Apprentices

Roland's nags and nails: the importance of building trust

Farrier's apprentice Roland discusses the best way to shoe a nervous horse and what owners can do to help

Roland's nags and nails: my shoes are finally on a horse!

Farrier's apprentice Roland Thompson is very proud that his shoes are now good enough for use and is trying not to drop the ball as his skills expand

Roland's nags and nails: back from paternity leave on limited sleep

Roland is back at work in a sleep-deprived state as he learns how to trim the hoof and his colleague Alex sits his all-important final exams

Roland’s nags and nails: new arrival prompts paternity leave

Our apprentice farrier is taking a few weeks off following the addition of a new baby boy to the Thompson household

Roland's nags and nails: another milestone and crowd control

This week our apprentice farrier has reached another milestone in his training and shared his knowledge with members of the public

Roland’s nags and nails: practising shoe-making

Roland is frustrated by his slow progress, but knows that a week at the anvil will have done him good

Roland’s nags and nails: hard ground and welcome rain

The hard ground has been taking is toll on the hooves of Roland's equine clients and he is glad to finally see some rain

Former Apprentice star chosen as 'voice' for lovetheraces.com

Former star of “The Apprentice” James McQuillan has been chosen as one of the lovetheraces.com’s five new “voices”

Roland's nags and nails: mock exams and steep learning curves

Roland's fellow apprentice Alex is preparing for his final exams after four years of intensive training

Roland's nags and nails: sheared heels and a nest of maggots

Roland is back to school once more and is shocked to find a nest of maggots in the frog of one equine client

Roland's nags and nails: my first shoe-making competition

Roland's first shoe-making competition at Devon County Show has been and gone, but was Roland up to the challenge?

Roland's nags and nails: remedial farriery and a human salt lick

Roland finds the remedial side of farriery fascinating, but can't avoid being treated as a human salt lick by some of his equine clientele

Roland's nags and nails: what's hiding in the freezer?

Roland's training farrier has an unusual item being stored in his freezer ready for the farrier competition at Devon County Show

Roland's nags and nails: three-day working weeks

Farrier's apprentice Roland Thompson enjoys a short working week, but has plenty of work to do to improve his shoe-making and his photography skills

Roland’s nags and nails: biting flies and ‘hedgehog’ whiskers

The start of the showing season has introduced Roland to another unexpected discomfort suffered by farriers around the country

Roland's nags and nails: busy times as the sun shines

Life is getting busier and busier as Kris takes a holiday and Roland adds trimming the sole and frog to his other farriery duties

Roland's nags and nails: appropriate attire and blaming your tools

Roland has decided to stick with his trusty polo shirt, despite the unseasonably warm weather, and wishes that his tools wouldn't conspire against him

Roland's nags and nails: another week, another knee trembler...

Roland is back at work and is working hard on his shoemaking in preparation for his competition debut at next month's Devon County Show

Roland’s nags and nails: a little knowledge and some experience

With his first period of college training behind him, and his exams passed, Roland is back with his training farrier

Roland's nags and nails: final week of my first college block

Roland has reached the final week of his first period of college training and will be back at the coal face with his training farrier next week