hey guys

sorry for the lack of an update on my DA account but I have been really busy lately.

Just a quick update. Things are going good.

My mum is finally home after 11 months away and little Annie is home too.

My committee positions are keeping me busy (but not overly busy).

Torchwood (my horse) is doing well. He is such a gentle natured horse. Rumours of his demise are greatly exaggerated. He is fit, happy and healthy and very much alive.

Hope to update DA more frequent in the future.

After a short break I have returned to posting on DA.

I will give you all an update on Torchwood soon.

Every horse owner (including me) have been asked to keep their horses at home in their paddocks until at least Tuesday due to the out break of Horse Flu in Australia. The entire Horse Industry in Australia is closed down.

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Equine flu is a highly infectious respiratory disease only affecting horses, which can result in death among vulnerable animals.

Like flu in humans, the equine influenza (EI) virus can spread rapidly through a horse population by airborne contact.

Not all horses will die, but many can become extremely sick for several weeks, with others developing complications such as pneumonia.

Healthy horses will often just show signs of a fever and cough, although their performance, particularly that of thoroughbred racers, can be affected for weeks.

Symptoms can also include sneezing and nasal discharge and usually appear about three days after a horse is infected.

Humans can't contract equine flu, but can inadvertently spread it if they are sneezed or coughed on by an infected horse. The virus does not survive long in the environment.

Australia and New Zealand had been among the few countries with large equine populations yet to be exposed to EI. As a result, no horses have been vaccinated against the virus.

Air travel among horses has made the virus more easily spread. Its most recent outbreak has been in Japan, where horses have tested positive to the H3N8 strain of the virus.

According to the Australian Horse Industry Council (AHIC), several horses from Japan have been imported to Australia in recent weeks.

Many of them are sought-after sires, who travel the world fulfilling breeding contracts, often at hundreds of thousands of dollars a service. The horses are in quarantine at Eastern Creek in NSW and Spotswood in Victoria.

AHIC chairman Barry Smyth said other horse shipments from overseas have been delayed as a result of the outbreak.

"AHIC considers these to be prudent measures to protect the current health status of the Australian horse herd," he said. "Horse owners should be careful in routine observation of their horses and report immediately any unusual clinical signs to their veterinary practitioner."

well Torchwood is trusting me a bit more now. Im just working on his trust at the moment so he can feel comfortable around me. He stands at his gate now and waits for me to arrive with his feed. He is learning fast.

The PANIC quiz night was a lot of fun yay for King Bling

For the moment I have stopped posting things on Deviant Art. I hope services will return to normal sometime in the near future

Im about to head off to the Art Gallery to see Egyptian antiquities from the Louvre: journey to the Afterlife.

Its going to be so awesome. YaY Egypt.

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