I work as a self-employed cattle foot trimmer, visiting farms in Orkney to carry out routine cattle foot trims and combat lameness in herds.
I started out just trimming at a single farm for a couple of years, but was able to venture out to others after a Lantra fund paid for my professional foot trimming course.
I absolutely love my job as it brings so much variety and allows me to visit different farms. It’s always interesting to see the different breeds of cattle and how different farms are set up.
The best part of my job is having a lame cow with bad problems in their feet and working with them until they are healed and sound. This can be a lengthy process, but it’s well worth it for the end result.
Main challenges I face are getting booked on the boat to visit different islands in Orkney for trimming, then arriving at a farm and needing to figure out the best location for the type of cattle crush I use to hold the animals.
If I had to convince someone else of the benefits of a career in my line of work, I would say just do it! I enjoy my job so much it doesn't really feel like work. You meet so many new people and get to see so many different farms. It’s just brilliant!