The humid, wet weather in the first half of June led to quite a lot of "coupit" sheep. That's where showers and humidity lead to sheep getting an itchy back because a wet fleece drying in the sun makes the skin underneath particularly itchy. That maddening itch tempts them to roll over for a good rub on the ground - only to find they can't roll back over again because of their full bellies and the way their fleece spreads out.

A coupit sheep may look silly as it lies there helplessly on its back with its four hooves pawing at the sky, but its predicament is life-threatening. Sheep can't ruminate properly when upside down and the methane gas that soon builds up in their stomach kills them, sometimes in a very short space of time.

The cure is relatively simple - you merely roll the sheep back over, wait patiently with it until it regains its balance and then leave it standing to quietly ruminate and get rid of that life-threatening gas.

Quite often the same sheep will coup several times in the space of a few weeks, until it eventually achieves its life's ambition and kills itself.

The best method of prevention for all but the most determined is to shear them, and already the shearing season is well under way.

Wool on Merino sheep in the Southern Hemisphere grows continuously, but the poor diet of British sheep during the winter stops their wool growing and a weak point develops in the wool fibres. By the end of May there is plenty of lush grass and wool fibres start to grow vigorously again. A gap between last year's fleece and the new one, called the "rise" - comprising a zone where there are less fibres holding the old fleece to the sheep's body - develops as the sheep prepares to cast its old one.

Shearing normally commences when the rise is about an inch, or between two and three centimetres, as that's when there's enough room for the shearer to comfortably work his shears between the sheep's body and the old fleece.

Top shearers make their task look easy, but I can assure readers that it is hard work and highly skilled. It's reckoned that a day's shearing is the equivalent of running a marathon. Bending over all day long isn't a natural posture and often leads to back problems.

Sheep don't like sitting upright on their bottoms to be shorn. They wriggle, squirm and struggle to get away. The skill of shearing is to know how to handle the sheep so they lie contentedly.

Good shearers can manage over 400 sheep in a day, although 250-300 is a more reasonable target for most. Many come from the Southern Hemisphere to the UK and start in the south of England making their way north into Scotland as the season progresses. Indeed there is a "shearing circuit" where professionals move from the UK to Norway then the USA and the Falklands, before moving onto New Zealand and Australia.

Depending on the breed of sheep, shearers will typically charge about £1 per head and double that for rams, so top shearers earn good money. With wool prices in the doldrums, the value of the wool shorn invariably doesn't cover the cost of shearing.

Top shearers compete in competitions held around the world and the current world record of 721 ewes shorn in 9 hours was set by Rod Sutton of Poranghau, New Zealand back in 2007. That Nine Hour Ewe World Shearing Record was no mean feat and is equivalent to running three marathons back to back.

Now New Zealand born Matt Smith, who farms with his wife Pippa on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall is going to attempt to beat that record on July 26th on Matt's home farm. He already holds the eight-hour world record of 578 ewes.

Preparing for his ordeal, which will require him to shear a sheep every 38 seconds, has meant a strict diet of lean meat and a good mix of protein and carbohydrates. Alcohol and caffeine, meanwhile have been replaced with tulsi and liquorice tea. By training three times a week with a personal trainer, Matt conditions his body by focusing on strength and cardio-fitness.

Matt knows the nine-hour record attempt will be tough as each sheep has to weigh a minimum of 55kg, the equivalent of 44 tonnes in the nine hours.