I'm putting my feelers out here - Tom and I spoke the other day about offering a couple of shearing classes next year, so we were wondering who might be interested?
We were thinking about running a two-day course in the spring, probably early or mid-June, here on the croft. If enough people are interested, we could hold another one the following weekend. The course would firstly cover the practical side of shearing a sheep, the technique and how to handle the animal correctly. This is hands-on: You would be able to practice on our own Cheviot hoggs (1 year old sheep). Tom would then also give you an introduction into the gear you will be using, which is absolutely crucial for shearing: What you need in terms of combs, cutters, handpiece and motor and also how to look after your equipment, how to clean and grind your shearing gear and what sort of tools you need to shear different types of sheep.
The course would suit anybody who is looking into getting started in shearing or maybe has sheep of their own that they want to shear. Depending on the interest we get, we could also run a class for those of you who have had a bit of previous experience but want to improve their skills. So if you are a crofter, smallholder, farmer or keeper or you are generally interested in learning a traditional crofting skill, this one is for you.
We are just in the early planning stages of this and will then tailor the course according to what the demand is.
Lunches, morning-and afternoon tea will be included and if you're coming from further afield - accommodation can be arranged in our AirB'n'B so you can stay on the croft and don't have to travel home.
Tom has been shearing sheep all over the world for nearly 20 years. He has spent many seasons in Australia and New Zealand working in professional shearing gangs and deepened his knowledge about both shearing technique and gear maintenance there. For several years now he has been running his own shearing business in the Highlands and is so much in demand that his work often takes him as far away as the West Coast.
As you can see I couldn't resist sneaking in some pictures of shearing Merinos in Australia. Just for a change of scenery, as there's more to the sheep world than just Cheviots. And whereas I was quite happy leaving the gigantic stud rams to the pros, at least I managed to shear a lamb. And if I can do it, then so can you.
If you're interested, please get in touch with me through Instagram or Facebook direct message or the contact form on the website.
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