Roland’s nags and nails: the Cairo Farrier team is raring to go
This blog is sponsored by the PRO FEET range of hoof care products from NAF
I’ve finally managed to tweet a few times this week, being the proud owner of a rather muddy iPhone. It was a clean iPhone when I took it out of the box, but has now been subjected to my grubby hands.
Did Apple have us farriers in mind when they designed their latest touchscreen phone? Probably not, so I will do my best not to drop it in horse pooh, let it be trodden on or set fire to it! Anyway, I now know how to tweet from the phone so I’m thinking of stuff to say as we go from yard to yard. That’s quite hard don’t you know!
There seem to be a lot of tweets which are pointless or meaningless or don’t make sense or which are just plain irritating. I’ll probably be guilty of all of the above, but will try and make sure that it’s something worth tweeting about.
Certainly my trip to Cairo with Kris and Alex (picture top right and centre respectively — I’m on the left) to provide much needed hoof care to the pyramid horses will be worth the odd tweet. It’s one thing being a tourist in a country, but entirely another working closely with the local people providing a niche service. I wonder what it will be like?
Will we be working in stable yards, paddocks or by the side of the road? What sort of people will we be meeting and will they be easy to work with or take exception to us? What will the horses be like to work on? Will they be too poorly to mind or wild bronkers too fearful of our help? What will we eat and will we keep it down?
I don’t think we will be seeing the tourist side of Egypt that’s for sure, so it’s very exciting, if not a little daunting. Will my iPhone work out there and will I still have it by the end of the trip?! That reminds me, I must get some insurance!!
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world
There’s a fantastic online auction starting today at www.facebook.com/cairofarrier . Mary King, John Whitaker, Lucinda and Clayton Fredericks, to name only a few, are offering lessons and there are lots of other goodies worth bidding for. Please log-on and see if anything appeals. We really need your support.
Until next week,
Roland
www.twitter.com/nagsandnails
Sponsor’s message
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Roland owned a computer software business until he realised he didn't want to be stuck behind a desk for the rest of his working life. So in 2011 he started the four-year apprenticeship to become a farrier on the borders of Somerset, Devon and Dorset. He became fully qualified in 2014.