Posted on 07/14/2006 6:58:52 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
We will all keep the faith.
He is a Champion in every way!!
If Barbaro recovers, he may never be able to cover a mare. Thoroughbred stallions have to mount mares, during which act most of their weight is borne on their two hind legs.
A horse's front legs are the equivalent of our arms, and the bone structure from ankle to foot is the rough equivalent of our wrists and hands. What the surgery has attempted to do is use plates and screws to stabilize the fractures from above the "wrist" downward. Then, over time, new bone will grow and fuse the entire area.
If you had a comparable procedure on your arm, wrist and hand, you would lose all mobility in those joints. So Barbaro will lose all mobility from his ankle down to his foot. That lower leg will never look or be normal again. He will be what amounts to a special needs horse the rest of his life.
If he is pain-free and is able to have a life outside a small stall, then he could be happy. Right now, apart from saving his life, that's the first goal. Anything beyond that would be gravy -- indeed, miraculous.
So whatever motives his owners have for doing everything possible to save Barbaro's life, I'm certain a stud career is not high on the list at this time.
Interesting. Thanks.
let's hope for a miracle and he recovers and gains reasonable use of his joints. I would love to see dozens of "little" Barbaros at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.
thank you..................
I hope he gets better!
A nice wish. I'd settle just for him being able to go out in a paddock, eat some grass, enjoy the weather, be pain free and live something approaching a normal life for a horse.
It is not 100% that he will be able to stud....that is rather violent event and I am not sure his front end will be able to handle it....IMO
No, but it's certainly worth the risk to find out. Don't get me wrong though; having grown up on a ranch myself, most breeders do love their horses. Enough to know when their animal has suffered enough and do the humane thing. Lord knows we had to part with a few when I was growing up.
Yes, you are right. Barbaro has a long way to go and something approaching a normal life would be welcomed.
Calder is looking pretty good for tomorrow, eh?
Thank You!
I read yesterday that his back leg isn't likely to be able to bear his weight to be used as a stud.
And second, Barbaro is insured for around $30 million. So there is a financial incentive of around $20-30 million to keep this horse alive.
Which means they could have had him destroyed on the track and collected 30$ mil.
Big day tomorrow.
Couple horses on my Watch List, the Claiming Crown at Canterbury, and as you noted, the Sprint Championship at Calder.
Probably not. Plus being set to stud is not the delight most folks here seem to think it is - there are stallions that have to be driven out of their vans to "do their duty." They actually get very irritable.
I think Barbaro has heart and I hope he makes it through. I spent a fortune and so many hours I can't even count them with my totally worthless (in monetary terms) gelding after his leg injury, but I was so happy when he made his unexpected recovery that it was compensation enough. Now he's living out in the country with a family that loves him and lets their little boy ride him down the road to the Post Office every day. That's probably what Barbaro would prefer.
Sigh. This whole journey he's been on since that leg shattered is remarkable. It's remarkable that they didn't put him down that night, and that's he's survived this long before the major complications set in. It's remarkable that he's tolerated everything so well considering he's a young stallion. If he could wind up an easy life out in the country like your gelding, that would be the most remarkable thing of all.
I agree. Horses are so wonderful. My little guy was doing dressage but what he really likes is hanging out and being a very large pet - and after his near-death experience, he's finally achieved his dream.
I've pretty much accepted that it may not happen. I have my own dream, though, but it probably can't happen, either. It's also against the rules, but it's physically possible.
I want to see little Barbarites in the Ruidoso, Rainbow and All-American Futurities. But I might have to change that to "futilities." I just want to see little Barbaros, whether they're qualified to race *anywhere* or not. They will be VSH's - Very Special Horses.
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