Update and Apologies Once More :)

Hello! Long-time no see! I know, I’ve been neglecting you.. sorry! So, How are you all? Good I hope. J Now, update about me. I am studying nursing and currently working on clinical placement!! Eek! We have been let loose on actual patients! It’s fantastic, every day different and all that

I thankfully, have a great ward with a lovely team and all the patients have been lovely so far. I will be finishing around Christmas and leaving the ward and going back to uni after New Year. I had a few riding lessons while I was at uni and the place was great but I just didn’t find it the same as going out on Blue, I’m a very independent person and I just love the flexibility and the ability to do what I want in the moment with Blue. I can’t wait to get back for Christmas, all snow and loveliness! I shall be spending a lot of time with Blue over the holiday, so might get a few blog posts in there, I know I said it was the end, but I’m trying to sort out Blue in a different set up after new year, I will explain fully later on.

So, Blue! Apart from getting fat and hairy for winter he is doing brill! A lady has been coming up and riding him every week. Both of them get on well and Blue defo has been worked hard haha.. Shannon has been doing well as well, she is keeping the weight on for now and is all rugged up and snug. I brought her in last time I went home, which was….. let me see…. Three weeks ago :O Didn’t realise how long ago it was. Shannon was tidied up and fully ‘MOT’d by me when I brought her in. Tangent predicted….  BLUE AND I GOT OVER 3ft without dying! I know, you don’t believe me haha! In all honesty, I am quite happy about it, I set up bounces which of course Blue doesn’t understand and failed at those, then put a cross up and a straight, it was great, got over quite a good height and got a good flow going! And the tangent hit…. De-escalation….. and it’s over. That basicly sums up the recent events with the two of them J, nothing new, just the same old gorgeous ponies.

So, serious stuff now, well, hardly, as close to serious as I can get :P Due to circumstances Blue is without a rider, until we arrange another one, or a solution. Since I am coming home then and will be riding him, we aren’t looking for someone to take him on yet. I want to wait until New Year when my dad and I have talked things over and figure out what we want to do, and hopefully by then I will know where I am placed for semester 2 and have a better idea of our options. I’m hoping I will be placed near home, and be able to go home every other week and have someone else do the other weeks, but it all depends on where I will be etc.

Anyway, hopefully I haven’t bored you to death, just thought I owed you an update and clarity J Hopefully new posts soon J Adios x

Sorry

I am so sorry, I never updated. It has been months now and I am slap bang in the middle of semester. Blue has a new rider, the match is made in heaven. I couldn't have asked for a better situation :) I have been home twice now and the big man is still the same bumbling, fattie and still happy. I hope you can all forgive me for leaving without a good bye.

All I can say is,

Sorry

Anyway, adios xx

Wow.

How freaking SCARY is this? 

I have not only got into university, but got over and above my SQA conditions of my first choice! This means I am going up north! :O I spent the entire results day in complete confusion, and still now, I don't understand how I got the grades that I did! I am going into nursing, if you guys didn't already know, I was and am still thinking of doing a nursing blog/youtube, but, confidentiality is key in the job and even though I know fine well that I can keep it, others (such as employers) might not. Anyhoo, no decisions yet, will make one pretty soon though! 

So, the horses? My dad still hasn't decided what we want to do, so this subject remains a mystery. Sorry, believe me, I want to know as much as you do, what will happen with them, but I guess decisions need to be made, just not by me. As soon as I know, at what arrangement is set in stone, I will tell you guys. I can tell you this, I (Myself, not my father) am not keeping him and riding him. Someone else will be his sole rider after I leave. 

That said, I do plan to go to a riding school preferably every week, to get my dose of horses I need to keep me happy. Someone said something weird to me the other day, "horses are a means to get sucked into to a world". Well, this is true, but, its built in to me that it is great and fun. But, I am slightly obsessed. The meaning of a horse is so great to me, is offers the same commitment as religion. You are giving your life and soul to another animal, sitting on its back! Anyhoo, deep rant over, sorry, that got weird... So, yeah, riding lessons! Its seems a good way to ride but not have the commitment (nursing placements can be anywhere) and not too expensive, plus I get to really focus on my riding!

Righto! So, uni, horses, moving out! It's all happening, this is why I haven't been posting anything recently, sorry x I will try to post more but this blog may go silent soon :(
Anyhoo, all happyness and cheer all round x Adios :)

Surprise Reveal :D

Drum roll please :) 

GET EXITED!

http://equestriancourses.webs.com/

I have started a FREE equestrian course website! WOOP WOOP! I only have level 1 courses published but there shall be more to come! All the public courses are suitable for ALL ages! I have many plans with this so please keep checking in to see updates etc xx 

RIGHT! Have a GREAT day! Adios xxxxxxxxxxxx :D

BIG SURPRISE!

Right, guys, I have started work on a brand new project which its staying secret (well unless you stalk me on horse and hound forums!) until the point of release! Now, I know I haven't been posting much but believe me, its worth it :D :D :D Please just try to bear with me over this all. Thanks, Adios

Ragwort

Right, we have never had ragwort before, but this year a few plants have cropped up (Thankfully only one in where the horses graze). Since we needed to deal with the infestation, we did some reading. Thought I might do some general rules on how to remove and dispose of ragwort.






Removal:

1. Always wear gloves.
2. If the plant has flowered wear a mask over your nose and mouth to stop pollen.
3. Ensure that the plant and all its roots come out, if not the plant will just regrow, after all it is a weed.
4. Wash your hands even after using gloves.
5. Try to cover up exposed skin.





Disposal:
(Burning is your best option but there are other options, these rules are for burning)

1.  Choose an area where the ragwort can not grow.
2. Make sure the area is away from people and animals.
3. Use hay/straw/dry grass to get the fire going. (Its difficult to burn alive ragwort)
4. Wear a mask and gloves while burning the weed as well. 
5. Make sure that the burning takes place away from water and food sources.






Righto, these are just the basics, obviously there are better sources on the net out there explaining everything in depth. Remember that ragwort is a seriously toxic weed, well all you equines I know know the seriousness of the weed. Just remember always keep an eye out and mask and gloves all the way. :) Adios x

Deosect?

So, a can of deosect spray I ordered, arrived.

It smells like paint stripper, it is rank! I didn't use gloves or mask so I hope I haven't harmed myself but if it can go on the pony without anything protecting him then its good enough for me. I haven't heard of anyone using this for flies but we were suggested it by the vet. Shannon got very bad hives so after a failed attempt of treating them with piriton we got the vet out, she got a antihistamine shot and we ordered new fly sheets for the two of them and this spray immediately. I'm hoping that this stuff works as the ponies are not coping with the flies in this heat.

I got the Deosect on special delivery as it was we were recommended by a vet to get so it was top priority. The fly rugs on the other hand I will not expect for another day or two. We got a full combo with head, so, I am pretty excited to get those on the two of them. FWI, Shannon's antihistimine jab worked reasonably well and the swelling went down but she is still quite lumpy. Both of them were not amused with my trying to soak them in this stinky liquid, I was determined to do everywhere and both of them will never let me near their ears again :S

I thought I would just tell you the story of the recent past couple of days, like I said in another post the fences are being done so I can't do much with the ponies but it should be back to normal by the end of the week :D Adios xx

Haul :) Again...

Windsor Equestrian Horses Continental Reins - £5.99

These reins were bought on a whim since I saw the cheap price. The overall quality of the reins is good, stitching is good and the overall finish is decent. However, these reins are very short, if you had these on a long necked pony you would struggle to make them stretch. I was very pleased with them when I got them, it was only until I got on Blue that I realised that I needed the reins to control the horse! I could do without the saddle but not without the reins :S but these reins have held up when I have needed them but I don't have complete confidence in them. For the price I am happy with them but I would rather find others at more expense if these broke.

Shires Mane Plaiting Bands (Black) - £1.25

These are good bands for a cheap price. I got them for a friend so I have not used them myself but they seem sturdy with good elasticity and size. There isn't much else I can say about it this other that they are what they are, nothing much to it :)

HKM Easy Care 100% cotton Horse Riding Gloves (Black) (Size Medium) - £4.00

Now, at four pounds I really wasn't expecting much as I had just spent a tenner on some awful black riding gloves that fell apart and had no grip after the first ride. I was pleasantly surprised when these arrived, they have good grip and a soft texture. The stitching is good and the velcro wrist strap is sufficient. They are really great riding gloves that are cool and great for general yard work. For everyday use, I am happy to be using these and I don't need to worry about getting them mucky.

Shires Stirrup Treads (Black) (4.5") - £1.99

I was a bit disappointed as these are too wide which then make it inverted. It works as a grip but it just isn't the right size. On the plus side it's super duper easy to clean, this is the main reason I got it, I used to have a white diamond grip which was so grubby and hard to clean. Does anyone have this problem with treads?

Shires All Round Fetlock Boots (Black)  (One Size) - £5.99

These fetlock boots are amazing! I was astounded to find them on a site at a clearance price of £5.99! If I were to buy them from shires they would have cost me £20. At that price I can't complain about anything but there are a few things that aren't problems, I would just like to point out. These boots don't have the shine that the pictures do when you order them, they have more of a matte finish as they are synthetic. They also only come in one size so ordering them is a risk but the straps are adjustable so the risk to get it wrong is a bit slimmer. I am super happy with them, they are just what you want for jumping, the open front keeps the pony aware of when they knock a pole and the tall supportive back supports the lower part of the cannon and the outer shell protects the fetlock from bumps. They are easy to clean and undo but with Blue's feather it can be hard to get them on so that all the hair is flat and smooth but with a bit of practice I have my technique. 

Righto, that is me :) Mixed views on all of these products but don't regret buying them as I do use them. Hope you have fun in this heat and sun. If you want the link to these items, email me on bluehoofprints@gmail.com and I will be sure to get back to you x Adios :)

Cleaning Haul

Ariat Polish (Black) - £3.09

This is a complete blast from the past as I used to use this when I had Melody at pony club but this is in my mind the best polish out there! It is great a rejuvenating old saddles and making smart ones even smarter! There is also a brown version but I think it's harder to find, but seriously, even if you are not competing, use this! The polish brings out a great shine but you do need to make sure that you buffer the leather, you don't want the polish coming off on to your jodhpurs!

Lincoln Lanolised Leather Soap - £3.98

This was a new buy for me and boy was I impressed! This stuff is great at cleaning and conditioning, throw away your Belvoir tack cleaner spray and Belvoir tack conditioner spray and get this! I can't believe I have been going through years of scrubbing away with Belvoir's stuff when I could have had this all along, it gets away all the dirt with adding a gorgeous shine in its place, seriously you could use this for low key events to make your tack polished! It puts a great shine on but not too glam so perfect for hunter tack and xc tack.

Carr & Day & Martin Tack Cleaning Sponge - £1.10

 This sponge is fairly small so you might want a larger cloth for the seat of your saddle but its a great wee sponge. Its a does-what-it-says-on-the-tin kinda thing, it just does the job, I wasn't over impressed and at awe with this product but neither was I disappointed. Stains easily but doesn't make any marks on leather, though I would say don't use for both brown and black tack :)

Lincoln Classic Horse Shampoo - £4.98

This is was quite disappointing considering I was so chuffed with my leather soap from Lincoln, again this was a new buy. Years ago we bought gallons of a shampoo (forgotten name) and never needed to buy any until now. This shampoo is watery and doesn't produce any foam with is the key to telling if a horse is clean. I will use this but I won't buy it again at that price, Its okay for a quick wash after a ride but defo doesn't cut it for a deep clean :(

Lincoln (Apparently) Dog Bone Sponge (Blue) - £0.88

This was disappointing as well, for one (in fairness not a problem with the product) it took 2 weeks to be delivered 2 WEEKS! Then it came with small blotches of colour on it, not a happy customer I was. It works as a sponge but you are better off getting a normal sponge from a drug store and avoid the wait and strange marks :S

More hauls due soon, I have had the vet out and the ponies moved to a new field so I didn't have enough time to make it all the same post. I was dissapointed with the delivery from ...............................
I am not going to tell you the name as although I am not happy with the company I don't want to be too mean x Anyhoo I shall try and do a post tomorrow too, maybe just have this entire week, post a day :D We will see xx Adios :)

Update (Sorry for lack of posts x)

Hey guys :) Look at what me and Blue jumped today! Just so amazing, eh?

HA, as if! This jump is actually up because we are having our fences done so the jumps need to be put out the way for a bit. The number one rule of jump maintenance is try and keep the poles off the ground, this prevents mold and the paint coming off, also ponies can't come and stand on them.

Sorry if the blog has been quite quiet, I have just been busy with visiting uni etc and with this heat and fencing going on I am not doing much horse stuff, just making sure that they are behaving, which obviously they aren't.

I will have a new haul post coming up soon xx Adios x

Clean pony xx

So I finally gave Blue his first bath of the summer :D
This was a proper TLC filled day of soap and brushes, I was thinking I would explain how I did everything and if you have a highland or a long maned pony this is how you get your pony prepped for a competition or outing.

1. Bath! Clean everywhere with shampoo, bum, back, belly, everything! I got a new Lincoln shampoo which I was disappointed with its texture and foam but it's actual dirt exterminating ability was decent, not amazing, but decent. Make sure you scrub all those nasty stains away and that you leave no dirt trails. I am able to hose Blue down thankfully and this is the best way to rise away the dirt, shampoo and foam.

2. Feather, make sure their feather is clean and brushed, I would then comb it. Make sure that it is floaty and free of dirt and dust.

3. Mane. Wash their mane thoroughly, get right into every single layer of it and make sure that the bed of it is free of dirt. I then after it had been washed and dried sprayed some baby oil on it, now this is good for competition but attracts more dirt to the mane, its a good idea to use it to condition the night before the show.

4. Hooves. Make sure that the hair all the way down to the hoof is clean and then clean the hooves. Once the hooves are dry and mud free I coated them in Carr and Day and Martin hoof oil. The oil stinks but is brilliant! Make sure when you are applying it that you don't get it on your pony's clean legs. Try to minimise the amount of dirt and hair surrounding the hooves when applying and drying the oil and also when you are cleaning the hooves.

5. Tail. Do similar with the tail as you did with the mane ( I didn't actually wash the tail shhh don't tell). If you need to cut the tail, if your at a competition it's nice to just give it the tiniest of trips to make it straight. Again, I would suggest defo putting the baby oil in the night before or earlier, no later.

That's pretty much it. If any of you know of a cheap-ish shampoo that is absolutely amazing feel free to comment or email to bluehoofprints@gmail.com as I will be buying a different sort next time. Have fun in the sun, there are plenty of new videos up of the Royal Highland Show on the youtube so feel free to check in there. Thanks for reading xx adios x

The Importance of a Companion

I think, if you have one horse and there aren't any horses in their field with them they will become isolated and lose their spark. Horses work in a herd pattern, they are rarely on their own. We had Melody on her own and she seemed quite quiet, and she never was, she was a bit more lost than usual. We have had Blue on his own, but he was mourning so it was hard to tell if he was more isolated because he was pining or because he was alone.

Horses rely on each other in danger and safety, the herd rota in Shannon and Blue's case is actually quite unique in the sense that Blue acts like the big man all the time but Shannon is a bit more in tune to what is going on around them and will react first if there is "trouble". In the wild ponies have "bands" within their herds which consist of one stallion, foals and younger horses and several mares, one of the mares being the lead mare, who is the dominant in the group. This lead mare is Shannon ("She is usually one of the more mature animals, responsible for the overall safety of the herd, familiar with the terrain and resources available") and Blue is a "younger" horse who is a bit boisterous. There are three other ponies which live nearby which form the herd, creating another band, one stallion and two mares, the "stallion" is actually gelded but he is still the leader of the entire herd. 

Although we didn't go down this route after Melody died, when looking for a new companion I think re-homing a companion is a good idea because, it is charitable, you will gain a new pony at small expense, if anything were to happen with your horse and you no longer needed a companion then they can be re-homed by someone else. However their are cons, one is that the charity will usually come an inspect you and require you to have a shelter in your field, with the ponies left to their own devices a lot of the time we didn't want to get inspected etc and not be here. Also we genuinely wanted to get our own pony and do whatever we pleased about it all without an owner or charity looking over our shoulders. 

Having a companion who can load is also helpful for bad loaders as you can take them away with you to make sure that the ponies will get in the trailer or box. We did this with several of ours but if you can't take them with you it's quite hard to make it work that way. I would suggest using the companion if you can to show the other how to do something, for example Blue doesn't get what lunging is, so before or after I have tried with him, I get Shannon and try with her, this means he sees what it is all about and she also gets some time with me. 

Anyhoo, I am off to spend some time with the birthday boy, Blue and give him a huge carrot. Love you all, adios :)

A day in the life...

Hello peeps :)
So I tend to wake up vaguely around 9.30 (9.26 today precisely). After I wake up and check the time I walk over to one of my windows to look out for the ponies, today I only saw Blue who was just outside the house. If my room is tidy, which it kind of is today, I only really need half an hour to get myself sorted but guess what? I am lazy! So I spent an hour watching YouTube with my cereal and doing my hair etc. So I went out and all the jumps had been tampered with.. I think they have been using the jumps for a scratching posts which I guess is okay, it just means that there is more work for me. It took me a good 20 mins to get the two jumps up since the ground is so uneven! That brings us to 10.50.

I then decided to go through to a neighbour's field where the ponies shall be staying in soon, for a week or so. There is a patch of ground with melted metal and various dangerous sharp objects which the ponies can't go anywhere near. I couldn't find the white plastic stobs to make a temporary fence, I then found only 2 intact! Safe to say that after all of that searching its annoying that I am now going to have to use jump stands to complete the fence.
As you can see from the picture the area is quite small which makes it more annoying as if it was bigger it would make more sense to run a line from the fence around it but its too far away to cut away that much of the field. Either way the ponies shall not be in contact with the lethal junk which lies there. That entire process took over half an hour and it was 11.30 by the time I got in again. Then had a half hour tea break and then received a huge amount of paper work had arrived and spent 3/4 hour going through it and seeing what I need to do to organise uni etc.  I then spent a while writing this and then went and got some lunch. Beans on bagel nom nom nom! 

At around 1.20 I went and got my lovely bridle and began to clean it :) It's such a long and tedious job since you need to take everything apart and then put it all back again but my new bridle was getting grubby and it was needed. I use Belvoir tack cleaner and conditioner but I recently have ordered a lincoln tack cleaner which I am excited for it to arrive. A good tip with cleaning your bit is to lay it in warm water, clean the rest while it soaks and then scrub it at the end, this allows all the grim and grass stuck on the end of the bit to soften and come off easily. Another tip is when you are putting it back together try placing it on your own head and aligning everything as if you were the horse. This means that the buckles and billets are more likely to be put back the right way round. I would suggest doing the bridle up normally and then putting martingale/breastplate/daisy rein on it when you are tacking up.

At 2.00 I went and got Blue from the field, it was weird, he decided as I let him walk himself to the gate that he would canter over the gravel and buck into me as I grabbed the lead rope, think he got a bit excited..
I then got to work on his mucky legs, the picture shows the left one done and right one about to be... he is such a mucky pony!! It took a while and I do take pride in his tail and feather but I got him looking less muddy and only little dusty. In the same order as the tack cleaner is shampoo which I can't wait to get since he really does need a deep clean! Blue is such a good lad when it comes to standing in the stable to be groomed. I always said I never wanted a grey (can I just point out that was my 9 year old thinking and I wasn't a spoilt brat) and not only did I end up with a grey but a HIGHLAND!! A BOG PONY!! When I was doing the jumps I actually saw the both of them in the bog but they got out and I made sure they didn't go back in.. once they go there I try and get their legs to dry so I can brush them off since I have no shampoo.

By around 2.35 I had a tidy pony with the best tail ever! I tacked him up in his newly cleaned bridle and his reasonably cleaned saddle. He looks so lovely in his matching tack, I can't wait for his new stuff to arrive... I was going to list it all but I will just make a haul since I have quite a lot of stuff coming. We just went out for a short hack because I stupidly timed it that if we stayed too long then we would be attacked by buses, one at 3.50, one at 4.10, one at 4.20 and one at 4.40... so that was rubbish! I got out by 2.55, after calling dad to say that I would be an hour and if I didn't call back after 4.30 then "I was dead" (over-dramatic Kate moment). I had a really nice hack out and blue had a conversation with a sheep and a few other ponies on route. I didn't go on outback because it was raining in the night and his legs had just been done. Blue didn't want to leave Shannon to begin with and was quite lively on the way back so we actually ended up out of the village by about 3.40 which was good, then we had a lovely gallop home :) That bit was timed well since if I had been early there would have been my neighbour coming home from school and later I would have been caught by the buses. 

When I got back I took Blue's saddle off and took him for a bareback wander around the diet field to cool down. The wind went mental.. super strong so the wander was fairly short. Blue was also super hungry and even though its a "diet field" its not had any ponies in it for months so it has better grass than the big field! I took him out and let him loose into the big field with his mummy.  I then got in around 4.15 and put everything away. I crashed and burned in my bed around 4.30, I don't know why I am so tired! I had a bit of a rubbish nights sleep but nothing too bad. Weird. 
Excuse the hat hair, I was too lazy to get a hair brush and do it..
Living next to the horses has its pros and cons. Pros being that I can do whatever I like and go to the loo, get a drink, have a seat and watch TV. Cons being that it increases my laziness and procrastination. I then went and found the most amazing thing ever, it perked me right up and was a reason to get excited.... it was... an... ICECREAM! 

Excuse the face..

I think that is it, its 5.40 now (6.00 actual upload) and I think I might have a snooze and then get some dinner later, I was going to do more today but the ground was wet and I also was under the assumption that my horsey delivery stuff would arrive today. Sorry for this fail of a post :) Adios!

Busy Life...

(Wrote this on Monday)
Hey guys :) I don't think I will be able to do a life in the day post until Wednesday+ since I need to tidy today and I might be going to BBQ tomorrow, I have just looked at the weather and it seems horrible. Either way I doubt I will get the post up by Wednesday. Here is a wee post for training and preparations for shows. 

Jumping (Show and hunter)

Make sure you know what height the class you have entered into and that you can jump that height. If you are like me and jump in a field rather than a paddock I would try and make a course in the field to give your horse more of a gist of it all. Also, make sure you go to an arena and complete a course of jumps. I find that the more you do it in an actual arena the better idea on your paces and turns you will have.
I would suggest looking at old course plans and replicate parts of them to practice. 
I would also train in whatever tack you are using so when it comes to the day there will be no nasty surprises when things don't fit. I would time your rounds and see where your boundaries are for speed. Also, you might either want to switch ponies, have someone ride your pony, have another rider and horse there to give you a better insight and flag up any bad habits you maybe get yourself in.

Dressage
Now I have never really done dressage but the training is simple. Make sure that you can do all the transitions within the test. Have the test ready and printed for training with, and maybe get a prompt for training too (Not me, cause I just blurt out rubbish). If you need and can have one for the day arrange a prompt and ensure that they will be there for your slot. http://www.cairolodge.co.uk has quite a few of the test sheets up for free. You are really going to need an arena area for training but a flat paddock would do but if it rains and you need to canter you are in a bit of trouble. 

XC

This is probably the hardest to train for because most people do not have XC jumps. If you can practice on proper ones but even if you got hunter jumps and put them in the field that would be better than nothing. I made my own this year which are quite like hunter jumps, I quite enjoy them cause they knock over and it feels safer. Obviously any form of jumps are the best to grasp a gauge for the heights you will get over and heights you cant.

Showing
This is what you will need, to be successful at showing:

- Spotless horse
- Smart gear (especially headcollar)
- Good position and good relationship with your pony
- Bombproof horse who is capable of all transitions and to pop a small jump
- GLOVES, when you are on the ground, you will want gloves!
- Punctuality

Some no-nos for showing:
- Unnecessary harsh bit/bridle
- Shaved tail
- Short stirrup leathers with narrow stirrups
- Incorrect tack such as a blocked saddle
- Overuse of sprays and make up and chalk
- One handed canters
- Bad hooves and shoes
- Overshowing of the young
- Overuse of the inside rein

Righto, I think that is it, have fun in this dissipating sun :) Adios!