When I’m finally ready to buy another horse (mine is retired and my finances don’t allow two), I’m going to get @Heinz_57 to go pick me out a horse to save. Or, you know, steal Bo 
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Oh boy. I can’t imagine the ground getting hard yet, other than frozen! LOL We’re just at the point that we’re starting to see some bits of mud from melting snow.
I hope that Bo appreciates his new footwear!
It’s not just you. He has solid legs to hold up his now big body 
Now that he is shedding profusely, I have discovered several old scars on his legs - front of right hock and front of right knee, rear pastern on his RH… maybe one other I’m forgetting now.
I have made a few mistakes in my picks over the years, but for the most part it usually works out pretty well 
If Bo disappears in the night I guess I know where to start looking 
although truly, I think he’s at minimal risk of being disappeared due to the amount of work he requires. The 4x a day feedings and refusal to eat anything that isn’t Purina Senior alone would have most people un-stealing him quick 
It has been in the 60s/70s/80s here pretty much all month, save a few short thunderstorms! Currently 72 and sunny. I did not anticipate things being this hard this early, but we’re rolling with the punches and if the riding horses need protection, they shall have it!
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He may have some old injuries that led to him being unsound for roping and for whatever else they were using him. They could have let him be a walk-trot-hack horse for a kid, or for a timid adult, instead of starving him. 
He deserves to be someones happy pony with an easy job and with nothing difficult expected of him.
@Heinz_57 you are an exceptionally good egg. 
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He strikes me as an easygoing guy. However, he also strikes me as having a work ethic, and being smart. I like how nicely he reaches under himself, even without a topline and good feet. He picked up his hind end well cantering. Not excessively on the forehand. Nice boy, and yes, that is some good bone, isn’t it! i’ve enjoyed following the story of BO, and really glad he’s with you. He’s looking pretty good. Wondering if you’re going to muscle him up some, with some dresage and longeing with side reins a little. I call it yoga for horses. Such a nice guy. Congrats!
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If we still believe the trader’s back story, his owner died and care of the animals fell to the family. It’s not hard to imagine they might not be aware he had no teeth and needed a special diet! It would’ve been nice if they’d done something with him a little sooner, though.
He will have a relatively easy life here, but if he stays sound without needing over-the-top maintenance, I do expect him to work! Within reason. And he seems to like having a job.
That’s basically the plan, although probably no side reins - he is way too sensitive in the bridle for all that ‘noise’, he’d just hide behind the bit. I think his biggest hurdle is going to be accepting contact and learning to swing. He’s definitely one that holds through the back, a leg mover. Whether that’s age-related stiffness or training or a combination of both, time will tell!
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Ok, Bo friends. I need some input/ideas. We’ve got two minor problems I’d like to find solutions for.
First: since his return home from the hospital, his manure has been ploppy. Just above ‘cow pie’ consistency, no excess liquid or diarrhea, just ploppy. He was on a probiotic at the hospital, which we finished at home, with no change.
Second: the last couple weeks or so, his sheath has been low-key swollen, minorly puffy. Hardly noticeable except if you’re me and you stare at these horses every day. No other swelling anywhere, he’s not stocked up, nothing like that.
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nothing to add on digestive issue. I have never been strong on nutrition and forage experience. I might suspect he will be a problem child , digestively given his history and current diet restrictions. Is the quality of your outdoor grass changing ? herbs and “weeds” growing in. I wonder if changing to a probiotic with different ingredients might help, or stopping all together and see if he just does not deal with them well.
Obviously sheath cleaning and bean hunting is first step. Could this be his normal old man pouch, now that he is building body fat
OP
Check in the Horse Care forum. .
I bumped up an older thread there for you about Fecal Water .
( I think you are going to need a bigger feed room.)
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His swollen sheath might indicate Cushing’s. I’ve had several geldings with Cushing’s that got that slightly puffy sheath thing. Hopefully he’s just fat down there from his good vittles!
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I think it’s just a spring thing in this part of Texas - I have an older gelding with loose (not runny or ploppy, but not firm apples either) stool, and a slightly swollen sheath. I’m blaming the weather.
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I always blame the clover.
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OP, I live in the desert, so mine are effectively dry-lotted, but one of my mares has ploppy poops as well. Not cow patty plops - there is some definition in there - but not the nice, round, fully formed poops that everyone else has.
She’s been treated for ulcers, has access to plenty of hay, eats a couple handfuls of alfalfa each meal as well, dewormed and lives in a happy herd, is not stalled, and in good weight with a good appetite and yet the imperfect ploppy poop persists. Been like this for years. My vet shrugged. “She seems fine,” he says. I can’t disagree, so I suppose I’ll just keep an eye on it and not worry.
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Mine get soft poop on fresh green grass for the first week or so. My cushings pony gets a swollen sheath if his sugar intake is too high whether grain or grass.
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I’ve been looking into the Versa Octos for a rehab case of mine! Let me know how you like them! Did your farrier apply them or did you do it?
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I did them, I’ve been curious to try them out for a while now. I have used Ground Controls on Elmo previously, but wasn’t super happy with the durability or the limited ability to shape the shoes due to the nail channel. It’s only been a couple days with Bo in the Octos, so we’ll see how it goes over the next few weeks. I’ll also be putting a full set on Elmo as soon as the weather cooperates again.
So far, I’m happy with them but I haven’t gotten a ride in yet (hopefully today). Sizing on them is a little finicky IMO, I have had to go down a size or even two from what the chart says to get the right fit. I also removed the little ‘debris guard’ lip around the inner edge of the shoe - on flatter-footed Bo, it pokes right into the tip of the frog. Super easy to nip off before putting the shoe on.
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My mare had the same soft poops and we tried all the things. What worked for her was using SmartMare Harmony. We started her on that for other (mareish) reasons and that was a super bonus side effect. She has since been put on Regumate, but when I took her off the SmartMare, the soft poops returned, so back on she has gone and her poop is normal again. YMMV of course.
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Out for a Saturday hack…
With a week since our last saddled ride, he was a little iffy on the go forward at first. Consistency is obviously important to him. We also trialed another bit, which goes to the bottom of the list; he was happier to accept contact in this one but also a bit root-y at times.
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If he was ridden western might he have less experience with solid contact?
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