Forgive the hiatus, those who have been checking up on this site periodically.

Many changes in Albert's life and mine since last updating these pages.

At the end of February it was planned to begin serious work with him, longeing and perhaps more with an instructor. He had been injured in the hock region in April of the previous year when he first arrived at Cherry Creek. Largely due to the very deep, post-flood mud of the ex-cow pasture that he would have turn out in. I figured it was a spavin, swelling had gone down, but he was intermitently short on it. On the other hand, he's a young horse and he's growing. Blah, blah, blah. Right?

Fast forward to Feb 26: A set of X-rays on his hocks revealed a joint mouse, or better description: a loose piece of bone and cartilage torn away from irregular growth patterns due to OCD.

So, combine a spotty feeding history with perhaps a genetic predisposition (I have researched that certain lines of Standardbreds are prone to OCD) and finally with poor footing: Well he was not going to be doing any work!

He immediately went on stall rest. I did some more home work, and we were moving to another facility. I am starting to think Ol' Alby is not going to like stall rest.

After some reorganizing, I move Albert to Cadbury Farm. Let's take a page out of my past, because I was flashing back to my working student days: this place is run like a barn should be. No more amateur hour here! Great schedule, great detail, great organization, clean, safe, well, I am gushing, but par excellence!

Albert settles into his new pad, a stall with a run, very well. He hauled over well, although he did destroy a couple snaps on a feeder. Oops. Typical Mr. Space. I worried on the trip over, but all in all, he handled it very well.

I had to go out of town to reconnoitre a move. Albert had a couple more X-rays, and the month started to become catalyst for life change.

By months end, it is clear: I am moving, Albert will follow in May. The other big change: Surgery at Washington State University. The inflammation cycle that will occur with this little bit of bone in his joint will become the catalyst for changes that ultimately will lead to painful arthritis. Mr Albert Jordan, aka Benatus, has not even had a saddle on his back, except for the time someone slapped on on his back as a lark for 4 minutes, and he just went "what?" This guy needs a chance. It's surgery.

April 28 I relocate, and ready his new pad, he will be a boarder, since I am going back to school! Good news: I will be waiting at WSU for him! Bad news: I have to wait for nearly three weeks! Although, I should never have worried, he is not only in capable hands, he is in professional hands.

Will miss Western Washington, but the Palouse, well, it's quite amazing.

May 19. Big day for Horse and Horse mum!

First Albert moves from Cadbury Farm in Snohomish down to Donida Farm in Enumclaw on the 18th. On the 19th the WSU hauler comes and picks him up. My first plan was to follow him across the mountains, however WSU suggested that the hauler would not appreciate that. Ah diplomacy.

I arrive at WSU clinic near the time he arrives. Coincidentally, the staff have Albert out for an examination. Two vets, a student vet, three techs and me. Kinda feeling like I brought over a $40k sporthorse, versus my little PMU rescue. Soon, you shed such humbleness, because they are so awesome to me and Albert. Dr Schneider will perform surgery, explains what will happen, and says that this is all very straightforward. Such a gentleman! Such a great explaination! We look at the now familiar X-rays, thanks to Dr Haffner, and he will have surgery on the 20th. The 20th!?!?!?

He is in the bowels of the WSU old facility, this is good, I can visit as much as I like.

Day of surgery he is 4th on the list, I come down for a visit, he shoots me looks: where is my hay!?!?! But, pulled at midnight, little friend, and you will be in surgery soon. I have my worries, but keep them to myself! I can only pray and silently thank him for all that he's given me so far.

Surgery complete!!! All is great! I want to hug the dickens out of him! But he has to recouperate a few days and must wait until we can move him to his new digs...I spend many hours sitting next to his stalland in his stall, reading, hanging out, talking to the staff, and keeping Albert company. I do some math revision etc and he stands around munching. Albert nips and bothers his neighbor's friendly nickers. Ah diplomacy!

His bandage looks good, in fact his surgery was a "slam dunk" according to Dr Schneider. Hooray!

His bandage has slid down once, but hock bandages are very difficult so I admire their bandaging job.

Just waiting until we can relocate him to his new digs. In the meantime, it is a matter of days before the bandage is off and although he will be on stall rest, he looks just great.

Arthroscopic surgery on a horse is amazing: a couple of small scars on the outside, but a whole lot of healing going on inside.

Albert has been super patient in this whole thing. He's been in total confinement for three months. There will be more time in the barn, but there will be neighbors he can chat with and his curious self will get to be a silly boy once again. I am so greatful that the Veterinay Staff of W.S.U. did such a wonderful job helping him out. The future looks so promising for him now.

I am pretty crazy about this horse.

New digs, and Albert settles in very well. Great staff, very awesomely consciencious. He is friendly, curious, and takes it all in like he's lived there forever. He's in an end box stall with 24 hour web cam on him and the other horses, so I can check him out while at home.

But. Who wants to be at home? The deliciously hot and dry summer with golden fields of wheat, lentils, canola and who know what else, defy a person to just stay indoors. So, I hang at the barn. Getting my farmer tan back in shape!

It is hard to do anything but just let him hang out, the few short walks the first part of the month are met with spooks and one skid. He scraped himself on his fetlocks...the front...sheesh...but the hock is cool. It was a stupid mistake, he's not able to run around and be a horse, so spooks are going to happen.

I just am trying not to worry, but he is stir crazy and there aren't enough toys, stallmates or starvation diets to cut that down to size. Free choice hay, and enough balancer to make sure he has his vitamins.

Several new horses come and stay next to him for a few days as they settle into the barn. As they move onto their own stalls he patiently waits until he can get a new friend.

On the 20th I put a flake of hay in the round pen, and let him walk around...riiiight....walk....oh boy. He just went nuts. He settle down, but I iced his legs and prayed a prayer to the surgery gods. Stupid. stupid. stupid. What what I thinking? I was following the turn out schedule, but I do believe that the round pen was a wee bit too big for him and he got up a head of steam.

Short hand-walks are a better option. We can work on fun things and he can concentrate better. He can also graze, so it takes his mind of the wide open hills arcing away from us in all directions.

The round pen is a little much since he now associates it with "letting loose."

By end of month I have a third round pen turn out and it is very mellow, although it is a hot day and he is more lethargic.

He's a little thin from standing around, a little unhappy that he has to be in the stall, but I know good days are coming for him.

Hock healing, and not puffy, but the more he just stands around and visits his neighbors, the better odds are that come August 20 he can actually have a nice three month treat: full turn out. Count down!

NoteAs I finally add photos and edit this a whole year later, little did I realize how well Albert would be doing. Nearly a hand taller and enjoying his piece of heaven aka Thorogold Farm.

Farrier visit! Albert has a much needed trim. Great farrier, and he is back on track. He was a tad antsy, but altogether not to bad. I turned him out in the round pen and he turned himself inside out for a few minutes while on the lead. I could have cried, to be frank. But I ended the mischief unlike the first time.

I got tough enough because he was acting like a large herd bound maniac, spooking at nothing, whinnying at the distant horse.

Enough.

I got him to a walk, finally, and we just got focused on some walking around and backing up and coming to me. I moved his head around, like I learned in Terry Church's clinic, and we both calmed down. Time to understand that work, even the slow stuff, is the nature of the round pen.

August 20 can't come soon enough, however, his faux-rogueish habits must be nipped in the bud, and we will go back to some hand walking. I have slacked, he knows the line, I let him cross it. Now, I can not just round pen him, or longe him hard at all until he calms, so it is hand walks, period, if at all. Even though he's had some muscle loss from doing nothing for the better part of 4 1/2 months, his brain still wants to keep active. That cute puppy antic is his particular charm, and he's got it down to a science!...and he works it on my soft heart! Ack!

Summer at it's height on the Palouse is an amazing thing. Albert, the 20th is our "turn out date," has moved to a stall with a run, he's got neighbors and occasionally goes out in a small paddock next to some other horses. He's very much more relaxed, unwound and recalling his inner sweety pie.

Still ever the barn charmer, everyone has a nice word for Albert, he tunes into the folks like the gentleman that he is, but his little goofy side does ever reveal itself. Some recent photos: he's now 16hh and just as gorgeous as I ever could imagine. This place does suit him well, he is blosseming into a youngster with all the potential of any horse. And smarter than most.

August 20! Albert has a turnout for about an hour or so, he loooooves it!

So do I!

Here are a series of photos I took when Albert was able to cut loose the first day:

Busy, busy days. I am a full time student (the "non-traditional student" schtick could be it's own web site!) and Albert is a full time loafer! Actually, Thorogold is quite amazing. Another uber professional barn, with a philosophy that treats all the horses like they are their own. Albert has a run, he has turn out, and free choice hay. Here is the best part: He is thriving here. I have walked Albert on the longe once a week for about three weeks, he did trot a little the last time, sound as ever, but until I coordinate the xrays, I will put that on the back burner. He remembers it all, naturally. I have been walking him around the property, good for both of us, and really that's about it. He will as every, squeal with pure pleasure at turn out. Still has his horse yuks at me, trot up to me, halt, then trot off. Pasture mate, I am not, but don't tell him that! I am still very worried about turning him out with other horses, but he has been carefully with some barn mates. Again, testimony to Thorogold's...er...thoroughness! No stray kicks from constant population change or mismatching turnout. In the meantime, I will let him grow a big shaggy winter coat, longeing can wait a bit, I want his hock to heal. Soon xrays will be redone. There's always time to take yet ANOTHER photo! Albert's expression seems to say: not again! I wanna eat my grass! Every time I walk him, handle him etc, it's really a dream come true. Even when he was wound up from stall rest, he always was asking "what do you want" even though he would not focus on me long enough to answer. He's a fantastic little horse. The palouse in the late summer and early autumn hold a lot of magic in their gentle hills. Albert and I are finding a lot of good times here.

Journal Continues...