Posted on 07/14/2006 6:58:52 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (AP) -- Barbaro was doing "much better" Friday morning, a day after his veterinarian said the Kentucky Derby winner was a "long shot" to survive a potentially fatal hoof disease.
"He had a good night last night, and even slept on his side," Dr. Dean Richardson told The Associated Press early Friday before re-entering the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals to check again on the 3-year-colt. "He's doing much better."
Richardson appeared a bit more upbeat than he was Thursday, when he told a packed news conference that Barbaro has a severe case of the disease laminitis in his left hind leg, and termed his condition "poor."
Barbaro looked every bit the champion Thursday, but it's how he acts in the next few days that will determine how much longer he lives.
Laminitis, Richardson said, is an "exquisitely painful" condition, and Barbaro has a case so bad that 80 percent of the Derby winner's left hoof wall was removed Wednesday. It could take as long as six months for the hoof to grow back. The disease is often caused by uneven weight distribution to a limb, usually because of serious injury to another.
Barbaro shattered three bones in his right hind leg just a few yards after the start of the Preakness Stakes on May 20.
While the news was good Friday, Barbaro's condition could change at any time.
"If he starts acting like he doesn't want to stand on the leg, that's it -- that will be when we call it quits," a blunt Richardson said Thursday at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.
"It could happen within 24 hours," he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at sportsillustrated.cnn.com ...
******
One more time.......
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060719/ap_on_sp_ot/rac_barbaro_71
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Barbaro's success was built on speed. Now, victories for Kentucky Derby winner are measured in a far different way.
The 3-year-old colt had another good day Tuesday. He was stable with normal vitals, the fifth straight day without a setback since veterinarians removed most of the hoof wall in his left rear leg due to a severe case of laminitis.
Though encouraged by the good reports on Barbaro the last few days, trainer Michael Matz understands that the colt's condition is still very tenuous.
"He could take a turn for the worse or get an infection again, you just don't know," Matz said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "It's just a slow road now. If he keeps having days like he's having now, then hopefully everything will be fine."
Both of Barbaro's hind leg casts were changed Monday, and Dr. Dean Richardson was pleased with how the colt performed under light sedation in his sling.
"The leg and the incision looked as good as we could have hoped," said the New Bolton Center's chief surgeon, referring to the right hind leg.
That's the one that shattered in three places shortly after the start of the Preakness Stakes on May 20. The left cast, he said, will be changed often so the laminitis can be treated.
Still, the odds of Barbaro's full recovery from the painful, often-fatal hoof disease and the reconstructed right hind leg are really no better than they were a week ago.
That doesn't necessarily discourage Matz because he knows his horse.
"He's a fighter. He's doing the best he can," he said. "They're doing all the best to save the horse. That's all we can do. That's all we can hope for is what's happening right now."
Richardson offered a grim reminder Monday that Barbaro was not suffering from a "routine" laminitis, and Matz was aware of all its perils.
"I've had two before with it and we lost both of them," he said.
Matz tries to visit his prized colt daily. Owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson are vacationing in Africa.
"You have to be prepared for anything, obviously," Matz said. "I'm optimistic because I want him to live."
Thanks. I had seen a really lame (sorry) article that wasn't worth posting. It was a sportswriter's tongue-in-cheek advice column written by Smarty Jones, the world's smartest horse, which mentioned Barbaro.
At least he did start off saying that all of them in his paddock were praying for Barbaro to recover. However, it deteriorated shortly thereafter.
It wasn't even funny enough to repeat any of the Q&A's.
I tell you, I sure like that next-to-last sentence. The Jacksons went ahead on their postponed African holiday. No one has a crystal ball, of course ... but ... they must feel a lot more relaxed than they did the end of last week.
Have a Grrrreeaaat Day, Mr. Barbaro Jackson!
(That's how some of his mail is addressed, lol, including the "Mr.")
Thanks for the good news.You are doing a good service to the benefit of horse lovers everywhere.
It was a realistic piece. Hang in there, Sir Barbaro! Godspeed to better health every day.
Uncorrupted Barbaro is our new hero
Horse is all we wish our human athletes were: silent, brave and brief 7/19/06 MSNBC.com
By Bernie Lincicome, Rocky Mountain News
Here's the argument. We love Barbaro, the doomed horse, because he is everything we wish our human athletes were: silent, brave and brief. He came, he conquered, he collapsed. The song almost writes itself.
How much easier it is to let the heart hug the innocent, uncomplicated by greed, by graft or by ego, than it is to suffer the imperfections of free choice. No steroids in this body, or if so, not his fault.
No spite, no malice, no sass, no head butts, no misquotes in Barbaro's autobiography
How much more appealing is a tragic victim than an insufferable success.
We can blame Ben Roethlisberger for bad judgment, but we can only weep for Barbaro.
Suitable for framing are photos of the horse, wallet size as well, and both have Barbaro with all four legs off the ground, the first the driving gallop at the wire of the Kentucky Derby, 6 1/2 lengths clear, not another horse in the frame.
The other picture is of some sort of medieval contraption with belts and pulleys and tethers, hoisting the animal into the air, letting him hang helpless, his legs bandaged and splinted.
This is the one that tugs at the tears, while the other could be any winning horse. It reminds us of the famous photo of Babe Ruth, leaning on his bat, at Old Timers Day, a shell of the man that was.
Like the Babe, Barbaro got bigger than his sport, bigger than horse racing, not an unusual achievement these days since paintball and poker are also bigger. Pocket kings cause more gasps than the sport of kings.
Horse racing has been looking for a redeemer for 28 years, that one animal whose name would be on the lips of the world, a hero to clot the common curiosity.
Secretariat did that, more so than Seattle Slew or Affirmed, but none since. The Triple Crown is the demanding measure for immortality, the condition for legend and lasting fame.
Horse racing does set its standard high, but it can design its contenders without them having the least say in it. Breeding and bloodlines do not provide the same comfort in human sports, except for assorted Mannings, Griffeys and Bondses.
Failure after failure passed by, leaving few tracks beyond hoof marks in the stall. And now the news crawl updates the condition of Barbaro, endless bits indistinguishable from Middle East death counts and weather warnings.
Well, a crippled Tiny Tim thawed the icy heart of Scrooge, after all. And Barbaro has less a chance of ever walking right again. God bless us, every one.
Light a Candle for Barbaro.
Over 1000 candles lit at this time (they last 48 hrs)
Here's the link: http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/...l=eng&gi=barba
Thank you! It took me a while to navigate, as the link went back to the website home page - probably having lots of hits. If anyone else has trouble, put Barbaro in the search box under the heading "Light a Candle."
There were 1,225 candles lit for him when I visited just now. (Note to others: If you get a page with all candles lit, which I did - and couldn't figure out how to light a new one - scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says "previous" and "next" to get a new page and find a candle that has gone out, so you can light it.)
Loved the story in the RMN, especially the part about a photo of Barbaro with all fours off the ground when winning the KDerby with no one behind him for 6-1/2 lengths - then him being hoisted in the sling with all fours off the ground.
Hope they understood that they just do that when working on his bandages and most of the time he is just in it for support, not lifting. I think of it more like Tiny Tim's crutch.
I want a pic of him dog-sitting, lol. He knows what to do when standing on hurting legs and feet gets to be too much! Bless his heart - his extraordinary heart.
Swing that sling, Bobby!
"I hear what you're saying, but all things being equal, what do you think would have happened to this horse if he were a gelding?"
Sorry I got into this conversations late, but I was out of pocket for a week on vacation. Actually I am still on vacation, but with DSL :O) I HAD to respond to this post here..
the second press conference that Dr Richardson had was with the Jacksons and they addressed this very issue. Even if the horse were a gelding, they would have spent the time and money to save this horse. I dont know if you know this or not, but they tend to keep their retired racehorses and retrain them for their grandkids. I am sure that they can't keep all of them, but they make sure that they have a good life. Gretchen Jackson is also heavily involved with trying to get the antislaughter legislation passed, and she is also on the Board of the New Bolton Center, or whatever it's called, and is involved in decision making about things. I am sure that if they only treated their champions this way, why would she be so involved in saving these horses lives? They have given New Bolton more money than they will every pay for Barbaro's treatment. BTW they will only get that insurance money if the horse dies. If that is what they wanted, they would have just had him put to sleep on the track.
"Third, the MSM writers are very obviously not keeping up with the Barbaro messageboard on the New Bolton site, which has had posts of well-wishes and prayers nearly every minute (60 seconds) since the injury happened and the bulletin board went up. They have to limit the number of messages posted to just so many on the one page - the messages are constantly updating, with new ones replacing the old ones. I hope they realize that! "
they may not me keeping up with the veterinarian site, but they are with timwoolley.com. That site has gotten national attention. Jeannine Edwards from ESPN, the people from the Kennet florist, and a guy from a local WJZ channel all are on there posting stuff. They also were on the WJZ web site. http://wjz.com/local/local_story_199150343.html
I've been a Barbaro fan since the beginning of his career. I feel that I have a connection to him, probably because my last name is Barbaro. I think about him every day, and I pray for his recovery. Any scrap of good news is cause for rejoicing. Keep up the fight, Barbaro buddy!
As you can tell, I've been monitoring that site too, as well as postings at the Chronicle of the Horse:
article in The Bloodhorse:
'We're in a Marathon,' Says Barbaro's Vet
Day to day, for six straight days now, the reports on Barbaro have been good.
Good vitals, good attitude, stable.
Dr. Dean Richardson is looking way beyond those daily updates, however.
"His condition is not likely to change really fast any time soon," said Richardson, the chief surgeon attending the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner at the New Bolton Center. "We're in a marathon at this point.
"The issue is months, not days," he said Wednesday. "He has a long, long way to go."
As most racing fans know, the 3-year-old colt is recovering from a shattered right hind leg, which broke in three places shortly after the start of the Preakness (gr. I) on May 20, and severe laminitis in his left hind leg.
During a press conference last week, Richardson said the horse's prognosis for recovery was "poor," especially since most of the left rear hoof was cut away because of the often-fatal disease.
That hasn't changed.
"I'd be laughed out of the profession if I said this horse's prognosis is anything but poor," he said during a brief telephone interview from the center.
Richardson said Barbaro's condition shouldn't take any sudden turns -- for better or worse -- because it takes a long time to recover from laminitis.
"It is possible he could have a bad night, but it could be just a bad hour and we wouldn't go crazy about that," Richardson said.
He also said the shattered right hind leg, reconstructed with pins and plates, is "going in the right direction."
"Every day I'm encouraged," Richardson said. "No one wants to quit on this horse. No one wants him to suffer."
Casts on the horse's hind legs were changed Monday, and Richardson said the left one will be changed often so the laminitis can be treated. So far, he likes the way the hoof is healing.
"It looked as healthy as you could have expected it to look. I was very pleased," he said. "If you're not used to looking at that sort of thing, it might not look healthy."
Barbaro needs to regrow that hoof if he is to have any shot of walking -- albeit with a hitch in his gait. That might not happen until early next year, if at all.
"We're still talking months, many, many months," Richardson said. "We're talking about six-plus months, as far as how long to go if he grows one. The next few weeks, that's very important."
Thanks for the information. I was not aware of that. They sound like nice people. Perhaps more money than brains, but nice people anyway. ;~))
There are now funds being set up so donations can be made in Barbaro's name to rescue perfectly good thoroughbreds who have gone to the "kill pen" at horse auctions from being sent to slaughter. This is probably a very worthwhile tribute to Barbaro.
This is probably a hoax, but last Friday, Barbaro received a post on the UPenn website from a very important person. I 've pasted the post here:
Hopefully she got some good pics:
Sabina Louise Pierce, Barbaro's Penn photographer (who was just on NBC10) sent me this e-mail describing her visit to Bobby yesterday (wednesday). She gave me permission to reproduce it below:
I got to see "Big B" as I like to call him, yesterday, I call him that as he is so larger than life, in spirit and in personality. He was in his sling when I came in and he was bobbing around a little sitting back like a dog..It was too dark in his stall so I couldn't get a shot of it as much as I would have liked too. He had his face in a fan that is fastened to his door, and even though the ICU is air conditioned and cool, he seemed to be enjoying the breeze. The lights were off in his stall with just some natural light filtering in from the back window so it made tough for photos, but I tried my best. I had come in with Dr. Raker, and Dr. Palmer to photograph them for Penn's alumni magazine.. Dr. Raker was very pleased to see Barbaro as he had not seen him since the week after the accident. He was happy to see him in high spirits, and full of emotion, being a typical stallion.. He smiled a lot, and said Big B was really bright in his eye. It was good to hear from such an expert!
Barbaro let us enter his stall for a few shots, exacting his toll of carrots and sweets that we all were glad to give him.. He is funny, he has so much to choose from with all the treats coming from admirers that he is fickle, one minute wanting a green peppermint, the next a sugar cube, and then a few baby carrots.. I always try to have something in my pocket for him being so patient with me, but with his wide array of tastes these days, I found myself begging through the door for something different to wet his appetite. He humored us all putting his ears up for a few seconds as I coaxed him with my kind words and snaps of the shutter and he enjoyed being scratched behind his ears and under his forelock. He seems to know me and my camera, even though I'm not an everyday visitor, and will let me enter his stall willingly these days with out too much of a threat of a peck.. which Dr. Raker pointed out to me any emotion, a threat of a nip, or a sweet nuzzle is positive. It shows he is full of plenty of life for the good fight. After I left Barbaro yesterday, I went for a ride on my mare and she was ancy to run.. I let her go on an open stretch and she ran like the wind.. Well, as fast as her little quarter horse feet could take us gaining speed until her body was in a full stretch. I cheered her on. Afterwards, as we walked it off, I could only imagine what it would have been like to have been on Barbaro.
Cheers, Sabina
http://www.sabinalouisepierce.com/
Hahaha!! I think that is probably a joke.
Here's something I thought some of you might be interested in:
PRESS RELEASE:
The Exceller Fund (www.excellerfund.org) is pleased to offer early editions of the new children's book, Sing and Alex, written Rob Saur and illustrated by Andy Sikes. Inspired by a real horse, the book is about Sing So Long, a Thoroughbred who has never won a race. He moves from barn to barn until he ends up at the barn where Alex's father works. Alex is a little boy who loves Sing and believes in him.
Noted author Hallie McEvoy wrote this review of the book:
"Sing and Alex is one of the best children's books I have read in years! The story of a horse who just needs someone to believe in him, and the tale of the boy who loves him will touch all who read it. The illustrations are darling, and add immeasurably to the story of hope, love, and redemption. I highly recommend this book for all who love horses and for those people looking for a way to make dreams come true." - Hallie McEvoy, author of Genuine Risk, Showing for Beginners, and Horse Show Judging for Beginners.
Mr. Saur has generously offered the book to The Exceller Fund to help raise funds needed for the adoption and retirement of thoroughbreds. The book will be available exclusively from the The Exceller Fund for a special introductory rate of $8 for a regular copy, and $12 for a signed copy. This special price has been extended until August 15, 2006, after which it will be offered at its regular price. For ordering information, please visit www.excellerfund.org.
Copies of the book are available to publications who would like to write their own review of this book which is sure to be a classic. Inquires may be sent to mail@excellerfund.org
For more information on The Exceller Fund and the programs it runs, please visit our website at www.excellerfund.org. Donations are always welcome, and much needed, to continue our work to Provide a Future Beyond the Finish Line(sm).
Thanks! I heard about that book. I bet it's cute.
Friday prayers for Barbaro. I still see tiny angels flying around his hooves, which says to me that he's healing.
I hope and pray that this gallant animal can enjoy a long and happy life in a pasture with tall grass, clear brooks, apple trees, birds, and other horse friends. And the occasional girlfriend.
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