Another New Horse - It's Bo!

[Heinz_57]

Monday Progress Pictures…

6 weeks my friends, just six weeks to the day since I picked him up.

I had grand plans of fiddling with all three redheads today, but thunderstorms put the kibosh on that. Even if it clears up for a while this afternoon, the ground is pretty slick and it’s 75 degrees with about 1000% humidity. Bo is still destroying the fence several times a day (except for when I put Elmo in with him), but the second solar charger should be ready to hook up this afternoon so at least there’s that.

[Displaced_Yankee]

He nearly has some “flesh” over his ribs!

I can’t wait to see him when he sheds out in a few months. You won’t recognize him.

[Salty]

Try drilling some holes in the jolly ball, stuffing it with goodies, and hanging it from a tree.

It’s so much fun to see Bo’s progress! It’s true that in six months, you wouldn’t recognize him. Well done!

[foggythistle]

Sometimes it’s amazing what a few groceries will accomplish.

Good job!

[Displaced_Yankee]

@Heinz_57

“New horse. Who this?”

(As opposed to: new phone. who dis?)

[lenapesadie]

He is looking so good! I can’t wait to see him in a few months!

[Jenerationx]

Went back to the beginning “look” to compare…

WOW… that’s a huge difference.

[JBCool]

Man, this is getting so exciting!

[Heinz_57]

I anticipate he will be fat enough to climb aboard in another… 6 weeks? or so, maybe a bit longer. Obviously playing it by ear, but I definitely want to wait until he’s had time to fill in his topline and build some muscle doing work on the ground, first. Which leads me to think to the future, about saddles…

I doubt Elmo’s fancy dressage saddle will fit him, ever, even if those wither pockets magically poof out. They are just vastly different body shapes. I’m still a little traumatized by the saddle hunt that resulted in me eventually just buying new to fit my weirdo pony, but I’m trying not to cry at the prospect of saddle shopping again so soon. Did I mention I also have a youngster who will also need his own saddle to wear by fall?

Fence charger has been installed and hopefully there will be no more shenanigans. Unless Bo is really skilled at grabbing just the gate handles. While I was out with the scissors, I decided to even up his pitiful scraggly mane. Please excuse the hack job, I didn’t have a comb and there’s SO little hair that it got a little Edward Scissorhands-y quick. I’ll have to even things up later. I told him it was time for him to look like a proper gentleman!

[luvmyhackney]

He looks so good!!! His entire posture and outlook has changed in the pictures!

For riding, could you get a Wintec or something adjustable until he gets close to final shape? He looks like he might thicken up quite a bit.

[2DogsFarm]

Dang!
BO looking Very Good!

Any chance you could try bareback - with a bareback pad - for your first ride?
I used to use a thick fleece pad, held on with my treed longeing surcingle.
Forget stirrups, usually not stable on most bareback rigs that have them & w/o you can make a quick dismount if needed.

[Horse_Daft]

I’ve been following this thread and love your Bo updates. He is looking amazing, and wow nice mover!

[Renn_aissance]

It makes me so mad that just the before and after pictures are just 6 weeks of good food. All his previous people had to do was feed him. Instead he was left to eat rocks. Obviously there’s a long way to go still to get him truly well in his body, but just 6 more weeks of food and maybe he wouldn’t have been so desperate. People suck.

Not you, Heinz. Even if Bo thinks you’re CRUEL by keeping him enclosed. CRUEL.

[2bayboys]

I love that you’re thinking about that first ride. WHICH MUST BE CAPTURED ON VIDEO for all of us to enjoy!! Can’t wait!

[Heinz_57]

@2DogsFarm

Any chance you could try bareback - with a bareback pad - for your first ride?

Could, yes, although I prefer not to climb aboard horses of unknown training that way unless I have to. I did it with Elmo (who had two rides under his belt) but he was only like 13.2 and an angel at the time.

@Renn_aissance it is a little sad that this is all it takes. Nothing crazy or drastic, just food he can chew. I’m sure it didn’t take a whole lot of time for him to drop weight given his teeth.

@2bayboys it will definitely be recorded…glad I have a Pivo now!

[BatCoach]

@Heinz_57

Elmo (who had two rides under his belt) but he was only like 13.2 and an angel at the time.

whoa are you implying that corgi-horse Elmo is NOT an angel now? I bet he’s absolutely above reproach and is a model corgi-horse citizen.

[Heinz_57]

He was a blithering idiot during today’s ride camel neck, slow motion running off with me, pretending not to steer, general fits thrown over not getting his way. He was a joy at 4 - I couldn’t find a saddle to fit his weird back (lordosis+downhill+barrel body) so I rode him in a bareback pad and did all his w/t training that way, with nary an issue. Model citizen. Then he hit the terrible 5’s… he is mostly through that now, turning 8 this year. Mostly.

So, I had Elmo’s saddle out and thought I might as well throw it on Bo, just for a look. It’s actually not super far off from what I envision his final shape will be, so maybe there is hope for two-horses-one-saddle after all. Right now it is obviously a bit wide and thus low in the pommel, but it wasn’t the screaming NO I expected.

Just envision the future here…

[Displaced_Yankee]

@Heinz_57

So, I had Elmo’s saddle out and thought I might as well throw it on Bo, just for a look. It’s actually not super far off from what I envision his final shape will be, so maybe there is hope for two-horses-one-saddle after all. Right now it is obviously a bit wide and thus low in the pommel, but it wasn’t the screaming NO I expected.

I am of the opinion that those hollows behind his withers will fill in…given that none of us know his age. I’m leaning to the 8-15 year old range which I think bodes better for rebuilding his topline. That’s just me. Given his frame I would think he would be a broad fellow.

Perhaps your Stubben rep can find a sweet spot where the saddle fits with a half pad on the narrower horse and without a half pad on the broader one. If you don’t have a fleece half pad I am happy to send you mine as a Bo-nation (see what I did there?). It’s been collecting dust and wasn’t expensive (it’s not real sheepskin). Just PM me if interested.

Also, any opinion as to if he and Elmo would pony together? That could be a great option to help build muscle before you sit on him. Just get Mr. Heinz to help you the first time or two…just in case.

[BatCoach]

Bo does look quite pleased with his new borrowed fashions. I love your brown dressage saddle!

[Heinz_57]

I am hopeful that this could be made to work with a bit of padding up. I have a half pad with shim pockets, but not a fluffy sheepskin one. I need to have the fitter out to check it on Elmo anyway, so maybe if Bo’s closer to fat by then I can have her eyeball it on him too. Elmo’s girth is too big on Bo

I would not trust Elmo to pony anyone. Half the time he ignores my steering directions I laugh only because I am actually usually pretty good at bringing along youngsters, but Elmo is a difficult child and has been a challenge the last year or two. He’s great in some ways (and on some days) but he can also be a bull.

@BatCoach thank you! I decided that if I had spend that kind of money on a saddle, it was going to be in the color I really wanted. I like chocolate/havana just fine, but the tobacco leather really does it for me. It’s got a clear crystal inlay on the cantle and the stirrup keepers, but is otherwise all one color/leather, very simple. I just wish the leathers would darken up to be the same color!