Meet Albert
Albert has a kind and loving spirit and comes across as an old soul. He only turned 15 in August 2023, but he seems much older and wiser than his years. Albert pulls the tram as if there is royalty on board, with his head held high, and with his chest puffed with pride. Albert is named after Lake Albert.
Albert is also the only tram horse that doesn’t wear winkers. Winkers are an item of tack that are placed on the cheekpieces of a bridle that limit a horse’s range of rear vision. All of the other tram horses love their winkers, but not Albert! So, no winkers it is!
You used to be able to spot Albert from a distance because his hames had shiny balls on their tops. Hames are the metal parts that fit snug around the horses collar, and are the hitching point to connect the tram to the horse. Now all of the Horse Tram horses have orchard hames, which have no parts sitting up above the collar (designed for orchard work so as to not get stuck in the tree’s branches).
Albert is best friends with Murray. He even shares his hay with him. Albert is the Horse Tram’s oldest horse, with Leo being the youngest at 4, so it is a pretty young crew. Albert is a strawberry roan colour.
Albert has the most beautiful trot that just floats along. He is rarely in a hurry, but when he does get up and boogie, watch out. He can really move! But mostly he likes to take things easy and is a favorite of the human crew for a relaxing ride down the beach.
Albert takes most things in his stride and is a good team leader for our trainees, both horse and human ones. Albert loves a pat and a scratch, especially in a few key spots, like behind his ears and under his chest.
Albert’s Favourite Things
Hanging with Murray
Grazing with Murray
Grooming with Murray
Snoozing with Murray
Going for walks with Murray
Basically doing everything with Murray
Albert’s Other Favourite Things
Scratches, pats and cuddles
Breakfast
Gently trotting the tram home from the Island on his last run of the day
Lazy summer days (with Murray, of course)
Albert’s Dislikes
Winkers. Albert likes to see everything around him.
That’s about it. Albert likes everything else!