Yay Bo! He looks great and he looks quite content.
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Bo has donks and a Badonkadonk.
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I wish my grass could be like that lol
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He looks so happy! What a difference from day 1, huh?
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I’m happy to report that Bo’s weight seems to be holding - he’s put a few pounds back on, although I’d still like to see more weight over his back. But beggars can’t be choosers, and he’s healthy with good friends so I’m happy.
Look at his forelock! It’s actually growing!
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A tuft!! A tuft!!! Amazing what happens when no one eats it off!
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that was poor Elmo, Bo was the one suspected of doing the chewing. Bo was not blessed with good hair genes 
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Woops! I had the forelock bandits mixed up! My gray horse missed those genes, too, despite good ones for mane and tail.
wait are my eyes deceiving or does his forelock look fuller. Is he sporting a comb forward or is nutrition = coat catching up?.
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His forelock came in last spring too - pic from last March (2023):
Then it slowly thinned out back to a wisp as the weather got hotter - August 2023:
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I do so hope that you have been able to take a big deep breath.
You have done everything right by this horse…your own horses…and yourself.
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I have! But only because this lessee has really proven to be an amazing fit. She dotes on him and worries over him constantly. He hasn’t been asked to work a single day yet and he has a little herd that somehow thinks of him as the boss. It’s actually kind of better for him there, all things considered, and that is a huge relief!
I try to do the best I can by everyone. I consider it both a benefit and a detriment that I see potential in nearly every horse, and sometimes it pains me that I can’t help more of them get to their happy ending homes. Usually it’s just a matter of proper feeding and a little training. I’m definitely not getting off the project horse merry-go-round any time soon, but for right now I still have three horses to ride and that’s maybe one too many The older I get the harder it seems to sell them. I just like them all so much. They are my friends, and once they leave I have no control over their happiness.
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We love getting your updates and stories from the “Project horse merry-go-round.” Look at the new life you have given Bo! You are making a difference one horse at a time. But yes, please take care of yourself and don’t spread yourself too thin. Getting older comes for us all!
signed - the lady who is dealing with plantar faciitis and heel spurs since my middle aged body can’t handle running 9 miles a week 
we all have to give ourselves some grace sometimes!
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I have such a good time with projects, and truthfully I am always keeping a little eye out for diamonds. Some of my best horses along the way have just fallen into my lap at unexpected times, so it’s never a hard no.
It’s just that I think I would like to get back to taking lessons and showing, now - I want to further myself and I have some good, talented horses - and there’s only so much money in the coffers. Maybe I’ll end up hating it after so many years away - who knows! But until I come up with a foolproof scheme to become filthy rich in my spare time, I have to pick between the two paths. 
Also, I bow to you for running at all! My brain can’t deal with how boring it is.
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Hi there! Someone recommended your story about Bo to me. I did try to search but couldn’t find the info. You are popular! I am going to copy and paste but post but I would desperately love if you could share what your end success was!
Hi y’all!
We are struggling a little bit and hoping y’all could help or have some tips .We rescued a 30 year old horse from a terrible home near us with YEARS of neglect. She has MANY teeth missing.
She was severely underweight. Her weight has come up drastically but she is still underweight. It has been a year. We have tried maybe 100 different food combinations. We were hoping the cost we have been spending was temporary and just a cost we were accepting to get her weight up. Then HOPING to work on a maintenance level so the cost would go down. That has not been the case. We are in a pickle to say the least.
Current feeding:
One scoop Seminole senior wellness, 2 scoops soaked alfalfa pellets, 3 oz ultracruz weight gain oil
This is two times per day.
I honestly am looking to see if there’s a better way both financially and of course to put more weight on her. We seem to have hit a halting point. I am also wanting to make sure she is getting the most nutrient appropriate diet since she can not eat grass/any type of hay with her teeth.
As I stated we were okay absorbing the financial cost because we honestly thought the $350-400 per month was her “weight gain cost” but we are pretty worried this may be her minimum maintaining level. That is where we are panicking a bit. Especially with the burden it has put on us this whole year with our other horses. Don’t get me wrong, saving her was everything and more but phew we are feeling it. Poor girl is deaf as well but other than that her feet have improved about 90%, coat, weight etc. her blood work is also perfect now!
Hoping you have some advice! Any advice would be amazing. I know it takes precious time to answer things like this and I would be grateful for any suggestions.
I’m afraid I don’t have any experience in this arena so no advice, but I do want to thank you for doing everything you can for this mare. I imagine you will get some sound advice from others who have experience. Good luck to you.
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Some questions:
- You say she’s still underweight, how much more does she need to gain?
- Does she have a good appetite?
- What does she really like to eat? Senior feed? Hay pellets? How does she feel about the oil?
As far as my success with Bo, the main thing that kept him putting weight on steadily was feeding him a calorie-dense diet 4-5 times a day, aiming for meals every 4-5 hours. I realize that not everyone has the availability to do that.
How much weight she still needs to gain is the main consideration in any recommendations I’d make in your case, along with her taste preferences.
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The amount needed to gain is a good question and I should measure to determine that. Right now she would be considered “thin” around a BCS of 3-4. I will try to find out asap. So far she really likes anything we have given her. She seems to really like the oil (ultracruz weight gain)
I was thinking instead of increasing her alfalfa (right now she gets about 12qt per day) I was thinking of adding beat pulp. I do have to look up what is financially best still.
Not an expert, but what Seminole feed are you using? Seminole Wellness Mix Senior Complete seem to run $30+ for a 50 pound bag. Purina Impact Senior Complete is a bit less expensive. I think the "complete " feeds are meant to be fed as the only feed, but know people who use alfalfa pellets to lower the cost with no trouble. But Impact Senior at the recommended amount would be $200 to $250 per month if I’m doing my math right.
But to some degree, these old toothless seniors are just going to be expensive to feed. My 26 year old mare may be headed that direction so I’m thinking about it a lot. Her molars on one side are pretty badly worn. So far she’s fine with hay - fat in fact - but that may not last forever.
You are correct it’s the Seminole senior wellness. I will check into that feed now. That should be less but I will have to do the math! I’m looking into unbeetable forage also vs the alfalfa
