Cattle?

Blimey - it really has been a long time since I last posted, and now I'm well over halfway through the holidays.

Mostly I've been vetting, fitting well into hand-up-cow's-backside and kitten adoring stereotypes; while also assisting in preparations for Broken-Glass-do-Edinburgh.

I seem to have fitted quite happily into the life of a large-animal vet. There's something about being outside in the open, driving around beautiful landscapes (so far I've experienced those of Cheshire and West Yorkshire) and turning up on farms. Yes, to an extent it's saddening that the opportunities are not there for huge heroics, but every decision has repercussions on a whole herd, and in most cases being a vet is a much more respected position on-farm. Almost all of my work has been with cattle, and I just love them. As animals I think they (more specifically dairy cattle) are a perfect balance between tame and wild. Tame enough to deal with (with sufficient precautions, the likes of which you should be able to, but cannot use with horses) but just that little bit wild to keep it interesting. This is then all tied in with the economics and politics of farming that fascinate me. Maybe as a London-boy I'm a little behind, but it hasn't seemed to bother most people, and I'm willing to dive in outstretched arm first. 2 years to go, lets see what happens.