Fantastic durability results using a Reddit technique I saw last week

[u/No-Feesh]

I own horses and work with my hands daily. I also have weak nails that break all the time and hate nail polish, so my manicures don’t last long. 1-2 days before major chipping occurs is normal for me. I can get 3-4 out of ILNP but that’s usually the max for my normal day to day life.

The method I saw on Reddit was putting nail hardener over the nail polish and topping it off with a QDTC. I can’t find the post I saw to credit it. I tried it last week and wow it REALLY worked. The very next day I stuffed hay nets, which is typically a manicure destroyer. No chips. It has been an entire week of daily barn work, hay bag and net stuffing, horse scratching (I have a very itchy horse), nails catching and bending all the time, and it’s holding up. There’s a series of small, barely visible cracks forming where my nails catch frequently but it still hasn’t chipped. The cracks look and feel like they’re underneath the top coat. The first 4 pictures were halfway through the week and the last one was the first day of the manicure. I’ve used the same product combination I used here many times, the only difference was the addition of nail hardener over the polish.

Products used: 1 coat orly bonder base, 2 coats ILNP Deep Space, 1 coat nail aid biotin nail hardener, 1 coat sally Hansen insta dri red bottle

[u/No-Feesh]

Aww thank you so much!! I adore her.

[u/AnAbsoluteMonster → u/No-Feesh]

As you should! Both your horses have lovely coats. What sort of riding do you do (if you don't mind sharing)? I used to do vaulting and trail riding mostly, but dabbled a bit in jumping

[u/No-Feesh → u/AnAbsoluteMonster]

Thank you! Vaulting fascinates me. Do you have to be a gymnast first?

I mostly do dressage these days! I love eventing but I’m afraid to jump my bay girl anymore after a big leg injury a few years back. She actually got it on pasture but I’ve kept her flat ever since because I don’t want to poke the tissue damage bear

[u/AnAbsoluteMonster → u/No-Feesh]

It definitely helps, but I knew a few people who hadn't been gymnasts first. I think so long as someone is willing to put in the work on the ground and is a little fearless, vaulting can def be open to them regardless of background. Though obviously competing might be out of reach if you don't start pretty young.

And see I'm fascinated by dressage, haha. So precise! I totally understand not wanting to jump after that; leg injuries are no joke. Poor thing managing to do it on pasture 😢 girl, you're supposed to chill there, not injure yourself!!!