# The delicate balance.



## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Hello everyone! I'm back again with a bit of a conundrum. I want to know how much is too much weight to lose over the course of the winter?

I really loved my new barn when I first moved there. They were a lot more relaxed, and fun. I enjoyed the lessons that came with my board plan, and I have really learned a lot.

Over the winter, the barn owner allowed an instructor from out of state to come in and do workshops. The instructor soon seemed to be doing all the feeding, etc. The instructor eventually befriended me, and had informed me that horses weren't getting fed as much as boarders had thought they were.

This has been a continued problem. I have been hearing more and more comments about how the horses look skinny (from visitors, or lesson kids/moms) and the instructor who has been staying all winter finally started paying me to feed her horses while she went back home for a week. She was concerned that if I didn't do it, they wouldn't get fed at all. (I have personally seen this happen, because the barn owner would tell me "I'll feed them later." but I was with her all day and I never saw them get fed?)

All this aside, I purchased my horse at nearly 300 lbs underweight. It took me 8 months to put weight back on her. This was 2 years ago. I will share a picture of what she looked like before she moved, and what she looks like now.

I have taken into account the harsh winter, the blanketing to keep her from losing heat/expending calories, she is on both cocosoya oil and cool calories supplements. She receives grain once a day, and there are 1-2 round bales outside in the lot (which is basically dirt atm. It's starting to show a little green.) I'd say there's about 17 head outside right now, and she's the lowest in the pecking order. Needless to say, I don't think she's getting the forage she needs either.

She is UTD on shots/wormer/vet check/float/etc. so I don't think it's health related.



I really like my barn owner, and I don't want to hurt her feelings. I don't like to just complain either. I've been helping her feed when I can, but I have a 6a-2p job that makes it hard for me to get out for the morning feeding (the only one my horse is entitled to, via the board contract.)

So, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Does it look like a significant amount to say something? Should I just wait a few more weeks and hope the spring grass helps her regain her shape? Thanks for being my sounding board!


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

This is just me.

I consider any weight loss due to improper feeding to be unacceptable. It's one thing if it's because he's shivering the weight off or I'm not feeding him right, but if it's because he's basically being starved, then no, zero tolerance.


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## princessfluffybritches (Aug 10, 2012)

From the pictures, and pictures can be deceiving, your horse looks good. I would not think about it in pounds or those tapes. I feel for ribs right in the middle of the horse. I like to feel them but not see them. If I see them , there's a problem. So I keep tabs on mine just by knowing what her ribs feel like with my fingers. She's at a point right now where I can barely feel them, and her weight's good.

I remember some years ago, I thought my horse was losing weight, and it turned out to be shedding!


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

Only entitled to morning feeding?? ...that sounds crazy to me. All boarding stables out here feed at least twice a day, but then again the majority do not have turn out or pasture, and round bales are like nonexistent. If you are paying for feed and your horse is not being fed correctly, if it was me, I would certainly be throwing a fit. They should have enough round bales in turnout so that all horses can eat at the hay. With 17 horses and pecking order taken into account, they should have at least 3 round bales. not one or two. The pecking order is unforgiving, and without careful management in that kind of a setup some horses would starve or be going hungry majority of time.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

princessfluffybritches said:


> From the pictures, and pictures can be deceiving, your horse looks good. I would not think about it in pounds or those tapes. I feel for ribs right in the middle of the horse. I like to feel them but not see them. If I see them , there's a problem. So I keep tabs on mine just by knowing what her ribs feel like with my fingers. She's at a point right now where I can barely feel them, and her weight's good.
> 
> I remember some years ago, I thought my horse was losing weight, and it turned out to be shedding!



(I wish she'd shed! lol)
Added a picture from another angle to show what I generally see.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

horseluvr2524 said:


> Only entitled to morning feeding?? ...that sounds crazy to me. All boarding stables out here feed at least twice a day, but then again the majority do not have turn out or pasture, and round bales are like nonexistent. If you are paying for feed and your horse is not being fed correctly, if it was me, I would certainly be throwing a fit. They should have enough round bales in turnout so that all horses can eat at the hay. With 17 horses and pecking order taken into account, they should have at least 3 round bales. not one or two. The pecking order is unforgiving, and without careful management in that kind of a setup some horses would starve or be going hungry majority of time.


I didn't see a new bale go out this evening, so I'm assuming they didn't get one today. They ate it down to the netting and mud. I only pay for pasture board, so I only get one feeding. I added the supplements, thinking it might help, but I guess forage is going to be an issue until grass grows? 

I hope the round bale goes out tomorrow. My horse probably won't see any of it, but I still hope it goes out. She isn't assertive at all, so she'll probably only eat it if every other horse is off of it.


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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

You may want to consider a healthy feeding of timothy/alfalfa pellets. My horse is on measured hay and the winter took a bit off him. A 40 lb bag of pellets will last almost a month at one feeding per day and cost only $15. I add the pellets to a bucket and pour enough hot water to cover the pellets. Wait 15-20 minutes and the pellets are fully expanded. This adds forage without the sugars of corn. 

Just a thought. Our barn offers 2 feedings of hay but since there is no forage available I am adding more to his diet through the pellets.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

AQHSam said:


> You may want to consider a healthy feeding of timothy/alfalfa pellets. My horse is on measured hay and the winter took a bit off him. A 40 lb bag of pellets will last almost a month at one feeding per day and cost only $15. I add the pellets to a bucket and pour enough hot water to cover the pellets. Wait 15-20 minutes and the pellets are fully expanded. This adds forage without the sugars of corn.
> 
> Just a thought. Our barn offers 2 feedings of hay but since there is no forage available I am adding more to his diet through the pellets.


I will definitely look into this, at least for the next month or so!  Thank you.


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

It was hard to see in the first "after" pic but in the second one she looks too skinny to me. I'd hate the thought of my horse out in a paddock, low on the pecking order with nothing to eat. It's not healthy and could cause other probelms besides weightloss.

I'd speak to your BO, show her the pictures, and ask what can be done. To have her say she'll feed them later and then not do it is ridiculous - that is NOT a good place to board.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I'd do one of 2 things. Either have your horse put on full board or stall board, so that she gets her own food and no one to chase her off of it, or move to another barn.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

EponaLynn said:


> It was hard to see in the first "after" pic but in the second one she looks too skinny to me. I'd hate the thought of my horse out in a paddock, low on the pecking order with nothing to eat. It's not healthy and could cause other probelms besides weightloss.
> 
> I'd speak to your BO, show her the pictures, and ask what can be done. To have her say she'll feed them later and then not do it is ridiculous - that is NOT a good place to board.


Sorry about that. :x Pulled it off my phone, so it's tiny for whatever reason.

That is also a valid point.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Since the first picture was kind of hard to see, offering this one as well. This was all that was left of the round bale two days ago. I don't think there's been a new one out yet. I shooed the other horses off for a few minutes to let her have a chance, but she just got chased off a few bites in.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

BossHoss said:


> Since the first picture was kind of hard to see, offering this one as well. This was all that was left of the round bale two days ago. I don't think there's been a new one out yet. I shooed the other horses off for a few minutes to let her have a chance, but she just got chased off a few bites in.


THAT looks like an absolute H*LL hole. (Says she while wishing we had that rain.) I wouldn't find that to be an acceptable situation for one of my horses, period. Is stall board an option for you?


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> THAT looks like an absolute H*LL hole. (Says she while wishing we had that rain.) I wouldn't find that to be an acceptable situation for one of my horses, period. Is stall board an option for you?


The horses are being kept off the nicer, large pasture with the lake ATM, because the ground is wet and I suppose they'll rut it up and graze on the new grass coming in.

(Please, take the rain. It's going to do that all week!!!) I worked out an agreement with her that I could bring my horse in (because I literally lost 3 pairs of boots in the mud. It was like walking through cookie dough. ) as long as I bought my own shavings and kept my stall mucked every other day.

There aren't any square bales on property, ATM. (Trust me, I looked for something to stick her in the stall with.) So, if she was put in the stall, I'm not sure she'd even get that kind of forage. I may just have to suck it up and buy some kind of forage I can soak, even though I am paying for her to get actual hay. 

Stall board there costs $400. It's supposed to be a 2x/day feeding, but I can tell you right now that doesn't happen. It'd honestly just be a waste of money. 

I did get some ideas once people started mentioning soaking forage, so I may just ask if I can do some kind of self-care setup. I don't feel like I'm getting what I pay for, but this barn is still infinitely better than the one I came from (where I wasn't allowed to pet or give my horse treats, and I wasn't allowed to use the arena) I'd be willing to pay for extra food that I put together myself, than to give that money to the BO who probably won't follow through with the feeding program we agree on.


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## LadyChevalier (Apr 19, 2013)

Is it just me or does the brown horse behind yours look awefully thin too? I think i see spine and ribs.... I agree with everyone else. The BO NEEDS to put out more bales! My 4 go thru a bale every few days and I have to make sure that the lower one on the pecking order has a second option to go to when all the others are at the wagon. 17 horses I would think would devour a bale in less than 24 hours. And since they are always eating, your mare really is most likely not getting anything to eat. Also, that is a totally not the best way to keep a bale out there in those conditions. A bale gets torn apart and will get stomped on, and in that mud the hay that could be filling bellies is being churned into the muck.... 

Seriously consider moving your mare. Be it into stall board and up her feed or to some place new that has better feeding management. No excuse for your or any of the other boarders horses to be in those conditions, mud in spring is one thing, most of us deal with that but that is wayyy too many horses in that pen and no horses should lose weight from being starved.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

LadyChevalier said:


> Is it just me or does the brown horse behind yours look awefully thin too? I think i see spine and ribs.... I agree with everyone else. The BO NEEDS to put out more bales! My 4 go thru a bale every few days and I have to make sure that the lower one on the pecking order has a second option to go to when all the others are at the wagon. 17 horses I would think would devour a bale in less than 24 hours. And since they are always eating, your mare really is most likely not getting anything to eat. Also, that is a totally not the best way to keep a bale out there in those conditions. A bale gets torn apart and will get stomped on, and in that mud the hay that could be filling bellies is being churned into the muck....
> 
> Seriously consider moving your mare. Be it into stall board and up her feed or to some place new that has better feeding management. No excuse for your or any of the other boarders horses to be in those conditions, mud in spring is one thing, most of us deal with that but that is wayyy too many horses in that pen and no horses should lose weight from being starved.


To be fair, the horse behind mine is almost 30 and has been out of work for years. She's fed soaked forage and grain 2x daily and still looks like that. Poor girl. 

I don't have a better option for a barn at this time. The barn I moved her from was more expensive, and treated me like crap (as well as charging me for food my horse never got.) (Seems to be a common occurrence???)
If a nicer barn opens up, I may very well consider it. 

I'm tempted to see if the BO will let me just take over feeding and charge me substantially less/no board. She obviously has a lot going on and while I respect that, her boarders are suffering because of it. I am going to see what I can do about just buying a 40 lb bag of cubes (not pellets, since she needs the roughage) and feeding her myself 2x day. If I'm buying the feed, and feeding it myself, I don't see why my costs would change.

We shall see. X(


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## sarahfromsc (Sep 22, 2013)

If there is no square bales on the property and you want to bring your mare in a stall to give her a few hours of eating time and reprieve from being bossed around, try Triple Crown Safe Starch Forage. It is forage (timothy, alfalfa, grass) that comes in 50 bags and gives a horse the 'chewing time' they so love.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

I offered to buy alfalfa cubes, and feed her 2x a day, and even take over her feeding so the barn owner wouldn't have to worry about it. All I got was " I don't do self care. We will need to discuss it. "

I am having some serious trust issues where I'm not sure that I can trust her to feed the extra feed I buy for my horse, and like hell I'm going to pay extra for her to -maybe- feed my horse extra feed.

Like I said.. I really like her. But this is putting a bad taste in my mouth. I'm between another crappy barn, and people I don't like, and sometimes my horse won't get fed like I pay for.. and this- which may or may not improve over the next 2 months, when the grass comes in.


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## princessfluffybritches (Aug 10, 2012)

If that 3rd picture is your horse today, he looks as bad as a rescue. That 3rd picture is just awful. It looks like starvation. I don't think you pay board to starve your horse. First thing I would do is worm your horse, then worm again a month later. 

It doesn't matter how much you like the BO, or the people at the barn. Are they having the same problem? Your horse comes first, no exception. I would not be adding to his food because you will be enabling the BO not feed the appropriate amount.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

Absolutely ridiculous. Its YOUR horse, you can feed her whatever the heck you want on TOP of what she is or isn't being fed by the BO and she shouldn't be able to say a darned thing about it. After work every day, go out, give her 3-4 lbs of soaked cubes or pellets (both are forage actually), and maybe some beet pulp. Pay your usual board but buy these too and let her eat that then put her up. If she's staying in a stall at night with you paying for shavings, which sounds like a good idea to me, buy your own bales of hay and store them in your garage. Fill a net with 3 flakes or so, bring it with you, and hang it up for her to eat.

Your horse looks awful to me. Sunken, thin, and sickly. I wonder if she's even getting the water she needs. If you can't move you have to do anything in your power to give her the food she needs...or find someone else who can. 

Again, the BO CAN NOT keep you from feeding your horse food in addition to what she has if YOU are the one feeding it.


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## LadyChevalier (Apr 19, 2013)

BossHoss said:


> I offered to buy alfalfa cubes, and feed her 2x a day, and even take over her feeding so the barn owner wouldn't have to worry about it. All I got was "* I don't do self care. We will need to discuss it.* "
> 
> I am having some serious trust issues where I'm* not sure that I can trust her to feed the extra feed I buy for my horse*, and like hell I'm going to pay extra for her to -maybe- feed my horse extra feed.
> 
> Like I said.. I really like her. But this is putting a bad taste in my mouth. I'm between another crappy barn, and people I don't like, and sometimes my horse won't get fed like I pay for.. and this- which *may or may not improve over the next 2 months*, when the grass comes in.


All of these are red flags to me. Your mare is clearly losing weight in this environment, the third picture says it all- she looks so desperate for some hay and yet is scared to take a bite for fear of the other horses. The BOs reaction seems more concerned with control over her business vs the welfare of your horse. I dont really see why there would be any issue of you taking on feeding your mare extra feed that YOU pay for to help put the weight your mare lost because of the BOs negligence and poor feeding management. If these 17 horses were were owned by the BO would she be managing them the same way? If so, if let to continue in these conditions your mare will just be a rack of bones in another two months. Seriously start looking around, you may like this new place better but your mare is suffering and if you and the BO cant come to some sort of agreement about better feeding management for your mare then its time to move asap. Everyday in those conditions your mare is losing more body condition. 

I have a question, do they have any place at all to stand out of the muck? A shelter of some kind? Some place dry? I would worry about thrush and other hoof issues occurring from prolonged exposure to muck and moisture. 17 horses on a smaller dry lot will produce a lot of manure and pee which is easily churned into the mud. Does your barn owner do anything to remove it? And can your mare even have access to the shelters if there is one or is she pushed out by other horses? Anyway I would keep an eye out for any thrush developing in your mares hooves, the last thing the poor girl needs is to be sore on her feet and even less mobile to move away from other aggressive horses.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

BossHoss said:


> I offered to buy alfalfa cubes, and feed her 2x a day, and even take over her feeding so the barn owner wouldn't have to worry about it. All I got was " I don't do self care. We will need to discuss it. "
> 
> I am having some serious trust issues where I'm not sure that I can trust her to feed the extra feed I buy for my horse, and like hell I'm going to pay extra for her to -maybe- feed my horse extra feed.
> 
> Like I said.. I really like her. But this is putting a bad taste in my mouth. I'm between another crappy barn, and people I don't like, and sometimes my horse won't get fed like I pay for.. and this- which may or may not improve over the next 2 months, when the grass comes in.


If my horse looked like yours and I got that kind of response from the BO, I would be sitting in jail today and not in front of the computer. That is inexcusable.


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## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

I just confronted my former BM with the same issue and he told me I'm crazy for thinking she's too thin and for suggesting that he's not feeding her properly. I moved her to a different barn two weeks ago and she's already putting on weight.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Going to talk to the barn owner tonight, probably. I have talked to the other boarders, and ex-boarders, and they all seem to be having the same issue. If we are unable to come to a compromise, I will have no choice but to move the horse back the barn I came from. I didn't like it there, but my horse wasn't starving, at least.


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## horseluvr2524 (Sep 17, 2013)

Wow. It must be the time of year or the harsh winter because I can't think of any other reason why there are SO many threads out about bad boarding barns right now! SO messed up... I've seen horses taken away by rescues in that situation. If you want to stay at that barn and can handle the sight of other people's horses not being taken care of (your old barns rules don't sound great. It's YOUR HORSE and YOU ARE PAYING FOR BOARD. You have the right to your horse being properly fed, using the arena, and if you want to give your horse a treat or pet it, well once again THAT'S YOUR HORSE!) if I were you I would go for a full self-care situation. Self-care to me means that you are just paying for the space your horse takes up (stall and use of facilities). You buy your own feed, you feed, you muck (possibly have to buy your own shavings), you do everything. That's the way they do self-care at all the barns I've been to. It tends to be a lot cheaper as long as you can get out twice a day to take care of the horse.

If I were you, I would check craigslist for private boarding at private homes instead of commercial boarding. It can be SO much better, as long as the owner won't kick you out for clipping and blanketing your horse like mine did


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

For the time being, we appear to have reached a resolution. My horse is placed in a small pen with another boarded horse who is also underweight. They get along, and are given their own feed in feedbags, and their own piles of hay. My horse is also going to receive one more feeding a day, and 2x alfalfa cubes.

This puts my worries at ease for the time being.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

I do not know where you are located to have such shi##y BO. 
I hope that the skinny red horse behind yours is also put up, for the poor horses sake.
That is abuse. That is starvation. If the boarding owner is doing this to all the horses, all the boarders need to confront her. She sounds to be a cruel person watching these animals slowly starve to death.


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

BossHoss said:


> The barn I moved her from was more expensive, and treated me like crap (as well as charging me for food my horse never got.) (Seems to be a common occurrence???)
> If a nicer barn opens up, I may very well consider it.
> 
> I'm tempted to see if the BO will let me just take over feeding and charge me substantially less/no board. She obviously has a lot going on and while I respect that, her boarders are suffering because of it. I am going to see what I can do about just buying a 40 lb bag of cubes (not pellets, since she needs the roughage) and feeding her myself 2x day. If I'm buying the feed, and feeding it myself, I don't see why my costs would change.
> ...


 Of course you really know that by taking on the extra expense of your own feed and the labor of feeding all of them, your board fee should be reduced substantially. $400.00 sounds like an extreme amount for this place.
It is common practice in my area for stables to underfeed or feed very poor quality in a full care situation just to save money. That's why most people around here go with partial board, provide their own feed and hay so we know exactly what our horse is getting. Partial board here in the Midwest works out to about 40% of full care. The stable usually will let a boarder feed twice a day in exchange for a reduction in the board feed. At the place where I board it's $5.00 per feeding/watering for 32 horses.
I'd go on the web & Craiglist & try to find somewhere to move. It's not acceptable or moral for a BO to starve horses just to make a little bit more money.


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

This whole post is starting to make me angry and that doesn't happen easily- _*please *_don't be passive - do whatever it takes and get you horse out of that hellhole right away and stop dealing with that moronic BO. 

*You alone* are responsible for your horse. There is SOMEWHERE that is better than where she's at and if you can't find one take her back to a rescue where she'll be properly cared for. 

If anyone told me I couldn't feed my horse food I bought myself I'd tell them where to go so fast their head would be spinning!


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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

EponaLynn said:


> This whole post is starting to make me angry and that doesn't happen easily- _*please *_don't be passive - do whatever it takes and get you horse out of that hellhole right away and stop dealing with that moronic BO.
> 
> *You alone* are responsible for your horse. There is SOMEWHERE that is better than where she's at and if you can't find one take her back to a rescue where she'll be properly cared for.
> 
> If anyone told me I couldn't feed my horse food I bought myself I'd tell them where to go so fast their head would be spinning!


Agree. It's one thing for the BO not to want to provide additional supplements or special food concoctions because the owner has a thing for beet pulp mashed with applesauce. 

I would almost be inclined to have the horse inspected by a vet who is not associated with the barn to determine if the horse is underweight and by how much. At the same time, the vet can rule out parasites and inspect the living conditions.

If the vet believes a) malnourished and b) inhumane living conditions the OP then knows that she needs to move and it is not a maybe so matter. 

I mentioned earlier in this thread that my horse lost a lot of weight this winter. I don't believe it is because he is being neglected, but I do believe the hay quality is subpar. I am finding a great deal of weeds and tree debris leftover in his feeder. She is giving him the correct quantity but the hay itself has no redeeming value. That is going to be my hard discussion if I don't see him improving in the next month. :-(


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

I'm glad you've gotten at least a little bit of a solution BossHoss. I hope it works and STAYS this good, but I worry that the BO is just going to do this for a few weeks to apease you then it will start all over again :/


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

feeding forage once a day with out a good pasture is not acceptable feeding. 
IF your horse needs special feed, soaked beet pulp,mixed feeds etc, then get out there and do it yourself. No excuses. 
If you are in an area and the hay is not good due to the weather , then you either in crease the forage or supplement it.


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## EponaLynn (Jul 16, 2013)

This is what a well fed horse looks like:

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-pictures/my-young-horse-had-outing-390690/


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Aaaaand it's back in the pooper again.

The instructor is leaving to head home for the rest of the year and so there isn't anyone that I trust to keep an eye on my horse. (There's just the BO. ) I wormed her once within the last month and I'm about to worm her again.

The final straws were somewhere between watching my horse eat her own feces (first time I've seen her do this in all the years I've had her.) and when a visiting farrier asked if she was a rescue. Horrible!

I have already made arrangements to move her back to my other barn-- I don't like it as much there, but my horse always got fed! 

Pictures included of my poor lady right now.


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## Shropshirerosie (Jan 24, 2012)

Oh I am sorry - those new pictures really do show your horse to be in a poor state. I am glad you have found a moving solution.

I boarded at two places before we moved and I could bring my horses home. Both were excellent yards where I knew that I could trust the owner. If I paid for two feedings a day, that was what I got. If they couldn't provide a service I asked for, they told me - simple as that.

I just do not understand how anyone can be a customer or a provider of a business where services are not provided as described and paid for.


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## skiafoxmorgan (Mar 5, 2014)

OMG. There is no question. NONE. That horse is starving to death, slowly. Right in front of you. Please tell me you aren't riding her at all in this condition.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

I don't want to sound rude, but I can't believe it has taken you so long to decide to move your horse from your bad boarding situation. 

The last picture you posted (where her hips are sticking out, spine is visible, and ribs are clearly showing) does not happen overnight. You should have moved her *months *ago. Your horse is literally wasting away.

Good luck.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

skiafoxmorgan said:


> OMG. There is no question. NONE. That horse is starving to death, slowly. Right in front of you. Please tell me you aren't riding her at all in this condition.


OH GOD NO. D: I wouldn't even work her in this condition.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

beau159 said:


> I don't want to sound rude, but I can't believe it has taken you so long to decide to move your horse from your bad boarding situation.
> 
> The last picture you posted (where her hips are sticking out, spine is visible, and ribs are clearly showing) does not happen overnight. You should have moved her *months *ago. Your horse is literally wasting away.
> 
> Good luck.


Well, you have to take into consideration that 1) I really enjoyed the people and the atmosphere here 2) I don't have many other barn choices 3) The owner said she was feeding, and all appeared to be somewhat okay. It was not always like this, and this is a new trend! It is an unfortunate trend, and I tried to stay friends, but I just can't let my horse be treated this way.

The longer I watched, the more I saw that my horse is wasting away to nothing. They told me to give 14 days notice and I've basically told the place where to stick it. Moving her this weekend. 

The barn owner, in her own way, has been trying to make it right after so many boarders started complaining about how my horse and their horses look-- but I think it was more "I'm tired of hearing people b*tch" than actually wanting to help people or horses. She is being monitored by another boarder that I trust, and she is being fed 2x a day soaked forage and grain, in a stall, and has access to hay and water all day. It is going to stay this way until we leave tomorrow or Sunday. No exceptions.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

by the looks of your horse this has been going on for a long time. 
IT is good that you are moving ..Now. You should have moved months ago


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

BossHoss said:


> Well, you have to take into consideration that 1) I really enjoyed the people and the atmosphere here 2) I don't have many other barn choices 3) The owner said she was feeding, and all appeared to be somewhat okay.


Let me ask you this: Do those 3 things _really_ seem to matter, when your horse used to look like this:













And now looks like this:










Your first point should never matter when the health of your horse is in jeopardy. The second point, yes it can be difficult to find another boarding situation but it sounds like you DO have other options. And the third point ... well you've said things throughout your post that highly dispute that and clearly point to the BO lying. 

You've already had to rehab your horse once. Is it fair to your horse to put her through another 8 months of rehab to get her healthy again? I can't imagine the toll this is taking on her body to be going through a second cycle of starvation.


If I were you, the very instant that this happened:
_"The instructor eventually befriended me, and had informed me that horses weren't getting fed as much as boarders had thought they were."_
I would have gotten my horse out of there. That shows a *dishonest* BO who does not care one lick about my horse.

Not to mention:

_"This has been a continued problem."

"the instructor who has been staying all winter finally started paying me to feed her horses while she went back home for a week. She was concerned that if I didn't do it, they wouldn't get fed at all."

_I'm baffled why the instructor even kept her horses there, much less continued to work for someone who starves horses. _

"there are 1-2 round bales outside in the lot (which is basically dirt atm. It's starting to show a little green.) I'd say there's about 17 head outside right now, and she's the lowest in the pecking order."_

One round bale is NEVER sufficient to feed 17 horses. Never. (Even 2 really aren't either, if you want each horse to have a chance to eat in the pecking order.)

_"I really like my barn owner, and I don't want to hurt her feelings. I don't like to just complain either. "_

She's starving your horse. Hurt feelings would be the last of my worries (after I got done ripping her head off).

_"I've been helping her feed when I can"_

So you are paying full price for board, yet you are working for the BO to help her feed the horses?? Again, sounds like a dishonest BO who is taking advantage of people. Based on some of your other comments, she is walking all over you. (again, giant red flags)

_"So, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Does it look like a significant amount to say something?"_

Your original post is full of giant red flags of things that have been going on all winter, which I've highlighted. *I'm glad you've come to your senses and are getting your horse out of there. *

This is to the point where (depending on your state laws) you could sue your BO for animal neglect and cruelty. You were paying for hay in your monthly board fee that was not getting fed to your horse. Stealing!

Let this be a lesson to anyone else in a similar boarding situation. Get your horse OUT immediately if this starts happening.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Wow, she looks awful. ): I'm so glad you're moving her as soon as possible.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

She is moving to the old barn (not my first choice, but better than nothing) tomorrow. 

To address another point: this year has been the harshest winter this area has had in years. I figured some of the weight loss could be attributed to that. Within the last month, when I became aware that there was an issue regarding feeding, I kept an eye on it and tried to fix the situation. There is no salvaging that, and as stated before, there isn't a great selection of barns in the area. 

I am starting to feel a little relief at least.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

When there are more than two horses on a roundbale, someone is getting driven off.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

There is no excuse for the condition of your horse.

You are to blame as much as the barn owner, if not more.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

There have been a few comments indicating that I was negligent as well. Sure, okay. Why not? I paid good money to have a "professional" who I blindly trusted tell me that my horse was ribby because of the winter and kept reassuring me that it was OK. I was not made completely aware of the feeding or hay situation until more recently. I walked a thin line of trying to uphold a decent relationship (because honestly, if I hadn't, more horses would have suffered, I feel. ) Maybe I'll write it all out in detail sometime. Who knows? It's over now. 

At least I took my butt out there every morning and evening for the last few days I was there, under the guise of trying to help her feed other horses.. I fed her 2x a day and gave her hay when I could. I made the decision to leave for several reasons. She was not providing hay or pasture. My horse is moved. I am finding out more and more the more that days go on-- more about how long this has been happening. I keep kicking myself. Nothing anyone on here could say to me hurts more than knowing that I really let my horse down.

On a positive note, she's back at the old barn. All of the bad BO's boarders are on their way out (except for the ones who have drafts or fat little ponies who wouldn't lose weight for anything.) and I think she's being reported to Parelli and also to local authorities for not feeding properly. Someone was out there taking pictures of her animals.

I think it's going to go up from here.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Some pictures of her from this morning (after having been moved back to the old barn I moved from.), and after constant feeding of soaked forage upped grain, etc. for the past few days. (despite being told by my old BO not to do so???)

She's going to have some considerable time off. I think that'd be really good for her. <3


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

What ?? you are reporting her to Parelli? what nonsense. 
Report her to animal control or to the Sheriffs or local law enforcement.


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## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

Is all that space for her? She deserves a couple months to fatten up and just be a horse :>


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## Indiana2 (Mar 30, 2014)

Good for you for doing what you could once you realized things were going sideways. Hindsight is 20/20 but you'll never go through that again, now that you have experienced it. I would have done what you did, fed my horse myself, once I realized the problem; and then asap get her the heck out of there. Which you did. She looks so happy now!


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

stevenson said:


> What ?? you are reporting her to Parelli? what nonsense.
> Report her to animal control or to the Sheriffs or local law enforcement.


 Sorry if that was poorly worded. I am not affiliated with Parelli. The visiting instructor is reporting her to them. I did not make a report to local law enforcement.I did post pictures on my Facebook wall and it seemed to get to the right people. She was reported to the humane society that way. Apparently people were out taking pictures of the property this morning. I am happily washing my hands of all this and will be working on rehabbing my horse.

Hindsight is 20/20 and this won't occur again.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Zexious said:


> Is all that space for her? She deserves a couple months to fatten up and just be a horse :>


Yes! All for her. C:
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Update: BO has had several complaints filed against her via the county humane society and the BBB. 5/7 boarders are pulling their horses out. 

My pony is currently stuck in a stall and eating moderate amounts of food until her stomach gets back a normal size again. Vet is coming out to check her again. She has been getting lots of electrolyte paste. Will be seeking to collect reimbursement for vet bills due to neglect.

Thanks to everyone who made excellent suggestions with the soaked feed and varying ideas that helped the situation. Here's to a more positive future for my mare!


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## princessfluffybritches (Aug 10, 2012)

BossHoss said:


> Aaaaand it's back in the pooper again.
> 
> The instructor is leaving to head home for the rest of the year and so there isn't anyone that I trust to keep an eye on my horse. (There's just the BO. ) I wormed her once within the last month and I'm about to worm her again.
> 
> ...


 
You need to ask at the tack store, the feed store, anywhere where people buy horse stuff and see if there's something. Your horse looks awful. I remember 2 horses in my old neighborhood that ate the trees, then the fence , then they got out to eat the neighborhood. 

Be careful, because at some point someone might accuse you of letting this happen. You know how some people are.


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## princessfluffybritches (Aug 10, 2012)

I posted the above post before I read them all. Sorry. I'm glad you're out of there. I'll bet you now feel much more confident about opening your mouth and not putting up with bs. Sometimes it takes something like this to happen to make one more of a squeaky wheel.

One thing I've learned as well is to not refrain from opening my mouth because I may be wrong (self doubt) You are right here, and in the future it doesn't matter whether you are right or wrong in an argument because it certainly doesn't matter to the one who is wrong, LOL


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

It is good you got your horse out. lessons learned the hard way are never forgotten.
Hope your mare catches her weight up quick and is back to being healthy soon.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

It takes about 6 weeks to see a noticeable difference. Right now she is building muscle so there won't be any fat laid down for a while. Be sure to keep her exercised to keep up her appetite.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Weight taped her today, and she is at 836. Her ideal is 1000-1100. 
I think she's already looking a little bit better.  Maybe she'll be feeling more like herself in a few months. In the meantime, we'll doing some short trail walks.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Hello, all!

Just wanted to post a final update on this. After I moved her back to the original barn, she started gaining weight immediately. I plan to move her to a new, private barn at the end of this month. I learned a lot regarding what to look for in regards to shady, neglectful barn owners. 

Here is miss J now.  

We've gotten into some very light riding and groundwork. She is doing exceptionally well, and I'm hoping to have her ready for more active trail riding toward the end of summer. ( I don't handle heat very well. :T)

Thanks all!


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Your horse is in trouble at this place. And you need to move her. She is not getting enough to eat, and will also add it should not have taken 8 months to have put weight on her when you first got her either.

But this horse is in sad shape, and you can tell that looking at her eyes too.

She is getting treated badly here at this place. She is not getting enough to eat by a long shot, and probably spends most of her time being chased away from the hay.

Move her, or pay for her own stall and pen and go out and feed her yourself 2x a day.


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Palomine said:


> Your horse is in trouble at this place. And you need to move her. She is not getting enough to eat, and will also add it should not have taken 8 months to have put weight on her when you first got her either.
> 
> But this horse is in sad shape, and you can tell that looking at her eyes too.
> 
> ...


I'm not sure if you saw the last few updates of this post. I'm going to go with "no." Hope you get to see the updated, happier pictures of her, and take note that I moved her months ago. <3 Thank you so much for the concern for her wellbeing, though!


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Hoping she gains her weight back soon. she should in about a month if she is on that grass and getting supplemental feed as in forage (hay) or pellets. good luck.
hope your new private barn will be the right fit for you and your horse.


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