Posted on 01/28/2007 3:00:36 PM PST by HairOfTheDog
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT, AP Racing Writer 40 minutes ago
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro suffered another significant setback over the weekend, and his fight for survival may have reached a critical point. After Barbaro developed a deep abscess in his right hind foot, surgery was performed Saturday to insert two steel pins in a bone, one that was shattered but now healthy, to eliminate all weight bearing on the ailing foot.
The procedure is a risky one, because it transfers more weight to the leg. If the bone were to break again, chief surgeon Dr. Dean Richardson said: "I think we'll quit.
"When things start to go bad, it's like a house of cards," he said Sunday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "If one thing fails, that puts more stress on another part. And if that fails, then you're stuck with managing two problems. That's why these are difficult cases."
The right rear leg was on the mend until recently. It's the one Barbaro shattered at the start of the Preakness Stakes eight months ago, and the three broken bones had completely healed.
Now this. The surgery, in which a cast was removed and replaced by an external brace known as a skeletal fixation device, addresses one problem but could create others.
Barbaro likely will have to bear more weight on his front feet because of his two ailing back legs, making him more susceptible to laminitis, a painful and often fatal disease caused by uneven weight distribution. Laminitis already struck Barbaro's left rear foot in July, and 80 percent of the hoof was removed.
"It's something that we are watching closely, and that could also be a thing that could lead to us quitting," Richardson said.
The colt was doing well Sunday, according to Richardson, and "we will continue to treat Barbaro aggressively as long as he remains bright, alert and eating," he said in an update sent out by the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.
Based on Richardson's advice, owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson have been making the decisions concerning Barbaro. Their major concern from the start has been to keep Barbaro comfortable.
"No one is interested in putting the horse through any type of misery," Richardson said. "We're going to treat him the best way we can as long as he stays comfortable. And we're going to stick with that no matter if his chances are 1 percent or 90 percent.
"If he gets to the point where we just don't think it's reasonable to go on, we will not go on."
Gretchen Jackson spent time with Barbaro on Sunday, and said her colt is "still bright-eyed and still eating.
"It's not over 'til it's over," she said. "I'd say he's comfortable and being treated very well. As long as he's comfortable ... Dean knows our feelings. We trust him."
After months of upbeat progress reports, Barbaro has endured several setbacks the past three weeks.
On Jan. 9, Barbaro had a cast placed on his left rear leg to help realign a bone. The next day, Richardson removed damaged tissue from the colt's left rear hoof, and Barbaro was placed in a sling to help him keep weight off his feet.
On Jan. 13, another section of his left rear hoof was removed, and a cast was placed back on his right hind leg for additional support. He was gradually improving, but last Thursday, Barbaro's left rear cast was replaced and a custom-made plastic and steel brace was applied to his right hind leg. The leg also was fitted with a special orthotic brace for more support.
In the latest setback, the right hind leg is again at risk.
The pins in the right rear leg are connected to an external brace, which is connected to a lightweight alloy foot plate. This results "in the horse eliminating all weight bearing from the foot," Richardson said Sunday in a statement. "The horse's weight is borne through the pins across his cannon bone."
Allowing the pins to bear weight carries "significant risk."
"We believed it was our only option given the worsening of the right hind foot problem," Richardson said in a statement. "Unfortunately, we felt we needed to take this risk because this approach offered our only hope of keeping Barbaro acceptably comfortable."
He explained Barbaro had been uncomfortable on his right hind foot because of an abscess that developed when the horse had a "period of discomfort" on the left hind foot.
"It is not laminitis, but the undermining of the sole and part of the lateral heel region are potentially just as serious," Richardson said.
Sunday, Richardson sounded as serious as he did on May 21, the day after the Preakness, when he delivered the news that Barbaro's chance of survival was a "coin toss."
"I'm upset, worried, not sleeping well," he said. "A lot of people are very, very committed and spent a huge amount of emotional sources on this horse. So it's very upsetting when things go badly."
RIP Barbaro.
If there is a heaven for humans there surely is a heaven for horses.
Seems like kind of a stupid distinction. Unless there's something about "natural breeding" that imparts skills or DNA differently than AI, I don't get it.
I mean, I get not allowing him to have special "papers", that's just rules. But anybody who is buying a horse would know the parent's genes, and it seems that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet -- in other words, with or without special "papers" indicating the greatness of the horse, the foal would have the same chance of being a winner.
Or don't we allow non-papered horses to even race?
OK, that's a good point. Although they could make an exception for one offspring (I guess once you allow one, you can't prove it isn't happening hundreds of times).
Being a fan of beauty and grace is tough sometimes, especially when your favorite has run their last mile.
I feel for the owners, trainers and all those who cared for him. Blessings to them all.
"I think they did everything they could for the horse and his many fans."
Yes, I know this breaks their hearts. They don't care about the money. Barbaro wanted to live, they did their best.
One day I'll brag about seeing Barbaro's Maiden win at Delaware Park. Today is not the day.
Sure, why not?
CA....
They should have been harvesting sperm since the injury and freezing it . Even if he has to be put down, the line goes on with artificial insemenation .""
Last I knew, AI not allowed in the Thorobred industry. It is used in the Arabian breeding world, and other breeds, but I don't think in the Thorobred breed.
Not sure how they could "harvest" sperm, anyway if he couldn't mount the dummy mare.
In any event, I have tears in my eyes while I write this. He was a very strong horse, and he was given a great chance at recovery. That vet who worked on him is amazing, along with the entire staff at that vet hospital. I still tear up over the loss of one of my horses last Aug, which I had almost 18 years. He was 27+.
It wouldn't be heaven without them.
I'd call that a significant setback as well.
I agree, I originally posted the setback yesterday... the part in Parentheses was added this morning. ;~)
So sad... What a magnificent horse.
The Rainbow Bridge
Author Unknown
There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.
Barboro has left us and gone to this place.
There are many other Animals there and there is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole again.
They play all day with each other.
There is only one thing missing. They are not with the special people who loved them on earth. So, each day they run and play until the day comes when Barbaro suddenly stops playing and looks up! His nose twitches! His ears are up! His eyes are staring, Barboro suddenly runs from the group!
They have been seen and when Barboro runs to them and they all meet Barbaro again. They will take his head in their my arms, feel his softness and warmth and hug and kiss him.
Then Barbaro and those that loved him cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated.
What a beautiful picture! Your Rainbow Bridge reminds me of this, set to music. It never fails to make me cry. I'm sure Barbaro is there, running freely........
http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html
Sorry to hear it.
Very sad.
Without Jockey Club papers, they are not allowed to run. The papers are even kept on the track in the racing secretary's office while a horse is racing at the track. No papers, no entering any races at that track. You are right in that the papers or lack of them have no bearing on the horse itself. It is more a matter of guaranteeing that the stated sire and dam are in fact the actual sire and dam. However, the argument can be made that with the current DNA technology, that problem is easily solved by requiring DNA parentage typing. The AQHA now requires DNA samples along with registration applications (they do allow AI, but both stallion and mare have to be on the same premises at the time of insemination).
A now-dead famous Tb breeder believed that the energies and emotions generated during the act of breeding imparted important qualities to the offspring. The Jockey Club is very "old-fashioned" and is sticking to the no AI rule like a tick on a dog. I don't see it changing any time soon.
As to whether that is good or bad, there are many differing opinions on that. Since the Jockey Club controls Tb breeding for racing purposes, one must follow their rules in order to race.
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