Delicate situation with boarder we're trying to help. Advice needed.

Trying to keep this very vague for good reason.

I'm in a very small barn and we're all hanging out, sometimes BBQing, helping each other etc. Owner just started having boarders again not that long ago.

The issue is. We have one boarder who has a very easy keeper horse that has foundered before. I don't remember how long ago. It's currently on grass despite being adviced against it. You can imagine how it looks now. We had the farrier out recently and farrier agreed. This horse is really sore on all feet and didn't believe shoes or even pads would make any miracles but said pads would be the best chance together with having a different vet out for assessment and x-rays. Owner opted for shoes only. It didn't help. Especially on gravel it shows pain face and lands heel first. It's really tough looking at this horse and owner still rides it.

We're just super worried about this horse but how would you handle this situation? I'm sure owner doesn't do it out of malice but either owner doesn't see it (this is their only horse they've had for 10 years) or is in denial. I totally get it cause laminitis is no picnic, I've been there myself. Owner seems to listen to the vet who said thin soles but in cases like this we all know farriers know hooves best.

Anyway. BO is trying to push owner in the right direction but maybe too delicately for owner to really get the severity of the situation. I said maybe the farrier or other person with more authority needs to say something more directly. Sometimes people need to be told the straight facts without sugarcoating.

We just wanna help this horse and owner with the best intentions.