Moonlight Manor Horse Riding

Omg
I nearly died laughing…
Should I try this??? Which horse….
Rocky comes to mind…..

Diesel got a well deserved acupuncture treatment today by EVAS.
He, surprisingly, wasn’t terribly sore despite all of the continuous jousting he did!
He rather enjoys his acupuncture, he nearly ends up snoring & he doesn’t even need sedation!! He’s in pretty good shape for a 22yr old TB!
Pity the vet couldn’t treat me at the same time….. .

Well
I guess I left you all hanging…. Did Diesel & Sir Stacy win….

Well…..

The last joust is a joust off….

First, it was Lady Liberty vs Sir Stacy - they kept scoring 1 point each, every pass, so, it was a draw…, they had to run a FOURTH PASS! Sir Stacy WON!

Then, it was Sir Stacy vs Sir Rodney - after 3 passed THEIR SCORES WERE ALSO TIED!!! A FOURTH pass ALSO had to be run! Sir Stacy WON!

Diesel & Sir Stacy had been continuously jousting by this stage!

Now, it was the finale! Sir Stacy vs Sir Phillip. It was close. Also, matching score for score, but finally on their third pass, Sir Phillip scored 2 points, alas, Sir Stacy only scored 1 point!

It was to THE WIRE! And Diesel & Sir Stacy had ran 11 passes, continuously!

Sir Phillip was victorious, but, it was a battle to the bitter end!

Well, Sir Stacy & Diesel have made it into the final round of the joust. Sir Stacy is currently third….

One more joust for the day to get through!
Diesel is in all 3 today, carrying both Sir Stacy from the UK & Sir Luke, our local champion.

Diesel has been running like the champion he is & sadly, I wasn’t allowed to go get coffee on horseback this morning……

🐴 Nomad's Tooth Extraction Day!

Today, Nomad had his 403 tooth (bottom right corner incisor) removed.

I'd known the tooth was broken for a few years, but it only seemed to start bothering him recently. The biggest sign was that he began eating much more slowly and occasionally wasn't finishing his meals. At 26 years young, that was enough to tell me something wasn't quite right.

At his recent dental check we were concerned about EOTRH (a painful dental disease seen in older horses), but thankfully that wasn't the case.

Long-time vet Dr David Bartholomeusz took dental x-rays which showed the fracture was more significant than it appeared. The tooth had started to loosen and was heading towards periodontal disease, both of which can be painful.

So today, out it came!

Thankfully, the extraction went smoothly. The gum was opened, the tooth removed, and everything stitched back together.

He'll have the week off while it heals, but we're expecting a straightforward recovery and hopefully a much more comfortable horse.

For a horse his age, Nomad's teeth are actually in exceptional condition. Since coming into my care in 2011, he's had regular annual dental maintenance. Good genetics, years of grazing and foraging, consistent care, and a bit of luck have all helped keep his teeth in great shape.

Horses are incredibly good at hiding discomfort. Sometimes the only clue is a subtle change in behaviour.

Now we wait for the old man to heal up and get back to enjoying his dinner! ❤️

Nomad got a haircut….

Winter coats in horses are really designed for subzero climates. They thermoregulate VERY well.
In Brisbane, their winter coats can almost be detrimental for working horses.
Why? Because they sweat almost as profusely as in summer & it’s really hard keeping their skin clean. On the seriously cold nights (8oC or less) then yes, they need those thick coats. But, working late, under lights, sweating up a storm, makes it really hard to wash off. You shouldn’t rug a wet horse with a full winter coat under 8oC.

Not to mention, the unseasonable weather at the moment & Nomad has taken to lying down in the swamp that is the Bog of Eternal Stench. I thought anyone coming near him on Tuesday was going to fail their petrification roll…..

I shampooed him TWICE & decided, that’s it, OFF WITH HIS HAIR!

And of course, found a reasonable amount of skin irritation under his coat. Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you use Bog of Eternal Stench’s as your skin treatment 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

He’ll be easier to manage now. Best part, you can hose them head to tail ANY time of night, throw their warm winter rugs on & they’re dry in 5 minutes….

Now, let’s see if he decides to stop being Shrek…. Unlikely….