how to tactfully discuss weight with your BO.

My vet came up while it was raining the other day, and my horse, to my own shock and amazement has lost a lot of weight. So she the vet, recommends senior feed( he is only 14) until I can get him back up to good weight. He is on 8 acres of grass with one other horse, so I think that is enough, but if not, then do I need to buy hay? I am buying my own senior feed b/c I am not paying a lot to board here, the trails are the best in the area, and I like the BO.

I just don't think she was brought up the same way I was, which means putting some extra meat on their bones. And I am ashamed that I never noticed thru his 2 inch long winter coat that he was getting ribby. So it's really my fault, and he is happy here, but there are other issues I need to discuss like will she please give him his supplements EVERY day, not only when she remembers, and will she GO OUT into the pasture and FLY spray him daily? See, I worry so much. But this is the only farm I have found on this road. I talked to another local woman yesterday, who runs a NATURAL barn. No shoes allowed. Well, too bad, my horse needs shoes. And she won't feed supplements, only feeds hay( which I prefer if it is keeping the weight on) but the woman was a nutball and lectured me for 15 minutes before I could NICELY get her off the phone. So that is out. WHY does it always have to be SOMETHING? I finally find a place with trails and now my horse is not being taken proper care of. I am loking for another farm, but not seeming to find one. Oh by the way, am in PA, and the horse is in NJ. I drive 25 minutes to get to him.

Can anyone relate?

I can completely relate. My horse dropped weight at a barn from the BO's ignorance and laziness. This was when I first got my first horse many many years ago. The BO took complete advantage of my lack of knowledge with horses. The BO fed when it was convenient, cleaned the stall when it was convenient and treated her other animals poorly. The barn across the street finally got a stall open & away we went.
In my opinion, my health and safety comes first, the horse's secondly. If the horse isn't getting the correct treatment, get him out. Perhaps you could tell the BO that you will have to regretfully leave if things do not change quickly. Have a list of all requirements, whether it be being sprayed daily, hay and supplements DAILY. Supplements are pointless unless they are given daily. You're wasting time and money if she won't feed them properly.
I certainly do feel for you. Good luck on finding a place. Would it be possible to find a temporary place that you know will take good care of your horse until you can find one that will give correct care that also has trails?

The horse has been grazzing all winter with out hay?, sorry but i'd be pulling the BO aside and asking questions, I own 6 horses and no matter where they are (i'm a BO with 2 boarding horses) on my property they have ample of axcess to hay all year around either when there in a grass pasture or a sand ring

Thank you both. Ok, I went up yesterday and we discussed this. She will feed the Agways dsenior feed which has a lot of beet pulp in it. It is much better than Agway used to be. Plus it is even better than purina senior. So I supplied the metal can, the lid, bungie cord and scoop. And before she came outside, I counted my supplements, and she has been feeding them. I also noticed she got more hay and it's green/grassy. That makes me happy. I asked about fly spray in the summer, she will do it every day. So I think if I have any issues I can talk to her. She was just brought up differently( the old fashioned- not always so good way) but she's learning what I ( the paying customer) wants, and she is trying. I can't complain for $250 a month, which is the cheapest place I have ever been to in this area, so if I need to but my own senior feed, big deal, my horse needs the weight. When the grass grows he'll put the weight on anyway, and we can cut back, but next winter, he'll be on senior feed. The hay was either not great and my horse ignored it, or he just did not get his share of the round bale( I don't like that round bale situation. There is always one or 2 horses that don't get anything. This summer as well as riding, i'll be making sure this pasture fence is right before winter and fixing it up to suit my needs as well as my horse.

You simply say that, like some people, your horse has special needs, and ask if they would please help you deal with that.

As for the fly spray, I found some that honestly works for a week. I can't look at the brand now, because it's a 10 minute walk from the house to the barn, but it shouldn't be hard to find something similar.

Along with the feed supplement you are giving your horse, you might want to try Calf Mana made by Mana-Pro if you can get it in your area. This stuff provides a horse with a lot of vitamins and minerals. I usually mix it at 1 to 6 of the other feed. If you could have seen my quarter horse before and after, you'd know why I like this stuff.