DIY Horse Shampoo (For Greys)

Hello! I'm going to try and teach you how to make your own horse shampoo!

(This is just a suggestion and I'm sure everyone has their own concoction! Also, you want to patch test this on your horse to make sure that they aren't allergic to any of the contents.)

What you will need:

• Blue washing up liquid (Sainsbury's) (If you don't have a grey just use a standard clear washing up liquid)
• Human shampoo (Herbal essences)
• Human 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner (Tresemme)
• An empty bottle (I used an old radox showel gel bottle)

Obviously, you do not need to use these exact brands but these are the ones which I find good.

Now this can get a little messy so I suggest putting a towel down or doing it in a bath. 

1. Firstly, take the empty bottle and take the cap off.

2. Add around 180mls of the washing up liquid.

3. Then add 50mls of the shampoo.

4. Finally, add 40mls of 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner.

5. Optional - I added more washing up liquid to fill the bottle (around 40mls). 

6. Then you need to shake! And shake! And shake! (Like seriously!) If you have a wide necked bottle I would suggest whisking it with a spoon or fork.

Now, lastly, you may want to label your bottle of new shampoo. And then you are good to go!

NEWS! :O

Hello!
So, the excitement can be unleashed now! Blue is coming back to me! In
around 4 weeks Blue shall be travelling up to me and staying at nearby
stables. I am absolutely over the moon about it! I have many rants,
first of which is where he shall be staying and its awesome
facilities.

Stables, individual paddocks, tack room, a HUGE outdoor school (with
drainage!) and miles and miles of hacking, is all offered where Blue
will be. I will be getting grass livery with access to the school.
This means that I can properly jump Blue, though, I'm not sure
lumbering over 2ft fences is classed as jumping but it sure is fun.

I've never liveried before so this shall be an interesting world to
step into and I'm sure once adjusted I will be super happy with the
new found socializing. I can't wait to get him here and get him
sorted, its going to be hard work though, the stables leaves you
responsible for your paddocks mucking out. So, between work, uni,
riding and mucking out I will be exhausted for the majority of the
time.

There are plenty of horses there, though I think I am the only grass
livery (most live out at night anyway) but Blue won't have a shortage
of buddies and it doesn't seem like I won't make some new equestrian
friends. Seems like there will always be company to go out with, which
is nice, especially as I do not know the area.

I am so excited for the next chapter for me and Blue, this has given
me a huge amount to talk about so I shall be reinstating some kind of
blogging on a regular basis. I haven't decided how often or on which
days but in the next few weeks keep an eye of for new blogs. There is
a huge plan in place for transport which I shall post about, also,
packing his stuff up, welcoming him into the yard, his shoes and
injections and my daily plans with him.

Thanks for reading, wishing you all the best
Adios x

Update

Hiya :)

I apologise for not posting for a while, life has been rather hectic. I actually haven’t spent much time on Blue and writing about rules of winter riding seemed a little dull. I am so sorry for my lack of blogging. Still, I have the best news ever! But since it isn’t set in stone I am unable to tell you guys. It’s awesome though, and it does mean a lot for the blog and my life. In the meantime, I will list some boring shiz about riding in winter.. 

1 Your horse doesn’t have to be pristine to go out riding, just as long as their tack area is clean they are good to go

2 REMEMBER A COAT! Never go out thinking you don’t need a waterproof jacket

3 Reflective gear. Winter means dark clouds so make sure you are easily seen

4 ICE! Make sure you are aware of those icy conditions and don’t go for a slide down a hill

5 Quick reminder, do remember that frost will make the ground solid and you don’t want to go galloping on it

Right, I know that quick list sucks so here is a wee nostalgic look at the old, weird youtube.

I shall leave you with that :) Adios lads x

The Fall!

Hello :)

So, it all started with me waking up at 2 in the afternoon (I had nights the previous nights so was still getting back into a normal sleeping pattern)on christmas eve, I realised the light would be going soon so I went out in joggers and wellies with a bridle. Chucked the bridle on Blue and jumped on him :)

Blue was rather fresh and I was just riding around the field, going over a few trotting poles etc. I then decided to go for a gallop around, so my usual gallop spot is next to our ditch/drain. So, I turned to go up the side of the ditch and Blue turned very quickly then decided, rather than to gallop up hill, turn to run back to the gate, he went one way and I went the other!

It was if someone had grabbed by my collar and pulled me into the ground, just dragged into the dirt like a rag doll. I smashed my head and neck in the ground, but, after a while, I got up and walked over to Blue. He had stopped as soon as he was away from me and noticed I was off! Jumped back on while soaked in mud and took him for a walk up the ditch and then a gallop.

My head was absolutely pounding and my neck was in agony and all through the night it got worse and worse, I took ibuprofen which helped  but not completely :( Then through christmas I had the worst head and started seeing flashing lights. So, ended up in A&E with a concussion, neck sprain and whiplash. It was nasty, but after a couple of days my head was fairly back to normal and about a week later my neck was fairly normal, the whiplash took a while to budge though. So I am all normal and sparkly new apart from a few grazes now!

Right, that's the story of my first fall in about two years :P I'm off to sort out pills, or tidy, or write an essay.... or just lie in bed procrastinating :) Adios x

Psssttt... check out my new blog at http://fobwatchesandcrocs.blogspot.co.uk/ its all about nursing and student life :P

Update for Blue

So, Blue had a lovely rider who came out each week and hacked him. However, due to practical
circumstances, e.g. travel issues, she was unable to continue to come out. From the end of November on-wards, Blue no longer had a rider. My sister did take him out during December to keep him going until I got home for Christmas. After christmas, Blue was put back on the market as needing a rider. We have had a few people out with mixed success. In the meantime, I am riding Blue, and will try to continue with that after the end of the month, but I am on placement then and it will be difficult.

Current status of Blue - Needing rider, being advertised but I am riding him in the meantime. Well, in short!

Happy New Year!

Hello :)

Ok, so I didn't get blogging over xmas, this was down to 2 things:

1. I may have fallen off Blue and got a little concussed.
2. I was wanting a lazy break.

Sorry :/ I meant to update but I guess that didn't happen before the end of the year, ah well.

I'm here now.

So, since I'm disorganised, I shall be doing a couple of short blogs over the next few weeks The first one shall be just a general update over what is happening with Blue.Second one shall be explaining the fall. And third will be rules for riding in winter.

Ok, well I will have the first up in the next few days :) Please feel free to send me suggestions, as I am running out of ideas. bluehoofprints@gmail.com Adios x

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