Bye Bye for a Bit... xx

Hello, hope you are all well x so thought I would just give 
you the 411 on my plans with the ponies after summer. It's not the best story in the world, so if you are looking for an upbeat story or informative jargon then this might not interest you. 

So, I have now had two offers to university, me being 
quite cocky about it all, I am basically assuming that I will meet the conditions. That in mind, it comes with the question of what to do with the ponies. My plan is to have a person to loan Blue, on contract and hopefully help out with Shannon, without contract. Now, I'm fussy with Blue, so, the rules of the contract are quite particular. This seems like a good idea as it means I can go away knowing that he is in the right hands and nothing is going to go on that I wouldn't want.


What's happening with blue hoofprints? Truthfully can't answer that question. It is unlikely the blog and YouTube channel will continue, :(. The chances of me or someone else continuing are slim, at least for Blue. I did say in the past that I would shoot tons of footage in summer to then use to make videos in uni, I may try to do this just to take me to the end of the year but I can't make promises. None of you know that this blog was actually a new years resolution, it would be nice to complete the year at least. The chance for me to start a new blog on a completely different world is quite likely. I am thinking a nerdy, Dr who, glee review kinda thing or maybe life of a student nurse thing, maybe even both! I don't know how hectic my life will be when I leave, I know it will be but maybe, I could still have an internet life? Can't live with phan, cherimon, hopeimon, glitter bits, zoella and Marcus, malfie and the harries twins! If someone has any requests please send them in. 



Righto, this isn't goodbye its just a little gap where I'm afraid I will not be posting anything for around a month, I truthfully I am really sorry but I simply have to pass my exams. My last exam is on 31st of May and it's very unlikely I will post something until that point, sorry :( but as soon as that date comes along I will make sure I make an update just telling you guys my plans and any new developments.

So, that is pretty much it, some depressing video will be up soon, sorry about that.
See you soon, love you. Adios lads x

Flying Changes

So flying changes, interesting wee things that Blue actually has a nack for. Strange weirdo horse. He obviously isn't a dressage horse and I am defo not a dressage rider, the only thing I could do was leg yielding. I might try this with Blue but meh cannni be bothered.

So for you guys who don't know what a flying change is, it is when a Horse changes leg during a canter. Some can get there horse into a canter that every stride they change leg. It is a little more standard to be asked for one flying change in one go when changing rein, for example, doing a figure of eight, in a dressage test. It can be handy for the jumping ring as well, if you don't land on the right leg after the jump you can do a flying change on the turn for your next jump.

I'm thinking that the only way this 'talent' of Blue's is going to be used is in the jumping ring and we will soon see. Maybe at the yard in summer we will see this all in action. Blue can do it loose and ridden, so I wouldn't be surprised if he could do it in the ring, fingers crossed.

Confidence and learning to say NO.

Now, I'm not expecting all of you to be quivering balls of fear but I thought I would tell you how I overcame my lack of confidence around horses. So I guess we will start with how I started to lose it. So at riding school I was quite confident, there was a wee Shetland x who was the best little boy ever, quite cheeky on cutting corners but really fun and good, then I moved on to a bigger pony around 14hh and was still okay but really disliked jumping, I would cry when the instructor put it up too high. Then I went on a medium sized cob, around 14.3hh, and I started to lose my confidence, he would buck when you whipped him, so I spent lesson after lesson hoping I wouldn't be asked to use my stick on him. I had Mel when I was on the 14hh and the cob and I was quite confident but I lost all my confidence with jumping, catching and loading. JUST COULDN'T CUT IT! Melody used to rear at you when you tried to get her in the trailer and catch her, and when I was only 10, that's a scary sight. I would genuinely get my sister or dad to load her. Then after a while I realized I just needed to act confident and stand tall and she would know I meant business.

Melody was then retired and I was stuck with a 14.2hh Connemara x who was my sisters pony. I tried with her but she would stop on hacks at 10 minutes at a time and would bolt home, I ended up never wanting to ride because something might go wrong. After a while trying and her smashing me in the face with her frequent head banging tantrums I had to say to her owner that we were not right for each other and she should go to a PC home where she can be the PC pony she always was. After around 6 months I was pining so much for a horse my parents thought it was time to buy me one :D. So in a matter of time we had blue.

Now, Blue, was such a confidence giver! I'm not sure how as some people ride him and don't see it but it worked for me. By the time I got Blue I was soo nervous around horses I would let them do anything, I was basically trying to cater to the horse, not have a relationship. Day by day I would ride Blue in the field and learn about him and learn how to predict what he would do. He was a wide, hairy highland with the slowest pace ever, perfecto. A couple weeks after getting him I was faced with a challenge, he wanted to go out the arena (forgot to close gate) and I didn't so for the first time in a while I went NO and forced him to walk past the gate several times without the hint of him trying to go through it, this took literally around 40 mins as I have a 3 times rule, you need to do it three times in a row well, before moving on. When I got Blue I began to get my confidence back with all horses, the old neighbors horses I would really get to grips with and tell them off when it was feeding time.

So, I have gone from a quivering child to a confident adult with horses. I obviously can't make you all not have fears but I think the best thing is actually do the thing you don't want to do and stand tall about it. Since Blue is a bit like the cob, (he would buck when whipped) I now just immediately give him a flick with the stick when I need to. This means he realizes that I mean business and I also know how his bucks don't do much, they don't even unseat me. I think it genuinely is best as it really gives you the idea of what will happen and takes away the fear of the unknown. Obviously if your horse really misbehaves and a certain thing just sets them off and you/them could get hurt, don't induce that and make sure that you sort it in a different way. When you have confidence, make sure you are firm with your horse, make sure that any flaws they learn to overcome, whether its bucking, head throwing, rearing, lack of manners or biting.  Now, only a tiny portion of that was actual advice, but if you want some more just email me at bluehoofprints@gmail.com. Have a good day x

Hacking - Safety

(Just a heads up when I mean "hacking" I mean hacking on roads)

Hey, hope you are all well :)

Today, class, we are going to be talking about safety when hacking :P Okay, I know yawn, but it is genuinely something riders need to be aware of and you shouldn't throw a tantrum when someone asks you to put a hi viz vest on. Okay, so I know some people find it hard knowing what to take out with them when out on a hack so here I will list five things you should take to keep you safe.

1. A hat, obviously like any riding you should always wear a hat.
2. A mobile phone (if you don't want to wreck your iphone etc. just get a wee £3 phone PAYG)
3. Some form of hi viz on you, I permanently have a high viz band on my

hat , also vests and arm/ankle bands are good too though.
4. Something hi viz on the horse, boots/tail bandage/coat/bridle accessories, make sure you have something so if you fall off and your horse gets loose he is seen a bit more easily.
5. Any medicine you would need in an emergency i.e. epipen, inhaler etc.

So, it's not too much and it really does give drivers and other road users a quicker knowledge of you and your horse on the road. I especially use hi viz because a lot of the time there is a lot of cloud cover so the light is dulled and also I go through quite a few junctions where you need to be noticed.


Another thing is arm signals, now I was going to take pictures of this but things got in the way so I guess its PAINT time!

 (These diagrams are from the back)
If you want to go right, slow down, stick your arm out straight to the right.
Also if you have a crop, have it in the other hand.

 Same for the Left, slow down, stick your arm out straight to the left and have your crop in the other hand

To thank drivers and other road users for letting you past etc. just give a gentle wave and continue with the same pace.















If you want a driver to stop who is in front of you hold your hand up in a square position, gesturing it forward. Again, crop in your other hand.

To indicate slowing down. Stick your arm straight out and then make the motion up and down. Make sure that is up and down not side to side as drivers will think you are asking them to pass.












Righto, I think that is everything that needs to be said. Now please, be safe on roads, make sure that you are insured and don't be an idiot about it. Anyhoo I guess since I have just thought the worst in you all I should probably be nice. You're all beautiful. Okay, this is the end. Love you all. Bye x

Cheeky Wee Haul

This is a mint green mane and tail brush. I know, I usually buy blue things but I'm a sucker for mint green, it just looks soooo pretty :). It has a gel handle which is very similar to memory foam, very comfy on the palm. The bristles are very stiff and sturdy, seems long lasting and easy to use
Only £5.15 for this great brush, bargain! I can't wait to use this, Blue, being a highland has a very bushy tail which gets the worst tangles in it!

This is a blue boomerang dandy brush, I'm quite a fan of these, and the flick ones, I never have got one before cause I can never find them in store. I thought I would go for the boomerang since Blue is very curvy and it will be good for his tummy and bum and chest. It cost me £7.05 which ain't too bad but still its just a brush.. Again, can't wait to use this but I need to wait to all of Blue's winter coat is gone before properly using it.

This is my usual hoof oil, but I cant remember it being this stinky, seriously it's next to me now, and its honking! I haven't used the stuff since I had Mel and Blue, but since Shannon can't eat huge quantities I can't give her biotin so conditioning cream and then oil on top keeps her hoofs hydrated during the dry times in summer. Cost £5.62 which is pretty decent and I can't wait to use it, but again I need to wait until summer realistically.

This is a blue hoof oil brush and pot. Can't remember how much this was but under £2. Great wee idea, never had this when I was young just a wee brush loose to find dirt and straw. Bristles seem sturdy but I think some will fall out. Can't wait to use it but its smells horrendous since I dipped it in the oil.

Anyhoo that was short and see you soon xx

Bridle Review

So, last Christmas I got a new bridle. Now, since I have used it for a couple of months, I thought I would do a review on it.

The bridle itself is a plain cavesson headstall made by Jeffries, Falcon range. Obviously I wanted to get the matching bridle to go with my saddle. The bridle is made of Black supple leather, Its a dream to clean, one quick wipe and its good to go. One difference between this and the last aside from the colour is the buckle on the cheek pieces, my old cheek pieces had buckles each end, the ones on the Jeffries have buckle on top and that weird bit on the bottom which I have learnt to be called 'Billets', I don't think I will actually call them these but you never know. These are cheeky wee buggers (pardon the pun) that will misbehave when you take it apart and then try to reassemble it. Recently I was round at a friends and she had a new bridle with both 'billets' on the end of reins and cheek pieces and we assembled it (taking a good 30 mins) to then discover we had put the bit on the wrong way round! Bummer! After then I official hate them! Buckles are so much easier!

The overall sleek look of it goes very well with Blue's head, not that he is sleek, it just tones his head, makes it look more proportionate, longer and less pony like. Its a great bridle that fits perfectly around his nose and ears, we did have problems to begin with and the first we ordered was too small, cob, then we ordered a full and even the throat lash didn't fit, so we sent it off for an extension at very little expense, all through the process Jeffries was brilliant. As you can see in the picture the bridle is very simplistic but bold and showy at the same time.

I ride in a full cheek eggbut snaffle with a french link. Blue isn't strong, I can ride him in a headcollar! He is quite slow on the uptake so after a couple of months of a snaffle I decided to go about getting a stronger bit which would help with steering. This bit is great, the full cheeks create more pressure while turning so Blue has much better responses when jumping and galloping. Although I can ride perfectly in a snaffle this bit just gives the bit more edge and fast response, wouldn't go back. You can see in the pictures, I only need a cavesson noseband, blue isn't head strong at all and needs no extra force there.

I rode in a grackle on Melody, I'm really not sure if this made any impact, its what her owner had her in and I didn't know anything else. Now with Blue I actually think about these things, running martingale, no running martingale? I tried out a few things, discovered what he needed and what worked. Its the best way to get the right tack, not gonna lie, it is time consuming but once you get the right thing it just makes life so much easier and you can really get to grips with a horse. It may surprise you but I still believe in a more human to horse aspect rather than gadget to horse. You see some teens on push button ponies with breastplates, gags, and spurs, it's clear they can't ride when you put them on a horse with a GP saddle and a standard cavesson with a snaffle. I often ride Blue bareback, and regularly ride him in just a headcollar (mostly cause I'm catching him and I might as well force him to walk me back).

Well, I got a bit side tracked there... Sorry about that, it's supposed to be a review on a bridle and I'm saying that I ride in a headcollar regularly.. I also assure you, this isn't product placement, I don't have a deal with Jeffries, I genuinely just like their brand and seem to buy a lot of their stuff. I know their stuff is quite steep but it's good quality stuff, so if you have a bit of money spend it on the major stuff you need for your horse, where quality matters. I should make a pact to buy stuff from other brand, I have recently ordered some new jodphur boots and am about to buy a big shop. With that in mind I may do a haul kind of blog. Dunno yet though. Anyhoo, I'm tired so I wish you well and see you soon xx

The Vet Has Been

Hey guys, everything is A-okay, Blue is as healthy as a horse its just this long winter has been a bit of a surprise to his stomach. Just losing weight from cold weather and lack of good grass and hay. I shall do a new post in the next few hours but Blue's videos are going to be a little delayed while I wait for his weight to come back a little. Thanks for being patient xx

A worry...

Hey everyone. I'm afraid that Blue is a bit ill at the moment. He has gone from overweight to underweight in around 2 weeks! This significant weight loss has created a bit of concern and our trusted vet is coming around tomorrow. I have been riding him and he has stayed perfecto, really keen, galloping, jumping and has no problems with the bit. He hasn't changed his eating patterns, pooping patterns or field behavior. Shannon, although skinny is in fine health and had has no significant weight loss or change in shape. This rules out all the ideas of contagious disease and makes parasitic infection unlikely. I have now stopped any hard work completely for the main reason that he is just going to lose more weight, which for once isn't wanted. The way the fat has left the body is strange, disappearing from bum and ribs but staying around stomach and chest. This may just be the way fat is distributed around his body, highlands are known to put weight on in their stomach and chest so maybe the first to go is the other areas. He also has a reasonable indented hip bone, again showing a loss of weight in rib and bum areas. This is a little alarming, all in all, he seems his usual self so I really am at a loss as to why his losing this weight. If anyone has an idea on why this is happening feel free to email me at bluehoofprints@gmail.com. Thank-you and I apologize for a lack of videos as Blue obviously isn't up to anything now.