Working as a hoof trimmer, Sophie Mitchell-Smith has made a name for herself on social media with more than 12,000 followers. Here, she tells Farmers Guardian about her role within the farming community.
Q: Are you from a farming background?
A: Yes, my dad grew up working on his uncles dairy farm. He then managed different farms alongside my mum up in Scotland, Yorkshire and Cheshire, before moving back to Manchester as farms were selling up.
I was only two years old at the time, so have spent most of my life growing up in a semi-urban area. They then decided to go into relief milking, which is how my interest in farming started.
Q: How did you become interested in hoof trimming?
A: It started a couple of years after my parents decided to venture into the hoof trimming world. I used to go with them and help out and found it so fascinating and interesting.I didnt realise how important it was for cows to get their feet done. It gripped me. The more I went, the more I was getting involved. But it was not my first career choice.I considered joining the police and joined the special constabulary for Greater Manchester Police to get a feel for the job.
I realised, however, it was not for me and did not pursue it further as my farming interest was stronger. Ten years later I am still working with my dad as part of a great father/daughter team and I would not change it for the world.
Facts
- Age: 30
- Location: Hoof trimmer
- Instagram: 12,100 followers
questions
Q: What do you like about your job?
A: I love everything about the job. From the prevention to the curative side of trimming, it is all extremely satisfying.
It is a nice feeling knowing you are playing an important part in the animal welfare side of farming.
We like working as a team with the farmers, vets and nutritionists, making the best decisions for the cows. Handling cattle can be a bit dangerous and stressful at times, but working as a team helps minimise this.
Dont get me wrong, you can get days which feel mentally and physically hard, as with any job, but then you see results of your work and it makes it all worth it.
Q: What are the key skills you need?
A: Of course, your actual trimming has to be to top standard, as well as knowing how to use a knife and grinder adequately. But I think knowledge of the job and of farming is incredibly important.
It is all about making the right decisions for the cows and not all cows live in the same environments and systems. When I first started trimming, I was at a disadvantage as I did not have much farming knowledge, but I was lucky enough to have my dads experience to teach me along the way, as well as attending the right courses to teach you the theory and practical side of trimming.
I attended a four-day hoof trimming course with Embryonics, taught by Pieter Kloosterman, and later passed my Dutch diploma to give me category one status.
We also attend biennial check days, but you are always learning on the job.
Confidence is key as well. I was guilty of being quite a shy person and would hide behind my dad, but I forced myself to speak more and my confidence grew with it.
I also had the confidence to then become a member of The National Association of Cattle Foot Trimmers.
Q: Your Instagram account, The Female Hoof Trimmer, showcases your job and you have more than 12,000 followers. Why do you think it is so popular?
A: It was during lockdown when I decided to get on social media. I think trimming is quite satisfying to watch and interesting to learn about, so it grabbed peoples attention.
People like learning about unusual things and to people who are not in farming this is unusual. But I also think being a woman in this kind of job appealed to people. It is a very male-dominated line of work and seeing a woman doing well in a job like this is great to see.
Q: Do you think there are more opportunities than people think within the farming industry?
A: Yes, and I think social media plays a role in this. I come across lots of people on Instagram showcasing what they do within farming that I did not know existed.
People are coming across accounts, seeing their content and thinking wow, I could do something like that.
Thirty years ago, people would not have the advantage of seeing it as easily as they do today. But as the years have gone on, farming has advanced with technology and more opportunities are there for people.
Q: Do you think there are more women seeing agriculture as a career option?
A: I was really surprised when I saw how many women were so involved in farming. Women who were born into farming; women who changed their careers to start in farming.
Women are seeing other women succeeding in the farming industry and thinking yes, I could do this. More women are also getting involved in hoof trimming and I get messages asking about it.
It is nice to know you are inspiring them in some way. My mum massively inspired me, as she was probably one of the first few in the country to do it commercially. When I used to watch her, I used to think that if she can do it, then so can I.
