free eating. Well, now there is. Which reminds me, I must check the profiteroles aren’t burning!

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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It’s British summer time — yay! Not that it affects us much. It just means we’ll be as cold as we were last week but in a bit more daylight. Baltic just about sums it up!

I am slightly concerned that my new choice of profession is coinciding with reports of a mini ice age. Perhaps I should set up my farriery business in warmer climes.

Speaking of which, the knotty subject of where to set up does need some thought. I am still two years away from qualifying, but I know how quickly that will come around. I ought to earmark my patch soon and start thinking about how to establish myself there.

If anyone has any ideas of where might be a good place to locate myself and family, then please let me know!

Anyway, my training is of most pressing importance for the time being. I have started to think about the final exam and prepare myself as much as possible.

I took part in a “mock” final exam which mirrors the real one I will take in two years’ time. It involved a 2.5hr written exam, an oral exam with a vet and an oral exam with a farrier, followed by a practical exam in which we had to shoe a horse to the very, very high standard that is expected of us.

At this stage in my apprenticeship, there is just no way that I’d pass the exam, so I wasn’t expecting to do very well in the mocks. However, I didn’t disgrace myself and even managed to pass the theory paper. The vet and farrier avoided asking me questions on the hock and knee to take into account the stage I am at. The examiners’ were also very lenient on my shoe making and shoe fit.

It was great to take part in the exam and get a flavour of what the dreaded final exams will be like. It’s easy to see how nerves can get the better of you and that is probably what accounts for most failures. However, at this rate, I’ll probably be shaking as much from the cold as I will from nerves. Please, please warm up!

Until next week,

Roland

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Have I ever mentioned just how hard becoming a farrier is? Next time you see your farrier, ask him (or her) about their apprenticeship.

Anyway, I’ve just returned from the Shire Horse Show in Peterborough where I nervously took part in the third and fourth year apprentice shoemaking competition. Apart from it being terrific fun to take part in, it’s also a way of benchmarking yourself against fellow students and getting experience in making shoes under pressure which is, of course, good practice for our final exams.

I was really pleased and surprised at just how well I did. It was also great to catch up with a few guys who are at the same stage as me and over the ensuing beers I learnt that I’m not the only one finding it tough.

It’s really easy to assume that everyone else is progressing faster and finding it easier than you are when you’re tucked away in your own world. Having the chance to meet up with fellow students is a great way of checking your own skills and capabilities.

I have definitely been suffering from a lack of confidence recently and it has shown up in my work. This weekend has been a welcome “shot in the arm” and with a few good things that happened at work last week I am feeling much more positive about the challenges ahead.

Never in a million years did I expect to find the apprenticeship so difficult. Lots of people told me it would be, but I never really believed them. Well, now I do believe them and for anyone thinking of becoming a farrier, be prepared for one hell of a journey.

For those of you who use a farrier, ask them about their apprenticeship. I know they make shoeing look easy, but it wasn’t always easy for them. It takes a huge amount of dedication, patience and mental strength to qualify and, of course, immense skill too. Perhaps make them an extra cup of tea in acknowledgement!

Until next week,

Roland

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There are many pleasures in life, but none so bizarre or as enjoyable as a good frog trim. I’m telling you, there’s nothing like it.

Take one scraggy and misshapen frog, then apply a really sharp knife to both sides. Voila, a really smart and tidy frog making a perfect “V” optimised for its use as a breaking and anti-slip device.

There is a good chance the men with the white coats will be coming to take me away now I’ve admitted my frog fetish, but I don’t care! It’s just so satisfying when it happens.

Anyway, I was reflecting on those things in life that bring pleasure, no matter how bizarre, and I realise that there are a few unusual things that only those who work as farriers or with horses will experience.

For example, the smell of burning hoof. I know it’s a marmite thing, but for those that like it it’s very alluring.

Another example is the smell of stinky hoof. A whiff of bacteria (old cabbage) and hmmmm… Bisto. I feel at home.

This brings me on to to a farrier’s ability to clear a room. Walk into any clean environment, such as a shop, and wow, the stink of horse is overpowering to the point where I have actually seen people recoil from the smell.

Kris, my training farrier, smells worse than me as he does all the shoe fitting. Often shopkeepers say that they can smell burning. But no, the smell is Kris and it’s just the aroma of burning hoof on him. It’s always a source of amusement.

I have yet to really enjoy the nuances of nailing shoes on, but I’m sure there are some very satisfying “driven nails”. I know that when I’m regularly fitting shoes, I will be able to help Kris clear some shops. Oh the simple pleasures in life!

Until next week,

Roland

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It’s a quiet time of year for us (I use the term lightly of course!) as hunting is beginning to wind down and the summer events are a way off still.

The ebb and flow of shoeing follows the seasons and, whilst those who have worked with horses for some time will have an affinity with these cycles, I have yet to know what’s round the corner.

I do know, however, that at some point the showing season will be upon us and as will polo and eventing, but I have yet to suss out which discipline will demand earlier preparation.

It seems to me that there is always something going on and I suppose the advantage of being a farrier is that there will be horses to shoe all year round.

One thing for sure is I am ready for some warmer weather. It feels like I have been working on wet and muddy horses for far too long now and that I might start to suffer from mud fever myself!

There doesn’t seem to be an end in sight so mud, wet and cold will continue to dominate my world for the time being.

According to the Farriery Registration Council we are not obliged to shoe any horses that are not clean and dry, sheltered or stabled in a well-lit environment, free from rain and on level, dry hard standing. Sounds like a fairytale to me. If that were the case, we’d shoe one horse a fortnight.

It does amaze me though, the number of customers who do not pick out their horses’ feet for us. Fair enough that the legs are likely to be muddy and wet, but to not bother cleaning the feet up a bit before we arrive is beyond me.

Do they brush their teeth before seeing the dentist? I bet they do so why don’t they clean their horse’s feet before we arrive? (Not sure that analogy works, but hopefully you know what I mean!)

Anyway, speaking of being long-suffering, I think I may have come across the most long-suffering horse ever this week. Whilst its hind feet were being shod, its owner was using the clippers on its head. It didn’t even bat an eyelid. I’m sure the Farriery Registration Council would also have something to say about this though!

Until next week,

Roland

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A government funded sports performance programme — already used for other mainstream sports — will soon be available to talented riders looking to perform at the highest level.

Hartpury College in Gloucestershire will be offering the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) from this September, to riders aged 16-19.

The course will be run in conjunction with British Dressage (BD), British Eventing (BE) and the British Equestrian Federation (BEF), with discipline specific programmes for dressage, para dressage and eventing.

Apprentices will combine their riding with units aimed at preparing them for all aspects of life in a professional sport.

“This is a great new initiative for [people] who are driven to become the elite riders of tomorrow,” said BD’s Jo Brown.

“AASE provides a great way to combine a focus on a competitive dressage career with the opportunity to learn all the additional skills which make athletes successful.”

Chris Farr from BE added: “The ability to combine academic study with the development of high performance sport tuition has been a resounding success in other sports.

“Now is the perfect opportunity for equestrian athletes to take up this fantastic opportunity.”

Riders must meet specific criteria set by BD and BE to be considered for the initiative, and those who are selected will have the choice of completing the course at Hartpury or at home. Candidates will be able to study A Levels alongside the apprenticeship.

For more information visit www.hartpury.ac.uk

It’s been a while since I mentioned the uphill battle I have with shoemaking. It’s a very big part of the farriery apprenticeship and, while most modern farriery businesses will stock machine-made shoes and fit them to their horses, being able to make shoes from scratch is still an integral part of being a farrier.

Our final exam in two years time will be to make and fit two shoes, one hind and one front shoe, with a specific variance, such as set toe, rolled toe, hunter fit, either fullered or three quarter fullered. A key moment in that exam will be deciding on how much steel to cut for each shoe. Get this bit wrong and it is potentially fatal. Just thinking about it gives me butterflies.

When I am shoemaking I record, in a book, the length of steel I start with and the size of shoe that I end up with. Depending on the type of shoe I am making affects the outcome of the size. For instance fullering steel will “draw” (stretch) the material meaning that it will produce a larger shoe than if I wasn’t to fuller the steel. Also, the number of times I hit the steel will have an effect on how much draw occurs.

The better I become at shoe making, the fewer times I need to hit the steel which, in turn, means less draw. Therefore, over the next two years, I will continue to record my sizes so that when I am examined, I know exactly how much steel to cut. There go those butterflies again!

There is just one other thing to mention about the shoemaking side of the farriery apprenticeship. It is relentless. There is no let up. If you do not put the hours in then expect to fail either the final exam or one of the milestone exams that take place before hand. There are no shortcuts and no quick wins. It takes effort, sacrifice and determination and many, many hours of practice.

Other than that shoemaking is a doddle!

Until next week,

Roland

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The Farrier apprenticeship is structured carefully around work-based learning and college-based learning, both of which are overseen by the National Farrier Training Agency (NFTA).

Because there are such long stints between the college attendances — we only go to college for 26 weeks throughout the entire four-year apprenticeship — NFTA field officers come and visit us at our workplace to make sure all is well.

That includes checking that we are being paid properly, have been given the correct holiday entitlement and all the myriad of health and safety laws are being abided by.

Fortunately, many of the health and safety laws that seem to govern every corner of our lives cannot be implemented in the world of farriery as it’s difficult to legislate for working underneath horses — particularly the wilder ones.

We do, of course, follow as much health and safety protocol as possible but there are some ridiculous suggestions in the pipeline.

One such idea is that we should rope a cordon around our working area when showing a horse and put a sign up saying “Danger, horses being shod”.

This is a health and safety measure being discussed in Europe and a representative of the health and safety legislature from Germany actually came across to the UK and gave my college class a talk on this.

Apparently we should also wear gloves and safety glasses when taking shoes off and when clenching up too. One thing that does occur to me is how the glasses and gloves will help me when a small gust of wind blows the “danger” sign over, spooking the horse, which then tramples me on its way to getting caught up in the cordon. Please let common sense prevail.

Judging by the genuine enthusiasm emanating from this German H&S specialist when discussing these measures (he really was enjoying himself), I do not hold out much hope.

Until next week,

Roland

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Fitting shoes is now preoccupying my apprenticeship. I’m halfway through the four years it will take me to qualify as a farrier and am now being taught this final piece in the jigsaw. That said, there is still a long road to travel.

Developing the skills to fit a basic shoe to a straight-forward foot is one thing. Dealing with tricky feet and horses with conformation problems that affect movement and joint action is an entirely different league.

Kris Parsons, my training farrier, makes fitting a shoe to a horse look easy but, as I know from experience, it’s incredibly difficult and the skill level needed is extremely refined and intricate.

Firstly, the contact made between the burning hoof and the shoe is extremely delicate. It is easy to burn too much hoof and lower the hoof wall, particularly at the heels. The shoe also slips easily making it hard to hold it steady on the foot. Each time I move my head to look at one side or the other, the shoe moves making it hard to establish where it needs adjusting.

Furthermore, the smoke from the burning hoof in my eyes makes it look like I’ve been crying and I always seem to inhale a lung full of smoke while trying to blow a gap to see what on earth I’m doing. Imagine inhaling a big fat cigar — well that’s nothing compared to burning hoof! I used to smoke, but I gave it up. Now, it seems, I’m taking it back up again!

Until next week,

Roland

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We’ve seen a lot of foot conditions such as thrush, seedy toe and abscesses in the past few months. From my point of view it’s quite helpful coming across so many of these cases as I continue my education.

Although I have yet to experience an “explosion of pus” from excavating an hoof abscess (immensely satisfying to see pus arc across the stable, allegedly), I have been cutting out lots of seedy toe, which for a rooky apprentice farrier, is also very satisfying. Being able to identify seedy toe and then deal with it is a significant step for me and reminds me that I’m starting to see more when I look at a foot.

This week I also undertook my first laminitic trim with the help of Kris [Parsons], my training farrier. Trimming a laminitic foot is quite different from trimming a normal foot and knowing how far to take the trim is something that will take a long time to learn. Kris however, has a lot of experience in laminitis and works closely with our local veterinary surgery in dealing with many laminitic cases.

Surprisingly for this time of year, there has been a lot of laminitis about. Laminitis is normally associated with the springtime when the new grass is coming through and not wintertime, when there is not much goodness in the grass. However, because it has been so wet this winter, horses have been kept in and fed haylage and hard feed, which perhaps has had the same effect as the spring grass. The wet has also been the reason for more abscesses and related foot conditions and I’m sure everyone is now praying for a dry spell.

With Kris’s help, I managed to shoe a pair of hind feet this week. My hot fitting campaign continues and I can now shoe a pair of feet in less than two and half hours!! Clearly I’ve got a long way to go before I can shoe on a commercial basis. Five hours to shoe a horse is not exactly profitable work unless I can charge a few hundred quid — and, I expect I won’t have many customers at those prices!

Until next week,

Roland

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I always hoped it wouldn’t snow on my apprenticeship. It turns out that snow is not that bad after all. Yes, my feet were cold and yes, so were the horses’, but actually it wasn’t half as bad as I imagined it would be.

I’ve now worked outside for a total of 2 years so I must be getting used to the weather a bit. Had it snowed when I first started my apprenticeship, I am sure I would have struggled. I was, after all, a soft office worker. Not anymore!

I’m more the weather-beaten type, happier outside than in and not really afraid of the weather. That said, I was wearing thermals, including long johns, which apparently, according to Kris, my training farrier, still makes me a softie!

I tried fitting a pair of hind shoes this week, following my successful attempt at fitting front shoes last week. It was a disaster and I kind of forgot all the basic rules to follow. So when Kris came to check the fit, there wasn’t much he could compliment me on and the shoes definitely did not fit.

When I look back at my apprenticeship one day in the future, when I’m a qualified farrier, I will never forget those hind shoes that didn’t fit. It was a painful lesson and also very embarrassing.

As with all painful lessons, it will help me next time I fit shoes, which will be this coming week. I just hope that each pair of shoes I fit will bring me one step nearer to getting that mini break-through.

My apprenticeship so far has been full of “mini-breakthroughs” and I long for the penny to drop with fitting as the learning curve is painful in the meantime.

Until next time,

Roland

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Last week was a significant milestone moment. I fitted a pair of front shoes to a pony! Kris [Parsons], my training farrier, so far has rejected most of my fitting attempts so I was really pleased to be allowed to nail on the shoes I had shaped.

There’s a lot to consider when fitting. Not only must the shoe fit, so to speak, but the right amount of length and support needs to be is given to the heels as well as consideration into providing width to help balance the foot if it’s not symmetrical.

A key reference point is the pedal joint (the distal inter-phalangeal articulation), which is the central point of rotation and it is around this point of the foot that the shoe should be fitted. Shoeing a foot correctly will optimise the horse’s performance and create a healthy and strong hoof capsule.

There are, though, many trade-offs that farriers have to make which mean that they are not always able to shoe in a way that is best for the horse. For example, hunters need to be shod “tight” so they can hunt all day in muddy and wet conditions without fear of the shoe being trodden on and pulled off. No width or length therefore can be afforded, even if the foot needs it.

Much of how a horse is moving shows up on the foot. The farrier can quickly build a picture by reading the signs such as brushing marks, wear patterns on the old shoes and the balance and symmetry of the foot. These are all indicators on what has been happening since the last time the horse was shod.

Interpreting these signs correctly and making the right shoeing adjustments is key to successful farriery. This will be the focus for my next two years which seems an enormous mountain to climb. Still, one step at a time and the sense of achievement of just getting a pair of shoes on a pony is worth banking. Time to try some hind feet next!

Until next week,

Roland

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Happy New Year! It seems ages since I wrote my last blog, but last week was my first full week back to work after a really nice long break. My word did it hurt! My hamstrings had, for some reason, shortened themselves, my back had lost its strength and my hands had gone soft. Last week was almost as bad as my first week… but not quite!

Thinking of my first week brings back some painful memories. It seems like such a long time ago now — I was a bit plump, completely green and had no idea what on earth was going on. I remember being utterly confused about which shoes went with which horse, what my tools did, as well as what they were called, and it taking nearly 10 minutes to get one shoe off (I was probably using the wrong tool)! I was also meeting my training farrier’s (Kris) customers for the first time and seeing their semi-disguised shock at meeting me — an old apprentice!

A lot has changed since then. I am considerably slimmer, have some understanding of what I’m doing and now almost all of Kris’s customers know me reasonably well. One sure-fire way to tell how well they know me is if they need to ask if I prefer tea or coffee. Those that know me well know I like coffee and how I drink it — just milk. Those that don’t, need to ask. One such customer had to ask and I said my usual — coffee please, just milk. A minute or two later they brought me a glass of milk. Kris and I had a job to keep a straight face as I drank my milk. Now if I’m asked how I have my coffee, I say I have it white!!

Finally, I intend to continue with this blog for the time being, as I know I was umming and erring before Christmas about whether to give it up or not. Thanks for bearing with me and hopefully I can keep it interesting.

Until next week,

Roland

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Last week I was surprised to have so many messages encouraging me to carry on with my blog.

Thank you to all those who wrote to Horse & Hound and to those who posted via Facebook.

I really had no idea! At times I felt like my blog was just me talking to myself.

To know that it is being read really makes a difference. I still need to discuss with Horse & Hound whether to carry on or not, but the blog has more meaning now that I know it’s not just me reading it! I hope to make a decision by Christmas.

Anyway, back to the day job and my word a lot happened last week!

I fitted my first refits — that’s shoes that are being refitted once the foot has been trimmed and rebalanced — attempted to shoe 10 feet, nailed on quite a few shoes and I also took part in a shoeing demonstration!

Bearing in mind that my duties are normally shoe removal, trimming and clenching, it feels like there has been a massive change in activities.

As with every new stage that I embark on I feel so mal-co-ordinated and clumsy. I was very aware of the crowd of Christmas shoppers in South Molton that were drawn to the smell and sounds of a horse being shod (the aforementioned demonstration), and that I looked like a passer-by “having a go!”

I’ve also noticed this week that I smell differently. There’s a new aroma added to my usual “I’ve just rolled in a filthy stable” smell.

Burning hoof is really pungent and now I smell like a real farrier. I’m not sure my wife is that impressed though!

Until next week,

Roland

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Writing a blog every week does take some discipline. I tend to sit down every Sunday evening and think through the week gone by. Sometimes I find it very difficult to think of anything to write about — and, other times I find it hard to summon the energy to write the blog at all.

This week has been a mixture of trying to learn how to fit shoes, beginning the college set assignment on the “farriery considerations of a young horse” and practicing my shoe making.

I’ve also been de-robed twice. How horses know how to take my chaps off I’ll never know. However, there are certain horses out there that recognise a Velcro strap when they see one and since my chaps are held up with Velcro at the back, they are a prime target. There’s no discouraging these Velcro lovers either. No sooner am I reacquainted with my chaps then ‘rip’…off they come again. It’s a case of just managing to do the work in a state of semi undress!

But back to the future of my blog. I’ve been blogging on the highs and lows of my life as an apprentice farrier for nearly two years now. Wow! I never would have imagined that it would have gone on for so long. If I were to continue blogging throughout the rest of my apprenticeship, then I’ve got another two years of weekly submissions, or about 100 more blogs still to write. That’s food for thought!

I’m worried that the blog is becoming a bit tired. Perhaps I’ll consult with Horse & Hound and see what they think. I have no idea what level of interest there is in my scribblings? If I knew there was some interest, then it would be a good incentive to carry on. Perhaps you could let me know?

Until next week,

Roland

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I’ve just had my first few Christmas presents. Wow — already! Since we won’t see those customers again until after Christmas, it’s not too early — however I am amazed to be given anything at all. It’s quite unexpected and also, as the apprentice, I feel even more taken aback. What lovely customers — and, there’s no better way in making me feel in the mood for Christmas!

Last year I remember how I looked forward to Christmas for the first time in years. Perhaps it’s the fact I’m now working in country stable yards, miles from city life and the commercialism of town centre shops, that makes being given a Christmas present just that bit more special. Whatever the reason, it’s now my new favourite time of year. The weather could play its part a bit more though — blimin’ rain.

We’re shoeing a lot of hunters and those packs that are getting out in this weather are hunting in sodden ground. It does mean that each Monday there’s a flurry of lost shoe messages on Kris’ phone — “My shoe’s fallen off.” Yeah, right! You’ve been fetlock deep in the mire and either you, or some other horse, has trodden its shoe off. “Pull the other one.” Well, you probably have pulled the other one, by turning it out in a boggy field in high winds and it’s bronked around!

Until next week

Roland

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There’s just no let up. I’ve said it before but the farriery apprenticeship is so intense.

I’ve just received my college report (a bit like an end of term report) and even though I have passed my exams to get me through into the third year — and worked my socks off to boot — my college report was hugely dispiriting.

The college staff feel I need to put a great deal more effort into this apprenticeship, and even have concerns about my performance where I know there aren’t concerns. I am confused to say the least.

The euphoria of passing my exams has been well and truly crushed. Kris, my training farrier gets a copy of my report too and, luckily for me, he knows what my strengths and weaknesses really are and he was quite philosophical about the report and what I need to concentrate on.

On a more positive note, I still love the apprenticeship and farriery profession. Kris and I spent a fantastic day last week at a farriery clinic run by Handmade Shoes Ltd, who had organised a day of talks and demonstrations.

Farriers from across the UK had given up their time to attend and it was really inspiring to meet and chat to many of them. A number of apprentices were there too and catching up with them swapping the trials and tribulations of the farriery training program was extremely cathartic! I’m glad I’m not the only one finding the training tough!

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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Well, it’s official. I have passed my exams. The piece of paper from the Farrier Training Agency says I can now proceed to the third year of my 4 year apprenticeship. Had the piece of paper said I had failed, I would have had one more chance to pass and then out…off the apprenticeship scheme for good. It is with huge relief that I do not have to go through the do or die exam scenario.

BHEST (The British Horseracing Education Standards Trust) who set the theory paper and mark our exams, have a tendency to ask slightly cryptic questions such as “What is the shape and size of the Navicular bone?” The shape, of course, is the same in all ponies and horses, but the size would vary considerably depending on the size of the animal. That was one of a few questions that were a bit ambiguous, but otherwise the exam was quite straight forward.

It’s quite daunting being back in the exam room again. There were only 22 of us taking the exam yet there were three invigilators pacing about checking that no one was cheating. BHEST must feel that we apprentice farriers need careful monitoring!

We’ve been set an immense amount of homework to do which has upset me somewhat. Some of it is quite interesting though such as undertaking a project on a young horse to assess its limb conformation and movement. The apprenticeship is certainly thorough and demanding and there is no wonder that British trained farriers are renowned for the being the best in the world.

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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Working under a particularly heavy horse this week, I had no idea how much noise I was making until Kris, my training farrier pointed out that I sounded like a steam train.

It must have been the level of concentration, or just the shear effort of holding this horse up, that made me grunt and groan without realising. How embarrassing!

Later that day I was back under another heavy horse and although I was now conscience of my tendency to grunt, I was ready for it and had my groaning under control . . . well, for about 5min anyway.

Kris, once again, pointed out my noisy exertions. Hmmm, this is not a good habit to be in. I’ll have to concentrate hard on eliminating these noises before it becomes as annoying as women’s tennis!

There’s a big learning curve looming and all the while it’s getting closer and closer. Fitting hot shoes will be the next major component of my training. Rather like approaching an enormous mountain, the going is fine for now, but I can see what’s ahead and its getting bigger every day. To say I was daunted would be an understatement.

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

How far would you be prepared to go? Would you stay awake for seven days and seven nights, forgoing all your creature comforts, to make sure your horse was OK after an operation? That’s what one of our customers did after her horse mysteriously sliced through its eyeball in the field.

The vets did their bit, giving the horse a chance to keep its eye. The tricky part was to prevent the horse from rubbing its eye and potentially rupturing the eyeball. So, for seven days and seven nights, the owner held onto the lead rope, preventing the horse from scratching or moving its head suddenly. If she nodded off, then the lead rope, which was attached to her, would wake her if there was any head movement.

When we saw her on the eighth day, she had just handed the horse back to the vets and was preparing to collapse! What a monumental effort and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she’s still asleep now. I’ll never know how she did it — a truly amazing feat.

I’ve been back at work now for a week since returning from the important college exams. Failure to pass these exams can mean removal from the apprenticeship so I was shaking like a leaf when I phoned to get my practical results. Thankfully, I passed.

I must say a huge thank you to Steve Cooper, a recently qualified farrier, but old timer like me, who knows how hard it is to teach an old dog new tricks and who coached me out of hours at his forge. If/when I become a fully fledged farrier, he will be one of the many people along with Kris, my training farrier, who would have helped me on this long difficult journey.

I owe a lot to them and others already but, my god, when I get my diploma from the worshipful company of farriers, I can’t promise I won’t give them a big manly kiss, which is an unusual way for a farrier to behave I know…

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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I’m back to work this week after a three week stint at college. I’ve gained a tremendous amount of new knowledge, as well as adding additional scars and burns to my arms and hands.

This block gave us apprentices more opportunity to fit shoes and “shoeing plans” were introduced. Basically, that involved doing an assessment on the horse to be shod, its conformation, shoe wear and manor of movement, putting a plan together for the way we think the horse should be shod and then executing that plan.

To be quite honest the plan didn’t always get implemented in the way we intended as there is still a lot to learn. The section in the shoeing plan on “what would you do differently” was quite full to say the least , allowing us students to assess our work and then say how we would improve on it. More length, or width, greater heel support, etc, etc.

I have a few personal notes to myself too — don’t burn yourself, hammer a nail into your finger and, most importantly, don’t shoe an arthritic horse on the morning of your exams.

I was absolutely knackered having made one pair of shoes for this horse that were too big, then having to make a second pair and then go into a two-and-half-hour shoe making exam. The injuries sustained during that shoeing session meant I could hardly hold my tools in the shoemaking exam for the blood dripping from my nail wound in my finger! Not ideal I have to say.

Anyway, I await those exam results as well as the results from the 2 hour theory exam.

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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Retraining to become a farrier has highlighted a number of challenges and confirmed the adage, old dogs find it hard to learn new tricks.

Relearning a new and foreign skill has been very hard and, at times, felt an impossible task. I can remember my university days like they were yesterday and how easy things were. I wonder, though, whether it’s because this time I care very deeply about my training whilst as a young man, I probably didn’t care too much. I took everything in my stride and nothing phased me!

Age has definitely changed my attitude and there’s no doubt about it, I’ve put more pressure on myself — so, things get over analysed or built up beyond what they should be. I have also noticed that my confidence is often paper thin and small set backs undermine my confidence easily.

As I approach the final week of my exam block at college, with all to do still, I’m wavering between knowing that I’m ready for these exams and thinking that I’m not. It’s a scary scenario but failure must not be contemplated. I’ve worked hard and prepared as best I can, so all I can do is manage my demons and hope there’s life in the old dog yet.

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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The life of a farrier’s apprentice is one huge learning curve. I find that things need to happen two or three times before they start to sink in as there’s just so much to take on board.

For example, you need to have been poo’d on a few times (usually landing on your boot, but sometimes not!) before you recognise the difference between a bit of wind or the real thing. If the leg twists a bit when you’re holding it, then it’s the real deal. It takes a few occasions of being dumped on before the leg twisting sign registers and you have the presence of mind to move away.

Another example of what to watch out for is the yard dog. Watch him like a hawk, because if he pees on your tool box, then every dog in every yard will cock its leg! Again, I’ve had to learn the hard way.

None of this really matters at the moment as I’m at college, undertaking the theory and practical milestone exams. The thumb screws are being turned now. This is the college halfway point and there’s more pressure than ever before for us to perform.

It’s good though to see the rest of my fellow students, all of whom have similar stories of yard dogs and wayward droppings. I’m sure that between us we could compile a really good attempt of a James Herriot-style book, probably called “it shouldn’t happen to a farrier”. Hmmmm, perhaps that’s not such a bad idea. . .

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

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This is the last week before I return to college. I have completed all of my homework, which includes making fullered shoes, plain shoes, riding style shoes and hunter fit shoes, roll toed shoes and set toed shoes.

I have written up my experiences with supporting photos of puncture wounds (see picture opposite), seedy toe and corns, and completed my assignment on the farriery registration act and the implications for not abiding by it.

I’m sure most people don’t appreciate the intensity of the farriery apprenticeship — it is four years long and packed with coursework and exams throughout. With the day job to fit in too, it’s quite an undertaking.

This college block marks the end of my second year, although strictly speaking, chronologically my third year won’t start until January. Still, I can’t believe how time has flown.

I’ve also written a few blogs in that time, pretty much one every week of my entire apprenticeship to date. I admit to really enjoying writing the blog. It’s meant to be a bit of a diary and is therefore a personal record of how I have progressed week by week. It also serves to (hopefully) give a little insight into the level of training that farriers have to go through to get their qualification.

The farriery registration council and its training agency produce excellent and highly qualified farriers who, along with the law governing farriery, serve to ensure that the welfare of the horse is uppermost in all work undertaken by UK trained farriers.

Incidentally, UK trained farriers are the best farriers in the world, for no other country has such strict and lengthy training. There are, of course, some farriers that are better than others but, on the day of qualification, there is no better trained and skilled person. It is up to the individuals then to keep their standards up and continue in the vain that they were trained.

There is, for example, a continual professional development (CPD) system through which farriers are encouraged to accumulate a certain number of points a year.

Whilst it is optional to partake in the many seminars and clinics, a huge number of farriers do attend, even though they are held at weekends or in the evenings. This is why Kris Parsons, my training farrier, and I got home at midnight on Thursday night (!) following a very interesting seminar on new approaches to treating and managing laminitis.

Until next week

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

There seems to be real momentum in my apprenticeship at the moment. I had been stuck at a point that I couldn’t seem to move on from. Then, all of a sudden, I broke out of the rut I was in and I’m off and running again.

There was nothing specific that gave me the breakthrough either. I just could do it. Mainly I’m talking about trimming a horse’s feet to be balanced and level. This is without a doubt the hardest part of shoeing a horse. Something literally happened overnight that meant I could trim four feet sufficiently well for shoes to be fitted to them. I wish I knew what it was.

I clearly remember thinking that I’d “got lucky” with the first decent trim. Then I got lucky again on the next horse. And then again! I went home that night and tried to keep a lid on my excitement — sad I know, but I’ve spent a year trying to get this right. Anyway the next day I started to believe that it wasn’t luck, but I was actually doing it right. The “trimming” penny had somehow dropped!

Now I can’t work out why I couldn’t do it and why its taken be so long, which is equally annoying as I feel like I’ve just been a bit slow and dim about the whole thing. There is still some room for improvement and Kris Parsons, my training farrier, is helping me refine and master the art so the trim is perfect. I have a feeling that this will take me the rest of my apprenticeship and beyond to achieve.

Even more exciting now is that Kris has begun to train me in fitting shoes. I am of course back at the beginning of the learning curve again and, although I have had the occasional “go” at fitting shoes before, this past three weeks has been a real step change in my introduction to fitting.

I do wonder what Kris’ customers must think of me as they watch me shape the shoe, burn myself, drop the shoe off the anvil, etc, etc. There seems to be no end of co-ordination issues as I grapple with this new aspect of farriery. It can’t fill them with confidence!

But they’ve known me now for nearly two years and I expect they can still remember (as can I) the difficulty I had in removing their horse’s shoes in those first few weeks, and we have come a long way from there.

Until next week,

Roland

www.twitter.com/nagsandnails/

Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now

Are you serious about a competitive riding career but don’t own a horse? Follow H&H’s advice for improving your performance and getting noticed.

5-point action plan for success

1. Think positive

“Try to make yourself as busy as possible,” advises Dan Neilson, whose can-do attitude has brought about a rapid climb up the senior ranks.

2. Watch and learn

Do whatever it takes to gain experience in a practical setting. As Pammy Hutton points out: “Richard Branson started off making the coffee.”

3. If you don’t ask…

Blog, tweet or even advertise the fact that you’re after a horse to compete. Be honest, but don’t be afraid to promote yourself in a positive way.

4. Be open-minded

“I’ve ridden dressage with all types,” says Anna Ross Davies, who was a “riding school helper of the year” before hitting the European dressage scene. “I proved myself on those horses. Not having my own made me extremely versatile.”

5. Dream on

A lack of horse didn’t prove a handicap for the likes of Carl Hester, Peter Charles and Emile Faurie – so take inspiration from some of our greatest riders.

Courses, training grants and equitation competitions

Courses, training grants and equitation competitions can give you a much-needed leg-up – and remember these are not necessarily restricted to horse owners. Surf the internet for sport or region-specific opportunities, or try these for starters:

• Apprenticeships. Hands-on training in reputable yards, which could lead to the chance to compete. British Dressage (www.britishdressage.co.uk) and British Showjumping (www. britishshowjumping.co.uk) offer work-based apprenticeships tailored to their disciplines, with a British Eventing (www.britisheventing.com) version in the pipeline.
• Awards. Those with the dedication, talent and qualities to become a dressage professional can enter the BD Young Professionals Award. Winners benefit from a £4,000 cash prize to put towards training.
• Competitions and bursaries. The British Horse Society Equitation Competition (www.bhs.org.uk) is solely for those who don’t own their own horse. And keep an eye out for the winner of the D&H/H&H young rider bursary, which will be announced at the end of September.To read the full young rider special see the current issue of H&H (13 September 2012)Are you looking for a career in the equestrian industry? View our online database of advertised positions