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Posted on 02/24/2006 9:12:25 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
This is a horse chat thread where we share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. In the previous threads we have had a great time talking through lessons, training, horse lamenesses, illnesses and pregnancies... and always sharing pictures and stories.
I always have a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts… look for it there and wake the thread up!
I also have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and MissTargets will now be pinging everyone most mornings. Let MissTargets and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list. As FreeRepublic is a political site, our politics and other issues will probably blend in…. There are many issues for horsemen that touch politics… land use, animal rights/abuse cases that make the news…. Legislation that might affect horse owners.
So... like the previous threads, this is intended as fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.
Previous threads:
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - thread ONE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FOUR
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FIVE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SIX
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread EIGHT
New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!
I think our responsibility (IMHO) is to do the best to see they don't suffer betrayal. That doesn't mean we should go broke trying extreme measures if it's not prudent, to the detriment of our ability to care for our family and other animals, but I do think it means they are put down humanely and not sent to slaughter for a couple hundred bucks.
Clearly with a horse like this, there's some pressure, and, most importantly ample money, to repair him. I don't know of many others who would have such extreme repairs done, even winning stallions. With a great Derby win and no other accomplishment, this guy would have made a fairly attractive stud, and he will now even more so, if he makes it, because there will be notoriety. If any expensive horse will pay for himself, this one probably will. Veterinarians learn a lot from these kids of cases, and it's good impact on veterinary medicine to have some people able and willing to do the leading edge of work.
It was so cold at the horse show yesterday, I only stayed for about a half hour. The wind was blowing and it looked like rain. They had a good turn out and it went well.
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT, AP Racing Writer Mon May 22, 9:06 AM ET
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is making progress from surgery on his broken leg, even showing an interest in mares, but the colt still faces a long and perilous road to recovery, his surgeon said Monday.
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Dr. Dean Richardson, who performed the intricate five-hour operation, was satisfied with the result, but blunt about the future for a horse who put together an unbeaten record until he broke down in the Preakness Stakes.
Richardson, who operated on Barbaro at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center for Large Animals on Sunday, said the horse's chances for survival were still 50-50. He said Barbaro was showing positive signs and "acting much more like a 3-year-old colt should act."
Barbaro was trying to bite in his stall and even showing interest in a group of mares who stopped by to visit.
"There's some mares there, and he's extremely interested in the mares," Richardson told ABC's "Good Morning America."
Nevertheless, he emphasized that the horse had a long road ahead, and would never race again.
"Realistically, it's going to be months before we know if he's going to make it," Richardson told CBS' "The Early Show." "We're salvaging him as a breeding animal."
Barbaro's surgery to repair three bones shattered in his right rear leg at the Preakness went about as well as Richardson and trainer Michael Matz hoped. It wasn't long after surgery when Barbaro began to show signs he might make it after all.
After a dip into a large swimming pool before he was awakened — part of New Bolton's renowned recovery system that minimizes injury risk — Barbaro was brought back to his stall, where he should have been calmly rested on all four legs.
Barbaro had other ideas.
"He decided to jump up and down a few times," Richardson said, smiling. "But he didn't hurt anything. That's the only thing that really matters. It had Michael worried."
That's not much to worry about after the agony of the previous 24 hours. Barbaro sustained "life-threatening injuries" Saturday when he broke bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the Preakness Stakes.
His surgery began around 1 p.m., but it wasn't until about eight hours later that Richardson and Matz emerged for a news briefing.
"I feel much more relieved after I saw him walk to the stall then when I was loading him in the ambulance to come up here, that's for darn sure," Matz said. "Nobody knew. It was an unknown area going in. I feel much more confident now. At least I feel he has a chance. Last night, I didn't know what was going to go on."
Unbeaten and a serious Triple Crown threat, Barbaro broke down Saturday only a few hundred yards into the 1 3-16th-mile Preakness. The record crowd of 118,402 watched in shock as Barbaro veered sideways, his right leg flaring out grotesquely. Jockey Edgar Prado pulled the powerful colt to a halt, jumped off and awaited medical assistance.
Barbaro sustained a broken cannon bone above the ankle, a broken sesamoid bone behind the ankle and a broken long pastern bone below the ankle. The fetlock joint — the ankle — was dislocated.
Richardson said the pastern bone was shattered in "20-plus pieces."
The bones were put in place to fuse the joint by inserting a plate and 23 screws to repair damage so severe that most horses would not be able to survive it.
Horses are often euthanized after serious leg injuries because circulation problems and deadly disease can arise if they are unable to distribute weight on all fours.
Richardson said he expects Barbaro to remain at the center for several weeks, but "it wouldn't surprise me if he's here much longer than that."
Tucked away on a sprawling, lush 650-acre campus in Chester County, the New Bolton Center is widely considered the top hospital for horses in the mid-Atlantic region. The center is renowned for its specialized care, especially on animals needing complicated surgery on bone injuries.
Roses, other assorted flowers and cards from fans and admirers expressing well wishes were delivered to the center and displayed in the lobby. One sign said "Be Well Barbaro." Two apples and five carrots, some of a horse's favorite snacks, lay next to the flowers.
"I feel at least better that we've made every effort to save his life," Matz said. "At least he has the chance now to have a career as a stallion."
Barbaro's injury came a year after Afleet Alex's brush with catastrophe at the Preakness. Turning for home, the horse was bumped by another and nearly knocked to his knees before gathering himself and going on to win.
___
AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston contributed to this report.
I agree with you Hair. I have had to put down horses before. It is never easy to do even when you know there is no other option but to watch the horse suffer horribly and die. But, that is the responsibility I willingly accepted when I became a horse owner. That includes the financial aspect as well. I am not rich and there is a finite limit to the amount I can spend. But, I will always pony up the amount it takes to ease their passing if I can't fix them rather than squeeze the last $1 I can from what is left of their lives.
If this had been almost any other horse, he would have been euthanized either right there on the track or in the ambulance. This will be a very costly recovery for Barbaro's owners. But, they are able to easily bear the cost and want to give him every chance to recover. Most horse owners, including Tb owners, are not able to do that even though they may want to do everything humanly possible.
I have a mortality policy on my Trakehner that will help financially in case of colic that requires surgery. The policy will pay for medical treatment up to the face value of the policy. I wanted major medical but can't afford that right now. Once I am back in the workforce, I will have it on Henkell.
I don't know if you are familiar with or remember Hoist the Flag. He suffered a catastrophic injury in 1971 while preparing for the Derby and due to his talent and achievement to date, his owners did everything possible to save him. They were successful and he went on to have a wonderful career at stud. In fact, Hoist the Flag is the broodmare sire of one of the greatest racing fillies of all time, Personal Ensign, who retired undefeated after winning the Breeder's Cup Distaff by a scant nose over Derby winner Winning Colors in a herculean effort. It is believed that Hoist the Flag passed his large heart gene to his daughter, Grecian Banner, who passed it to her daughter, Personal Ensign. Other notable racehorses who have Hoist the Flag as broodmare sire are Broad Brush, Cryptoclearance, Personal Flag, Star Standard, and Sacahuista, ALL high-class racehorses and producers in the breeding shed (except Star Standard).
BTW, thanks for trying to educate those Freepers who did not understand why the injury could threaten Barbaro's life. You did a fantastic job.
Oh my ... a horrible injury indeed. Can't tell from the xrays as I don't see any orientation markers, but it appears to be on the medial side of the leg.
I tried to say what I know and no more :~D I ended up just copying and pasting the same answers to the same questions on a lot of threads.
But I'm afraid not ~everyone~ likes me all that much :~D
That's quite a lot of hardware, isn't it.
I do, if that counts for anything. :D
The remarkable thing about this 'screw it back together' technology is he's standing on it already... And that's vital for both circulation and new bone growth.
Wow! Thanks for posting that. Those x-rays are scary looking with all those pins. I didn't see the race but saw the footage of it on the TODAY show this morning. It made my skin crawl. I sure do hope he heals well and responds well to the confinement. But even if it heals, I'm not sure how well he'll hold up to breeding. I think it's rediculous that they don't allow AI in Thorobreds. I know that was discussed at length on the other thread, but I just don't understand it. He would have no problem if they could just collect him and inseminate.
I'm sure they're wondering too... If he gets good strength on it, it's less critical than a hock or a hip. He may no longer be a good dancer, but he may be able to do the important part. If I know stallions, I know he'll sure ~try~ :~D
Hey, WE like you, so to heck with the rest of 'em!
Yep, they're nothing if not persistant. If nothing else, they could breed him in a sling to help hold up some of his weight. I'll bet there's nothing in the rulebook about THAT! And wouldn't that be an interesting sight to see. ;o)
He'd be the only horse that voluntarily jumps into one of them sling contraptions :~D
How much are those kinds of policies? And do you have a particular reason to fear colic in your Trakehner? - Or does it cover any catastrophic emergency?
I stopped worrying about people not liking me a long time ago. If facts and truth cause one not to be liked, so be it. People do not like their "agendas" to be questioned.
As long as my horses like me and I am comfortable in my own skin, to hell with people.
Yes, it is. Getting to walk around normally and put weight on that leg is critical to his recovery. Here is a link to a great article from 1987 on Nureyev's recovery from a horrific break suffered just playing in his paddock:
http://www.bloodhorse.com/articleindex/article.asp?id=6788
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