Coping with chronic pain.

So a few blog posts ago, I posted about having a load of tests done. 

Anyway, months and months of waiting and being in agonising pain. We have finally gotten somewhere. 

I have been diagnosed with "probable psoriatic arthritis". Psoriatic arthritis is arthritis with rheumatoid factors and the skin condition psoriasis on top. It is the rarest type of juvenile arthritis. 

Arthritis is classed as chronic pain as it only gets worse as you get older. 

Symptoms are similar in most people but the pain can vary. My symptoms consist of swelling, inflammation and tenderness, lots of clicking, stiffness of joints and just lots of discomfort. 

Today I saw a specialist in psoriatic arthritis who said I have a rarer type of the condition in the fact that it also affects the soft tissue and ligaments around the joint. 

After lots of X-rays, blood tests and a steroidal injection in my bum! I am in a lot of agony but hopefully it will work. 

I will keep the blog updated but also to let people know that if you are suffering with something similar, it will get better! Keep pushing to get results and it may take a few months but its worth it in the end! 

Love

Hannah xxx

Beauty must haves.

Hi all! 

I must admit it's been a while since I've posted. I've been so so busy working and starting back at college and also having lots of trips to the doctors/hospitals! Fun!

For this blog I thought I'd talk about some of my new beauty discoveries and some old loved ones. 

Beauty is a topic that is so open and wide ranged that it's hard to find the most perfect product to suit you. I've had so much trouble recently finding products that suit me whether it being the high end products or the drugstore equivalent. 

First of all, face scrubs! I purchased a soap and glory face scrub a few months ago. I utterly love soap and glory's products and have a few of them (Dr Spot, You won't believe your eyes, and Archery). However it was totally not suited to my skin as it suits more oily skin and I have dry/combination. It cost me about £8 and I ended up giving it to a friend as it was such a big bottle with hardly any use! I then found a simple face scrub which cost about £4 and I can honestly say I've noticed a massive difference! I use it a few times a week; and with it having rice granules to help exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells, my skin feels so much smoother! 

Moving on to hair- I have been using Wella's Luxe products (shampoo, mask and oil). The oil is brilliant and I can't fault it, however recently I've noticed the shampoo and mask haven't really done a lot and don't help my frizzy hair. They are also very expensive to buy! (£20 ish online for each one- oil £13). So I went to boots and brought a tresemmé keratin smooth conditioner to replace the mask to see if it would help with the frizz (it says it does) and after only one use today, it has honestly made all the difference! It's stayed straight and hasn't frozen up when being outside. For £5 it is definitely worth it! 

Next is a mask that I got in my first subscription of GlossyBox. Glossy box is a monthly subscription where you get a load of beauty products in a box delivered (mainly full size) of very high end products. You only pay £13 inc postage which to me- was a bargain. One thing that I utterly adored that came with it is the Maria Nila Luminous Colour Masque. It's great for coloured hair (mine has full highlights) and it helps maintain the colour for longer and I've totally noticed the difference and so have my friends and family. This is usually retailed at £20 ish so to have it in a £13 subscription with 5 other products was pretty good! 

Next is foundation. I brought a MAC foundation and I loved it at first however it soon became apparent it wasn't for me and my skin looked very blotchy and it just didn't feel right. I went to find a new foundation in boots last week, and I am so picky with foundation! I went to the No7 counter and had my colour "taken" with this very cool machine that picks up the pigmentation in your cells to match the perfect colour. The lady was so lovely and gave me a few days worth of a sample so I could apply it myself and see if I liked it. I brought it yesterday and used it for the first time today and I honestly love it. It's suitable for all skin and works amazing o my dry/combination skin. It's a medium coverage but is very build able and lasts all day too! I'm so happy with this. It's about £15 but I got a £3 off voucher which I used which helped with the price. But still very affordable. 

I hope you enjoyed this blog! And hopefully you can try some of these products too (I definitely recommend singing up to GlossyBox!!) 

Hannah 

xxx

London bound.

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I've posted but I have been rather busy. 

Yesterday, I came back off a trip where I stayed in London for a few days. I honestly felt so at home and I really want to move down there one day. 

On our first day, we went for a wonder around Covent Garden as that's where our hotel was situated (The Strand Palace Hotel). Covent Garden, to me, was one of the less busier places in London but had such a buzz and a fantastic environment which made me feel warm and fuzzy inside! We then went to Jamie's Italian for tea and I had the best bruschetta I've ever had!! I've been a massive fan of Jamie and his cooking so was so happy we got to go!

On the second day, we went sightseeing. Considering I'd never been before and it was a bit daunting going to all these big places, I just loved it. And I felt so so patriotic haha! We firstly went on a River Thames cruise and got to see some of the famous buildings and I managed to get some fab photos! (I got an iPhone 6 the day before we left). 

We then went on the London Eye, and even though I'm a bit scared of heights, I took it all in and again, was utterly amazed at the sights you can see. It was so so amazing and if anyone visits London, you should definitely go on both!! 

After the London Eye, we went shopping in Harrods, and by gosh it was amazing but so busy!! We brought a few goodies from there and I brought a lovely keyring too! 

On our last day, we just spent the time going shopping. Firstly we went to Carnaby. Now for my close friends and family, they know how much I go on about this certain shop. It's not just a shop, it's so much more and I have decided I must move in there! It is the one and only Choccywoccydoodah. I can honestly say it's everything I dreamed and more. I was amazed by it all and didn't want to leave! We then went to Oxford street and had a look around Selfridges, Primark, Pandora, Lush and brought lots of things (I may do a London Haul for that?) 

London was such an amazing experience and I do want to move there. 

Anyway that's enough blabbing! 

I hope you enjoyed this. I really did!

Lots of love,

Hannah 

Xxx

A girl and her horse.

Hello you lovely lot. 

This blog post is going to be a little bit about Victor and how we've been getting on since having him back. 

So I've had him back for almost 3 weeks and it honestly feels like I never sold him. Our bond and trust is still there which is just the most amazing feeling. In July, I will have had/ known him for 4 years. Now that is an achievement in itself and I can't believe how long it's been! 

When I first got Victor I'd never dream of being where we are now, and as long as my mum see's sense and let's me, we will hopefully be going out a bit this summer. 

Vic hasn't been in much by work over the past year (let's face it- he isn't the easiest  to ride outside of the school!) so I've tried a new feed to help with condition, muscle and give him a bit of oomf without going crazy. And with those who know him- my little welshie can be very crazy! 

The feed he has been on for about a week now is Baileys No 4 which is top line conditioning cubes. I have already noticed a massive difference, under saddle and by just looking at him. So hopefully this will help with getting him fitter. He is also back on Seaweed which he was on before I sold him which made such a difference to his health and coat and provided extra nutrients and vitamins and helped provide strong hooves. 

Last week Lottie and Beth came to see him for the first time in a year and had a little jump. It was very hot and he tried his best and certainly flew some jumps and Beth and Lottie got some cracking photos. 

On Sunday (just gone) I decided to school him in the jump paddock. I wasn't expecting to jump a lot but we had a go  at some triples. And by God did he fly. I think the end fence was about 1m5 ish and he felt the best he's felt jumping for a while, and very responsive too! But still needs some more fitness in him which will come in time and I'm in no rush. 

I never expected to get another horse but getting Victor back was honestly the best decision I've made recently. It's so lovely to have his face back in my daily routine- especially as he was always there when I needed him. 

Here are a few recent photos. Hopefully more to come over the summer! 

Lots of love and speak soon,

Hannah xxx

Getting back my pony.

Okay so today was the day when I brought back Victor. As explained partially in my previous blog, Victor was my old pony. He had literally been my rock through some pretty hard times. So when he came back for sale, I jumped at the chance and everything just fell into place really. I am honestly over the moon and have hardly slept recently. Today we moved to our new stable and then had a little jump ready for the yard show on Tuesday where we will have a go at some clear rounds. We then went for a ponder round the track, and then went back to his new stable which he found so exciting and with every russle in my tack room, his head was round the door seeing if there was any available food! I then turned him out in his new paddock where he didn't even take his head away from the grass- controlled by his stomach! I had a message off my friend about 8:30pm saying he was exhausted and had fallen asleep standing up the cutie! So now that me and Vic are back together, our partnership will continue to grow and I will write some blogs based on our times together! 

Here are some photos from today,

Love

Hannah 

xxx

Getting my pony back!

So as most of you may know through facebook, I received some very exciting news. 

I got a phone call saying that Victor, a horse I sold over a year ago, was up for sale. Through no fault of his own, but he just didn't want to be a riding school pony and wasn't suited to it which is fair enough. He has been spoilt rotten the past year and I can't thank Denise enough. Especially putting up with me trying to get money to buy him back!

So I'm 18 in two weeks and I'm very lucky to be getting some money for my birthday which I am going to use to buy him back. 

I honestly have not been sleeping I have been that excited. And what makes it even better- I have a stable too!!! Victors first proper stable of his own since I've had him! 

I am very much looking forward to the summer and riding most days when I'm not working. Just so happy to have my little baby back!! 

Here are some of my favourite photos of us.  

Lots of love

Hannah 

Xxx

Past Inspirations

Today, I wanted to talk about one particular past inspiration that was a massive, massive part of my life up until recently. That inspiration was horses. And one little fella in particular. This is the story of Victor.

It was May 2011 when I finally convinced my parents and my grandparents to let me buy a horse. I'd had experiences of having horses on loan, and had brought a horse that was miss-sold so I wanted to make sure my next horse was the perfect horse. I was only 14, a fairly experienced rider but still had an awful lot to learn. I was scrolling through endless adverts on Horsemart and Preloved, when I came across this guy:
"Ffynnonfelys Victors Last- 14.2hh, Welsh D 7yo gelding out of Ebbw Victor.
Loving and kind natured horse, currently jumping 3ft classes, done cross country schooling, hacks out in company fine but can be nervous on his own, good to shoe etc etc etc" (his ad is still on a facebook page from 2011!!!)

He sounded perfect, and just what I was looking for. So I went to view him and took my best friend Molly with me. I instantly fell in love with him and after a few more viewings and a 5 stage vet test, he was delivered to me at my current stables in Ingestre.

At ingestre I had almost 2 years with Victor before moving closer to home. In those two years I began to realise how much of a challenge a green horse was. And how inexperienced he was. And me for that matter. After a good few bumps in the road, after a year and a half we eventually gelled and it felt like nothing could come between us and we trusted each other entirely.

It then came to the point when I wanted to go competing. After a nasty accident, vic was not keen on trailers and travelling so we hacked half an hour to Stafford Show which is held in Hixon. In 2012 we became Reserve Champion in the Pre-Novice Horse (2ft3-2ft6) which for our first season competing was an utter achievement and I honestly felt on top of the world.

However there came a time where I had to move closer to home ready for my GCSE's and A Levels so I moved to Molly's yard, Buxtons, in 2013. Little did I know that that summer was going to be one of the best summers of my life. Molly had her pony, Candy. Candy and Victor became best friends and we rode together pretty much every day. We had jumping sessions (where I made molly not be a pussy and jump over a metre;) and where I jumped 1m20), we went for 3 hour + hacks all over the chase, we genuinely had the best summer together and had so much fun and so many memories.

Especially when Molly and I spontaneously decided to buy another horse each. Well Molly wanted to for ages, I on the other hand had just brought a trailer, but then sold it in order to buy Poppy. A welsh D X Appaloosa. And it was one of the best decisions I had made. She was "Lightly Backed" (not really) and needed completely restarting. After weeks of groundwork to build up muscle and fitness and gain trust, the rebacking commenced and buy the end of the summer she was leading hacks and was bombproof, and could jump a metre course. She had just turned 5 that summer and wasn't broken in long so I was very impressed. She continued to amaze me with how willing she was to learn and give me her best in every schooling, jumping and hacking session. So much that the winter of 2013-2014, she amazed me completely by jumping 1m20. I was gobsmacked by her potential.

In October 2013, I suffered a bad fall off Victor, (my fault not his) and had to sell them both due to me not physically being able to look after them, let alone ride them. But I managed to sell them and they have both stayed on the same yard and are both being spoilt rotten.

I do hope to get another horse in a year or so when I've finished my course at college and when I have a proper job. One that I can afford to spoil but also get out competing again as I really do miss the buzz. However, my health is paramount and has to come first.

Here are some photos of my inspirations.
Lots of Love
Hannah xxx

                                                                  Poppy jumping 1m20.

                                                                  Gorgeous ponies.

                                                                Victor giving kisses.

                                                                  Poppy being awesome.

                                                                 Victor jumping 1m5/10

                                                              Vic being awesome again.

                                                          Jumping 3ft without a saddle.