# My hands!!



## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

Oh my, well i'm sitting here painting my nails there typical bold red yet again this week. Trying to yet again hide the dirt that has accumulate under my nails from working with horses. And I realized man I never have pretty hands lol.

My sister who is 32 is your typical more girly female. Has her nails professionally done all the time, and her hands are the typical soft.

My sister always comments on how nasty my nails and hands are!! I look at her and say "seriously I work with horses 24/7".. It's kind of hard to keep up on nails. I always have paint chipped and dirt under my nails. My hands are also pretty rough from mucking stalls and what not.

Lol maybe that's why I can't keep the men around. :lol::lol::lol:

Either way I sacrifice a lot to have horses and wouldn't change it for the world!!

Any else understand??


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Oh yeah! Nail polish hides horse dirt stained nails, and no, us equestrians will never be asked to be hand models, LOL!


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

haha waresbear, yes we will never be hand models sadly. I mean we could definitely be models in our own way...a hard working group of men and women. Covered in horse hair and dirt most of the time... but definitely hard workers.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Reminds me of the time I was getting a manicure (I rarely get a pro mani, I am pretty good at doing my own), the woman doing my nails barely spoke any English, a sweet, little Asian lady. She was working on my nails, then says to me in her broken English, "You work hard, hands look like hands of 40 year old". I thanked her, I am over 50, lol.


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## squirrelfood (Mar 29, 2014)

A nice pair of leather work gloves prevent it from being a problem in the first place....


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

I can't do farrier work with gloves, I find I lose the feel. I can't bathe a horse or clip a horse or brush a horse with gloves, too awkward. There is a lot of things I use workgloves for, and a lot that I can't, just too awkward.


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

That is true...but doing anything with the horse and having gloves on does seem rather awk. Tho...but doing anything with the horse and having gloves on does seem rather awkward. Thou I could wear a pair to much stalls, but might make my hands all sweaty.. Hmm. I can't really handle heat. LOL


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Hahaha, I had the same thing happen to me when I went to have my nails done for graduation. The lady took one look at the callouses on my fingers from outdoor work, horses, and guitar playing, the ultra short nails, and the thick skin everywhere, and she says to me, "Girl, you need to come in every week to have girl hands- they too tough and manly!" 

Pft. I paint my nails to hide the dirt. And anyways, I've never had a problem with dry skin or poor nails until I went to have my cuticles (OUCH) cut and my nails fixed up. Whatever they put on my fingers to soften the cuticles caused my fingers to peel like crazy for a week! Now THAT is disgusting.

Clearly mud and manure are great for keeping my hands healthy.

As for gloves- you try wearing even the thinnest, daintiest leather gloves in 110 degree heat and tell me how you like it! LOL


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I have decidedly un-feminine hands. I have big square palms and long fingers. My hands are as large as a lot of men's. 

Oddly, I have super strong nails that grow and grow and grow. They grow out quickly, too. I don't like getting my nails done professionally because I have to get them filled more often than normal. 

I do, however, love to paint my nails. I have 30+ nail polish colors, plus a few different nail art colors. I also have nail polishes that give different effects (magnetic, crackle, etc). It's rare that I don't have my nails painted (about once every two or three months I'll leave them naked for a week to let them breathe). 

Things I've found:
-More expensive polishes last longer than the cheap stuff and don't chip nearly as badly.
-Light colors wear longer and don't chip as badly (or as noticably) as dark colors.
-ALWAYS use a base coat and a top coat. Don't use the all-in-one stuff. Make sure your base coat is specifically a base coat.
-Regardless of how much you skimp on the cost of the polish itself, always invest in the best base coat and top coat. They can make up for a lot.
-When painting your nails, paint a thin layer of white school glue around your cuticles to keep the polish from getting on your skin. Then, when you're done, just peel off the dried glue and you'll have perfect nails.
-Don't rush. Make sure every coat you apply is thoroughly dry before applying the next coat.
-Be sure to apply dark colors more thickly. This will hide any imperfections and give you a deeper color. It also means they won't chip as quickly.
-NEVER bite your nails, even if they break. Use a pair of clippers if a lot breaks off, or a file if it's just a little. Biting leaves ragged edges, which grow unevenly, which make your nails more prone to snagging on something and breaking.
-Have fun. Do funky colors, even if you think you can't pull them off. Experiment with doing different effects and combinations.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Also buff your nails before polishing, I can make a french manicure last almost 2 weeks. Opi's line of nail polishes last the longest out of all the brands I tried. Bite my nails? After where they've been? Ewwww, never!


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

waresbear said:


> Also buff your nails before polishing, I can make a french manicure last almost 2 weeks. Opi's line of nail polishes last the longest out of all the brands I tried. Bite my nails? After where they've been? Ewwww, never!


Can't tell you how many times I've seen women at the barn break a nail and bite it off, rather than taking the time to clip it and file it properly. I keep a manicure kit in my purse and another in the glove box of my car, just in case.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Can you come and do mine? please? I haven't the patience.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

waresbear said:


> Also buff your nails before polishing, I can make a french manicure last almost 2 weeks. Opi's line of nail polishes last the longest out of all the brands I tried. Bite my nails? After where they've been? Ewwww, never!



do you mean use one of the buffing sticks before applying the wet polish? (or varnish, as they say in the UK)


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

tinyliny said:


> Can you come and do mine? please? I haven't the patience.


I'd love to! My best friend and I do each other's nails all the time. Next time I do mine, I'll have to post pics. I was going to do BA's red with gold tiger stripes today, but we ran out of time before work.


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## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

I'm a male and find it a bit amusing that I should be expected to view long nails as a focal point of beauty for a woman. How shallow is that .
If you find pleasure in creating nails that border on art I think that's fine, but don't ridicule someone who doesn't. I personally would prefer the natural appearance, although you may want to do something about the muck.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

tinyliny said:


> do you mean use one of the buffing sticks before applying the wet polish? (or varnish, as they say in the UK)


These things:
http://www.opal-london.com/ekmps/shops/opalcraftsltd/images/nail-buffer-emery-block-128-p.jpg


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

tinyliny said:


> do you mean use one of the buffing sticks before applying the wet polish? (or varnish, as they say in the UK)


I use one of these, only mine is smaller and an octagon:
Trim Nail Care 7-Way Buffer: Makeup : Walmart.com


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## VickiRose (Jul 13, 2013)

I was at a wedding quite a few years ago when the girl next to me says, " OMG you have farmer hand!" To which I replied, "Thats good, seeing as I work on the farm." LOL They weren't THAT bad, clean short nails with nude polish. But I do have callouses and dry skin, and a few scars...


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

bkylem said:


> I'm a male and find it a bit amusing that I should be expected to view long nails as a focal point of beauty for a woman. How shallow is that .
> If you find pleasure in creating nails that border on art I think that's fine, but don't ridicule someone who doesn't. I personally would prefer the natural appearance, although you may want to do something about the muck.


Actually short nails are more where it's at my friend.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

waresbear said:


> These things:
> http://www.opal-london.com/ekmps/shops/opalcraftsltd/images/nail-buffer-emery-block-128-p.jpg


Mine is closer to that, but has more sides (eight total).


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

bkylem said:


> I'm a male and find it a bit amusing that I should be expected to view long nails as a focal point of beauty for a woman. How shallow is that .
> If you find pleasure in creating nails that border on art I think that's fine, but don't ridicule someone who doesn't. I personally would prefer the natural appearance, although you may want to do something about the muck.


I can't handle long nails. Too much junk gets crammed under there, plus they get in the way. I type too much, in addition to being around horses, to tolerate long nails. And I don't think uber-long nails look good, either.


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

Wow thanks guys for the tips!!! I always have such a darn time keeping paint on my nails.

What is a good base and too coat?

And glad I'm not the only one with somewhat un girly hands lol.


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## bkylem (Sep 21, 2013)

waresbear said:


> Actually short nails are more where it's at my friend.


I just noticed that I mistakenly used the word long (which is still subjective), but I still believe in the content of my post. My friend.


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

Lol, well it's still good to know


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

bkylem said:


> I'm a male and find it a bit amusing that I should be expected to view long nails as a focal point of beauty for a woman. How shallow is that .
> If you find pleasure in creating nails that border on art I think that's fine, but don't ridicule someone who doesn't. I personally would prefer the natural appearance, although you may want to do something about the muck.


My husband would agree with you 100%. Also, he prefers the natural, clean smell of a woman to one covered in perfumes that make her smell like toilet freshener, and so do many guys I've asked this (I like surveying people on these sorts of things). Now tell that to the perfume industry. Anyway, if you've read the excellent _Slow Death by Rubber Duck_, you won't be covering yourself in all those chemical-factory so-called hygiene products, but using mild soap and water like our grandparents did...

About hands: Hmm yes, now try working with horses and donkeys, and trimming their feet, and gardening, and then lime plastering a straw bale house by hand on top of all that!










We do wear gloves, but working with lime plaster is atrocious on your hands, you can't totally avoid all contact and it's so drying. We actually cover our hands in lanolin before putting our gloves on to plaster to try to reduce the problem, but our hands are definitely working hands, and we don't mind! 

Some things that I found help my hands:

1) Like most other people here, I can't wear leather gloves for all tasks because of issues with loss of feel or (in summer) heat. I have recently trialled using the thin cotton gloves people wear under dish gloves just on their own, and they give me great feel and some protection, and they aren't hot, and don't get sweaty inside, and you can throw them in the washing machine whenever they get too caked up with dirt.

2) You can buy heel balms and apply them to any cracked areas you may have on the sides of your index fingers, where the reins sit - an area that takes a beating with lots of hand-on work. Works well; do it before you go to bed.


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

SueC thanks for some of those tips!!! 

I think I might invest in some heel balm!!!


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Here in Australia we can sometimes get a product called "Tough Hands" by Du'It which has the same active ingredients as heel balm (lactic acid, urea), but is better value for money. It's usually in the men's toiletries and marketed at them, with a big fist on the cover and the declaration, "Renovate hard-working hands"! :rofl:


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

The sad part is that if I didn't do the things that I do (I'm an amateur artist too. After a while the paints and paint thinner do damage), I'd have very feminine, pretty hands. I'm ultra short and my hands are so small that they look dainty...until you add the dirt, callouses, swelling on a few fingers from holding a brush/pen too much, and the little nicks and scrapes I usually have. Then they're manly hands. haha. If you shake my hand, don't expect a girly grip either! 

I can NEVER get polish to stay though, even with base and top coats. My hands are constantly wet or working.


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## ZombieHorseChick (Jun 5, 2014)

I have the same problem lol from working the farm,guitar,painting,horses, gardening and other things,with callouses and old scars, I have really manly hands for only being a 17 year old girl! I usually slap on a coat of very thick black nail polish to hide the dirt and such from daily life, and keep them trimmed super short, I can't stand having long nails lol but my guy wouldn't have it any other way, he can't stand girly girls who flaunt over their looks,hair,fashion and nails all the time, and I am sure glad about that because I am not a girly girl in the slightest, haha. And my mom said I would never find a guy cause I'm such a tomboy, guess I proved her wrong 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

You need to spend more time on your nails. Keep them short, file them often, get and use a nail brush, clean by digging your nails into a bar of soap first, then washing AND do a lot more dishes!! I take care of the farmette, horses, chickens and dogs and then dress up to do mortgage closings. I MUST have no dirt under my nails. This and nail polish (not all of the time) is how I manage it. Hope this helps. =D


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Anyway, a horse brings me more joy than manicured hands could in a million years, and a horse is far nicer to look at than a set of purely decorative hands...


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Yeah, but we all have to work to PAY for the privilege of having dirty hands around our horses.


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

Digging my nails in a bar soap, cleans them...why am I so dense to not think of that lol. Luckly my job is working with horses. Then I'm at home with horses. But on special occasions I would like to have some nice nails!!


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

True, Corporal, but as long as your hands are clean then that's surely all that matters when you go to your workplace? Unless you're a hand model?


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## Sony (May 10, 2014)

I used to get my nails done all the time. When I was 16, I started with the acrylics and couldn't live without them. My natural nails are so thin and wispy and the top layer peels so easily that the acrylic was a hardener and let me actually use them. They'd bend and break without them.

Now, many years later, I can't stand to spend the money on all that, and I got tired of the growth line. Got tired of the crowds at the salons, tired of the smell, tired of the nail techs not caring what they were doing. And, I got tired of the pain when they break. Cause when they break, they hurt!

I keep them short and polished now. I find the polish protects them from moisture and helps them to not peel as much. I've been fighting the peel on two of my nails for months, but can't seem to grow it out. If not for polish, the peel would be halfway down the nail bed. And that's very weakening, makes the nail useless.

Anyway, that's my story


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

No one would use my hands for modelling purposes. I have extra large hands, similar size to a shovel! 

I rarely have clean hands let alone nails, which, after it had a bad skin complaint, I lost both toe and finger nails and when they grew back they remained detached from about halfway up the nail bed, 

My toes are even worse. Ugly isn't the word for them. to many times my toes have been mangled by horses feet. They don't grow properly either. 

Nothing could disguise either feet or hands. Perhaps I lie, gloves and hobnail boots perhaps!


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

Oh my, oh gotta love the horse life. LOL


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Hero, you asked about what base and top coats to use.

I use this for a base coat and LOVE it:
Complete Salon Manicure Smooth and Strong Base Coat | Sally Hansen

I use this for my top coat and it's okay:
Advanced Hard as Nails Strengthening Top Coat | Sally Hansen

I want to try this, though:
No Chip Top Coat | Sally Hansen


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## Sony (May 10, 2014)

I've found on a couple of Sally Hansen clear polishes, they tend to thicken up about halfway down. They get gooey and slightly stringy, and they take longer to dry as a top coat. If you want, I'll dig them out and tell you which ones, but one was a blue bottle and one lavender.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Sony said:


> I've found on a couple of Sally Hansen clear polishes, they tend to thicken up about halfway down. They get gooey and slightly stringy, and they take longer to dry as a top coat. If you want, I'll dig them out and tell you which ones, but one was a blue bottle and one lavender.


Interesting. I've had my top coat for probably 2 years now and haven't had a problem with it. All my mom ever uses is Sally Hansen (she likes their Hard as Nails hardener). Of course, we live where it's warmer and dryer, so that may be a factor. My sister-in-law in Georgia won't do her own nails because her nail polish gets too goopy in the humidity.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Corporal- I don't think not doing enough dishes is MY problem! hahaha. Cooking from scratch for myself mandates that I do many dishes, and part of my job as a personal healthcare assistant is housework, so I'll do 7-8 loads of dishes a week for that too. Honestly, I think that is what is causing half of my issues. My hands are constantly scrubbing and wet, and it dries my hands and nails badly.

I also have the peeling...it used to be prevented by polish, filing, and keeping them short- but not anymore. My nails are worthless nowdays.

Gah, I HATE humidity. Texas is even more humid (or at least near the coast, where I live) than GA, and my polishes are ruined within a month of opening the bottle.


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## Sony (May 10, 2014)

That must be it, the humidity is crazy here


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

I am under the impression that nails only peel if you've been using nail polish/nail polish remover on them, because that weakens the surface of the actual nail (although polish can act as a reinforcement to the nail while it is on - while making the actual nail underneath weaker in the process, is what I'm trying to say). Do any of you guys have nails that peel even 6 months down the track from last using any products like that? (It can take 3- 6 months for a nail to grow out, fresh without surface damage)


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

Thanks Drafty for listing me some of those top and base coats!! 

I don't have a problem at all with my nails peeling, with or w/o having polish on.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

My nails don't peel either. Just the polish chips. My nails rarely break, either.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Wait. What can you use besides polish remover?


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

If this is about what I said, I was simply suggesting that both nail polish and nail polish remover can adversely affect the condition of your natural nails!  Acetone and similar solvents, which are usually in both types of product, are extremely de-greasing and drying on skin and nails, but then the marketing department and the advertising gurus try to make it sound like they are _conditioning_ products...

And about something you said earlier:




> The sad part is that if I didn't do the things that I do (I'm an amateur artist too. After a while the paints and paint thinner do damage), I'd have very feminine, pretty hands. I'm ultra short and my hands are so small that they look dainty...until you add the dirt, callouses, swelling on a few fingers from holding a brush/pen too much, and the little nicks and scrapes I usually have. Then they're manly hands. Haha. If you shake my hand, don't expect a girly grip either!


...I think you have every reason to be proud of your *capable* hands.


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## Missy May (Feb 18, 2012)

I have rock hard nails and am able to grow them long and keep them long w horses, which I have had all my life. I choose not to nowadays b/c they are not "flexible" so when they are too long and break or get "caught", it can really hurt. Polish is going to chip around horses, so why bother? If you must, never use a dark nail color over "bare" nails, always use a top coat first - otherwise the dark color will stain your nails, which looks down right icky. 

There are gloves such as the thin "pebble" riding gloves that leave almost all "feel" and dexterity in tact and provide protection. They wear out fast if abused, but they are cheap. 

As another poster said, sinking your nails into a bar of soap really is an effective way of cleaning underneath the nail. I dedicate a bar of Irish Spring solely for use for this purpose. And, a nail brush for scrubbing (I like medical scrub brushes for nails, they are super soft). To me, it is far more difficult to keep underneath the nails clean if they are really short. I keep mine grown out a bit in order to keep them clean. It seems mine get the dirtiest underneath when I apply oil to a mane and/or tail, then shampoo, etc.,. Ooosh. Awful. But, clawing soap and following up w a brush - poof, they good as new! 

Buffing blocks, as many have mentioned, really work. I personally think that _clean_, manicured and buffed nails look very feminine. I don't see the need for polish unless it is for a specific occasion.


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

If nail polish gets thick and goopy, add some nail polish remover and shake... works a dream!

I never had nice nails around horses. Or hands. 

Now I get to paint pretty colours on and have soft hands. I'd prefer a horse!


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Sprechen Sie Deutsch, Duffy Duck? ;-) Und warum sind Sie in Deutschland? Und Pferdelos? ;-) Schmeckt das Essen?


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

Hey SueC... LONG story ;D

Dad was in the military and has been based all over Germany for the past 16 years of my life. He left around 11 years ago but still works as a civil servant. We're still out here.

We owned horses for 8 years, my dad had his mare Josie and then we had a +1 for the ladies.. first Belle.. the nutso TBx, then Doey.. my schoolmaster, then Duffy (I bought her, and Dubai) who was my "rescue and rehab case"... you can see her pictures on my page... and then my little man Dubai. He was my one... 3yo stallion, fresh broke and everyone said I was bonkers. I gelded him, and that horse taught me so much and never put a foot wrong. But, our old base closed down 12 months ago. The new area I am in is 70% more expensive to keep horses. I can't afford that. For numerous reasons, I gave him to my trainer.. I still get to visit! I was going to go this weekend, but my Opa is in hospital in the UK have major heart surgery, and then yesterday my dog started vomitting and producing huge amounts of blood from his rear end... so financially and emotionally too drained! 

I speak German, but can't write it for toffee. My grammar is horrid. Sometimes I can't think of words in English, or structure a sentence like I would in German when writing English... a lot of doh! moments!

The food is AMAZING here. They just love meat. Meat and potatoes. I was in London last weekend with my boyfriend, however, and they have so much more variety I want to be back there! We always take a car boot full of food and beer back for my Oma and Opa when we visit though, they miss the food here so much!


Sorry for the off topic OP!


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

I apologise too for being OT! Are you in a district where they make Knoedel? (sorry, no easy Umlauts here) ...I love these. And the bakeries, Brezen - yum - Bienenstich - ditto - Nussecken etc, and the wonderful dark ryebread... 

Good luck for Opa and doggie!


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

I don't believe so... I'm in NRW, and things vary quite a lot from state to state! 

The bakeries... I live in bakeries. Bienenstich is my favourite... but I don't think you're just supposed to peel the topping off and eat the cream!

Thanks, both are in the right places... just been a crazy 24 hours, and thankful to have amazing people around me!


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Knoedel is probably the Bavarian term. In NRW you probably know them as "Kartoffelkloesse" - not the same as "Kartoffelkroketten" but both are delicious... Knoedel are just under tennis ball sized dumplings made from raw or cooked grated or mashed potato, with admixtures of breadcrumbs, flour, etc. Marvellous with gravy as a side to roast and vegetables... drool... 

Sorry guys, I just love food, all sorts of food, from all over the world, there are so many lovely recipes...


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## SaddleUp158 (Dec 26, 2008)

Sony said:


> I used to get my nails done all the time. When I was 16, I started with the acrylics and couldn't live without them. My natural nails are so thin and wispy and the top layer peels so easily that the acrylic was a hardener and let me actually use them. They'd bend and break without them.
> 
> Now, many years later, I can't stand to spend the money on all that, and I got tired of the growth line. Got tired of the crowds at the salons, tired of the smell, tired of the nail techs not caring what they were doing. And, I got tired of the pain when they break. Cause when they break, they hurt!
> 
> ...


My nails use to be very much like yours, only I never had fake nails put on. I took vitamin E for years and that helped my nails tremendously. For whatever reason, now as an adult my nails are stronger. Not sure if that is diet related or what. I would highly suggest taking vitamin E. I am sure you will notice an improvement in your nail strength.


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## Sony (May 10, 2014)

SaddleUp158 said:


> My nails use to be very much like yours, only I never had fake nails put on. I took vitamin E for years and that helped my nails tremendously. For whatever reason, now as an adult my nails are stronger. Not sure if that is diet related or what. I would highly suggest taking vitamin E. I am sure you will notice an improvement in your nail strength.


I might have to give that a try!


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

There's a supplement called Biotin that works for hair and nails really well, too. 

Spring Valley Biotin 5000 mcg Spring Valley Herbs


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

I do want to grow my hair long anyway... so biotin might be a good option. Thanks for reminding me about biotin!! I completely forgot!


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I took Biotin for a while, but with as ridiculously fast as my hair grows anyway, it was ludicrous when I took the supplement, so I stopped.


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

But it does cause your hair to grow even faster then normally?


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

It did for me.


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

I took biotin for eight months, and had no benefits from it.

I gave it to my horse, and it worked wonders, though... suppose it works differently for everyone!


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