'I nearly had a breakdown due to stress of shepherding'

A shepherd is encouraging farm workers to open up about their mental health after experiencing her own struggles.

Tilly Abbott, 24, who is due to graduate from Hartpury University in Gloucestershire, said the pressures of the job once took such a toll that she "nearly had a breakdown".

A Farm Safety Foundation survey, which was published earlier this year, found 95% of farmers aged under 40 ranked mental health as one of the biggest issues facing the industry.

"Sheep work is very full on, especially contracting, it's seven days a week, 14 hours a day, high stress, high pressure, especially at lambing time," Ms Abbott said.

The young farmer said she was aware of others in the industry suffering from mental health issues and a friend sadly took his own life in January.

"I think that really drew home the issue, not only to me, but a lot of people within the local area," she said.

"He was doing so well for himself - he had such a bright future ahead of him and yet he was in such a dark place and no one realised that," she said.

If you are affected by the issues raised in this report, the BBC Action Line has a list of organisations that may be able to help.

Tilly Abbott said she had witnessed first-hand the impact the industry could have on mental health

Ms Abbott said she "fell in love" with shepherding after going on a day out with a local sheep farmer.

"From this one day, it just changed my whole life. I just never looked back," she added.

She decided to go to agricultural college but her eagerness to do well in her studies and to pick up contract work took a toll on her mental health, especially in her third year.

She said: "It was quite a struggle. I experienced bad mental health just from the stress and the pressure of it all."

Ms Abbott said sheep work was hard and included long hours and early starts

Ms Abbott said she appeared "quite happy and healthy" while she was struggling with her mental health and warned some people were in "personal turmoil behind closed doors" even if they look happy to the outside world.

She eventually reached out to university staff, who she said were "really fantastic" with helping her, before she decided to take a year out to recuperate.

Ms Abbott said she also initially ignored a physical health issue, which eventually turned out to be bowel cancer.

"Actually sitting there and them saying the word cancer, it is kind of stars in front of your eyes, I didn't expect that," she said.

'Important to talk'

Ms Abbott, who eventually underwent a small procedure to remove the cancer, said if she had gone to the doctor 12 or even six months prior, the tumour in her bowel would not have turned cancerous.

Urging other agricultural workers to look after their physical and mental health, Ms Abbott said: "You've got to make the time for yourself because otherwise no one else will."

"And it's so important to talk about things with people," she added.