Another New Horse - It's Bo!

Looks like he is getting some length back to his tail. I just looked at his first photos and it seems a bit longer.

I cannot wait to see his summer coat. He’s still happy on his new feed?

1 Like

Yes, still eating pretty well although once in a while he leaves just a little behind, to taunt me. He’s been grazing pretty heavily so maybe he’s been getting more grass than I think. If his appetite wanes more, I’m sure another dose of B12 will perk him right up.

I am also dying for him to shed out completely. I mean, look at this patchy face :rofl:

22 Likes

He looks incredible compared to day 1.

20221121_134742
20230220_091607

34 Likes

Thanks for the reminder photos. What a difference in such a short time, even with the setback. You’re continuing to do great @Heinz_57!

1 Like

He is certainly doing better than I expected at this stage of things. But that’s the way it has been with every horse I’ve “upgraded”, honestly. Adequate food, basic health care, proper attention and POOF. They bloom, in a hurry. I wish I could help them all - SO many horses just like Bo pass through the auctions each week, just needing proper care and a little training and they could be gorgeous, solid citizens. I don’t watch the auction every week because I’d surely end up divorced :rofl: it’s like the dollar store of horses.

26 Likes

At the auction, what drew you specifically to Bo above all the other sad, skinny red horses that were probably also there?

2 Likes

So, I wasn’t really shopping. I was kind of vaguely watching on the off chance that something would pop up that I couldn’t say no to. My usual, logical criteria is… it starts with cheap. And as you might imagine, I don’t mean $5k cheap - I mean <$500 cheap. I actually prefer youngsters, 2-5ish, who are only halter broke or barely broke and haven’t been screwed up. I look at conformation, try to stay away from serious limb deviations and such but otherwise not too picky. Broke horses sometimes catch my eye if they aren’t lame and generally seem to have a good underlying disposition, but by and large I stick to the blank slate youngsters. They go cheap. People don’t want to/aren’t that good at starting horses.

Obviously Bo is none of those things, besides cheap (I bought him for $300). I didn’t actually buy him during the auction, he was bought then by the auction house owner; she buys some of the horses who look like they could use a second chance at a new owner or the ones that don’t get many bids, and then lists them the following day on their FB with a short video and a set price. I bought him from the auction house. Here’s Bo’s video: https://fb.watch/iQHjyXaBoL/

The only explanation I have for why I bought a horse in terrible shape that had absolutely no info and 100% goes against all my usual, logical criteria? Webster, my dearly departed OTTB, told me to do it. I watched the video, Webster popped into my head, and a little voice said ‘this is the one, pick him’. :woman_shrugging:

So I did.

54 Likes

D’awwwwww…!!! Now I’m crying.

8 Likes

Maybe he’s rubbing off places so you’re distracted from the Butt Shots?
Seriously:
@Jenerationx Before & After show how great a job you’ve done for Bo :+1:

1 Like

I sound like a crazy woo-woo lady, but that’s the way it went. Webster came to me in about the same condition as Bo, and he turned out to be my bestest horse.

:rofl: I only take serious butt shots until the thigh gap closes. Athough the edges of his thighs are similarly patchy-shedding like his face, I noticed today. He really needs to blow the rest of his hair, it’s 82 today and 85 tomorrow, and pretty much 80-ish all this week here. Too hot for winter coats. Even my ponies from the PNW are letting the hair fly.

4 Likes

His video is heartbreaking. He just wants love and attention so bad! What a good boy.

3 Likes

I’m sorry you’ve been sick.

Thank you for getting out and getting Bo pics and posting them for us. He looks great!

I hope you are feeling much better now.

2 Likes

I am, for the most part - thank you!

Yesterday we tried adding a little splash of oil to meals - I splurged on the fancy coco-soy-flax-ricebran oil blend from the feed store hoping it would be more enticing than my boring old jug of canola.

Bo scoffed. He didn’t throw the tub, but he scoffed. You expect me to eat that? Pffft. No. He also snubbed his nose at oatmeal cookies, though, so… discerning palate.

So, liquid additives are off the table. Powders are also not well received and sift to the bottom anyway. Pelleted supps only for Mr. Bo, and while he didn’t mind the Renew Gold when it was mixed with the Purina Senior, he does not think it is equally tolerable when mixed with this new feed. :woman_facepalming: I was just hoping to add a little extra fat to his rations.

And, I need brainstorming ideas: what can I use as a base/carrier to create my own B12 paste for when I need to syringe it into him? The tubes I have bought in the past have a poor consistency, the gel is too runny and he is able to spit a goodly amount of it on the ground (plus I don’t think he is a fan of the cherry flavor). I need something similar to dewormer consistency - like a thick frosting type paste. Think peanut butter, stick to the roof of your mouth. I already have the B-12, just need a carrier. Corn syrup or other syrups will be too runny unless I’m able to thicken it substantially.

1 Like

Applesauce

5 Likes

Would frosting work? If you could get a thick one, or mix a thick one?
Or maybe make him a carrot pudding?

(sidebar) If you’d like, PM me your address and I would love to get Platinum Performance to ship you the Platinum Performance Healthy Weight oil to try. It is DELICIOUS. My fussy horse has always lapped it up, and I tasted it so can say yes … very tasty. I will bet he’d like it.

4 Likes

Can you just dissolve a human chewable in a bit of water?

1 Like

It probably would, although I’m not sure that much sugar is advisable :laughing: Maybe I can whip up something lower in sugar. I’m not sure he particularly cares what it tastes like, I think he finds the whole syringing process to be pretty offensive regardless of what is being delivered.

@starsandsun Bo says challenge accepted. :joy: He’s a huge critic. I’m going to go offer him an apple slice later, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he turns that down too. :expressionless:

@Sdel yes, but he is a pro at spitting things out (and fast about it, too) so I’m trying to come up with something sticky/heavy enough to carry the B12 that most of it won’t end up on the ground.

1 Like

Electrolyte paste.

1 Like

Crisco? It’s thick and sticky and basically all vegetable oil/fat…

(And, no, I’ve never tried it with any of mine, it just seems like it might check off a bunch of the boxes)

Also, Buckeye Ultimate Finish in the 25% formula is a pellet… and maybe the 40% too? The 100 is definitely a powder, though).

1 Like