Derby winner's life in jeopardy after double fracture

[Steveo 90]

how sad,i hope they dont have to destroy him



linkage (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12889693/)


BALTIMORE - Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro broke down at the start with a life-threatening injury and broke the hearts of racing fans as Bernardini went on to win the $1 million Preakness Stakes on Saturday.

The horrifying scene at Pimlico Race Course occurred in the first few hundred yards, right in front of the grandstand, as the field of nine horses broke from the gate.

Barbaro was in the middle of the pack when he suddenly dropped back under Edgar Prado. The colt was favoring his right rear leg and the crowd gasped in dismay as the jockey pulled Barbaro to a stop just past the finish line and jumped off.

[dianepmny]

Holy cow! First of all, I can't believe I missed the Preakness. Why did I think it was next week?

That's so sad. I was so happy for him when he won the Derby.

[Donna]

That's awful. It must be heartbreaking for everyone. I am so sorry to see his career cut short. I hope he lives at least.

[Donna]

I'm glad I didn't see it. Very sad. He was amazing in the Derby.

[jzt]

They showed a video of it. Very sad. Makes me want to go an hug my horse.

[Steveo 90]

ya know it might be hard to believe but i really didnt like the whole horse thing
untill just watching him in the derby,what a beautiful animal he is.............


i was even thinking of doing some riding because i felt a connection of sorts
i still do...............i am just very bummed about this


reminds me a little bit of ruffian for those that remember her

[Steveo 90]

a small update


KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was in surgery Sunday for “life-threatening injuries” after the colt broke three bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the Preakness Stakes.

Dr. Dean Richardson was operating at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center for Large Animals and said the procedure could take several hours.

At the front gate, well-wishers already had tacked up signs: “Thank you, Barbaro,” “Believe in Barbaro” and “We Love you Barbaro.”
Richardson, the chief of surgery for the center, said the damage was “very, very serious,” and he’s never worked on so many catastrophic injuries to one horse.

“You do not see this severe injury frequently because the fact is most horses that suffer this typically are put down on the race track,” Richardson said. “This is rare.”

“It’s about as bad as it could be,” he added. “The main thing going for the horse is a report that his skin was not broken at the time of injury. It’s a testament to the care given to the team of doctors on the track and (jockey) Mr. Prado on the racetrack.”

Richardson said 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.

“The aspects of the surgery will be dictated slightly by what we find,” Richardson said. “But the bottom line is we will attempt to perform a fusion of that joint and to stabilize it and make it comfortable enough for him to walk on.”

[dianepmny]

I hope that the news continues to be good.

[Steveo 90]

me as well...............


i'm staring to like horses a lil bit

[Toad]

me as well...............


i'm staring to like horses a lil bit

Once you realize everything involved with a hor$e, you like them much le$$.:Boom

[Steveo 90]

i am already there.............but it keeps my wife happy which makes me happy







ridinghors ridinghors ridinghors ridinghors ridinghors

[jzt]

Once you realize everything involved with a hor$e, you like them much le$$.:Boom

He already is involved. ridinghors

[d-o-b]

i was even thinking of doing some riding because i felt a connection of sorts

I know what you mean!!!!.....LOL screwed100

[jzt]

I know what you mean!!!!.....LOL screwed100

I was waiting for that smiley to be used. LOL

[Steveo 90]

I know what you mean!!!!.....LOL screwed100


sorry i was so rough on ya d-o-b...........it was just a spur of the moment thing

[Steveo 90]

I was waiting for that smiley to be used. LOL


i thought we used that all the time..................

[Steveo 90]

some good news


Barbaro ‘practically jogs’ after surgery
Doctor optimistic after 7-hour surgery to repair rare injury
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro underwent day-long surgery Sunday to repair three broken bones in his right rear leg and afterward “practically jogged back to the stall,” the colt’s surgeon said.

At this moment “he is extremely comfortable in the leg,” said Dr. Dean Richardson, who stressed before the marathon procedure that he’s never worked on so many catastrophic injuries to one horse

[jzt]

sorry i was so rough on ya d-o-b...........it was just a spur of the moment thing


I didn't quite get that. Do I need to say "Eeeewwwww"? questionma

[Steveo 90]

I didn't quite get that. Do I need to say "Eeeewwwww"? questionma


or just ohhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Toad]

Handout image of radiograph (side view) of Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro, made following a surgery at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center May 21, 2006. The life of Barbaro hung in the balance after a delicate operation Sunday to repair a life-threatening leg fracture suffered in the Preakness Stakes. The colt survived the surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center for Large Animals in Kennett Square, Pa., and was in his stall, officials said NO SALES NO ARCHIVES REUTERS/University of Pennsylvania/Handout

[Tubby]

Barbaro facing major complications


Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was facing major problems for the first time since surgery to repair the right hind leg he shattered in the Preakness seven weeks ago, with Dr. Dean Richardson saying "we're in tough times right now."

Barbaro had the cast on the leg replaced for a sixth time Monday — the fourth time in a week. The latest development followed many hours of surgery Saturday night when doctors replaced the metal plate and many screws and also treated an infection.

"I think we're in for tough times right now. I think we're going to have some tough days ahead," Richardson said at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center. "I'm being realistic about it. When a horse has a setback like this, it's a problem."

Richardson, the chief surgeon at the New Bolton Center, looked haggard during the briefing, and said it took more than 15 hours from the start of Saturday's surgery before Barbaro had fully recovered from anesthesia.

He said Barbaro was back in his stall in the intensive care unit, where he's been since the catastrophic injury occurred just a few hundred yards after the start of the Preakness.

"Right now, he's happier," Richardson said. "He's got a normal heart rate, normal temperature, he's eating like crazy. He's very hungry. He's making lots of manure. He looks actually pretty happy today. Now we have to see how he responds to what's going on."

The long cast applied Saturday night was replaced by a shorter cast Monday, and was done with Barbaro in a sling and under mild sedation," Richardson said.

"The long cast was used as extra support during the anesthetic recovery phase," Richardson said. "It is much easier for him to move around his stall and get up and down with a short cast. We also found and treated an abscess in his left hind foot that was bothering him."

Barbaro is receiving pain medication, antibiotics and other supportive care, Richardson added.

[Tubby]

Barbaro may die due to foot inflamation


By RICHARD ROSENBLATT, AP Racing Writer

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro has developed a severe case of laminitis, a potentially fatal disease caused by uneven weight distribution in the limbs, and his veterinarian called his chances for survival "a long shot."
Dean Richardson, the chief surgeon who has been treating Barbaro since the colt suffered catastrophic injuries in the Preakness on May 20, said the Derby winner's chances of survival are poor.

"I'd be lying if I said anything other than poor," Richardson said Thursday at a news conference at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center. "As long as the horse is not suffering, we're going to continue to try" to save him.

"If we can keep him comfortable, we think it's worth the effort."

If not, Barbaro could be euthanized at any time. Richardson said if Barbaro doesn't respond quickly to treatment, "It could happen within 24 hours."

Richardson said the laminitis, a painful condition, has all but destroyed the colt's hoof on his uninjured left hind leg.

"The left hind foot is basically as bad a laminitis as you can have. It's as bad as it gets," Richardson said, while adding that horses can recover from the disease. He said he has discussed the situation closely with owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who have stressed that their main concern is for Barbaro to be pain free.

Richardson said Barbaro's injured right hind leg — the one that shattered at the start of the Preakness — is healing well, but because a horse has to be evenly balanced to carry his weight, laminitis set in on the other foot.

A procedure called a hoof wall resection removed 80 percent of Barbaro's left rear hoof. Both rear legs are now in casts.

"The reason we cut away the hoof wall is because the hoof wall is not connected" to the bone, Richardson said. "If you had a nail that was separated from the end you'd pull it off. It's dead tissue that's in the way of living tissue. It's a problem in horses due to excessive weight bearing inflammation."

Richardson said it would take several months for the hoof to grow back. "What we're doing on this horse is absolutely unusual, but it's not unheard of.

"It's a devastating problem in horses that nobody has a solution to."

Perhaps what makes it even more wrenching is that the horse is acting normal.

"This horse, you look at him in the stall — his ears are up, he's bright. He's looking around," Richardson said.

"He's spending some time in the sling. Other times, he's out of the sling. We are not torturing this horse."

The grim update came after nearly six weeks of what was considered to be a smooth recovery. Barbaro underwent five hours of surgery May 21 so a titanium plate and 27 screws could be inserted into three broken bones and the pastern joint. He has had three more operations in recent days.

"I really thought we were going to make it two weeks ago," Richardson said. "Today I'm not as confident."

Barbaro won the Derby by 6 1/2 lengths, was unbeaten in six races and expected to make a Triple Crown bid before his misstep ended his racing career. He was taken to the New Bolton Center hours after breaking down and underwent five hours of surgery the next day.

At that time, Richardson said the chances of the horse's survival were 50-50.

Since the break down, there has been a public outpouring of sympathy as well-wishers, young and old, showed up at the New Bolton Center with cards, flowers, gifts and goodies. And thousands of e-mails poured in to the hospital's Web site to voice concern and support.

[Tubby]

Barbaro has good night, remains stable


By RICHARD ROSENBLATT, AP Racing Writer


KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Barbaro had another "very good night" and remained in stable condition Saturday, a second day of positive news for the Kentucky Derby winner being treated for an often fatal condition in his left hind leg.

"His heart rate and pulse are normal, and his appetite is good," Dr. Dean Richardson said in a statement issued by the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.

"He continues to respond well, looks good and has a positive attitude."

Barbaro, who shattered his right hind leg a few yards out of the starting gate in the Preakness on May 20, has a severe case of laminitis in his "good" left hind leg and his chances of survival were called "poor" by Richardson on Thursday.

"We continue to monitor him very closely, and we are keeping him as comfortable as possible," Richardson said.

On Friday, Barbaro was given a walk in the intensive care unit by Richardson, and jockey Edgar Prado said the colt "looked much better than I thought he would" following a 2 1/2-hour visit.

"I fed him, walked with him and he put his head on my shoulder and fell asleep," Prado said.

For the first time in more than a week, there was hope at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at New Bolton.

The mood swing came a day after Richardson delivered the grim news that Barbaro had laminitis, 80 percent of his left hoof wall had been removed and his chance of survival was a "long shot."

Barbaro's prognosis went from guarded to stable Friday, with Richardson saying the 3-year-old colt's vital signs, including heart rate and pulse, remained good.

"We are treating his laminitis aggressively, and he continues to respond well and is acceptably comfortable," Richardson said. "Our goal is to keep him as comfortable as possible, and clearly that comfort level will be a major indicator for our treatment decisions."

The nugget of good news followed more than a week of distressful updates: surgeries and cast changes on Barbaro's injured right hind leg — the one that sustained three broken bones in a horrific misstep shortly after he left the gate at the Preakness. And then, the onset of dreaded laminitis.

The colt, who has fiberglass casts on both hind legs, also has been fitted with a sling to prevent sudden movements. Laminitis is usually caused by uneven weight distribution in the limbs.

While his condition is stable, Richardson said "it remains extremely serious."

"We monitor his condition very closely because signs can change quickly," he added.

Prado, credited with saving Barbaro's life by pulling him up quickly after the colt broke down in the first few yards of the Preakness, called it a "very bad situation" before adding: "But he has the will to overcome this."

Rick Arthur, a prominent veterinarian on the California thoroughbred circuit, said Barbaro's upgraded condition offers "a ray of hope."

"When a horse has laminitis, the downs come very quickly and very dramatically, it's almost like going on a cascade," Arthur said. "When you get in cases like this, you are looking for hope. You are looking for anything that can give you an indication that you have a chance to move forward."

Dr. Larry Bramlage, another noted veterinarian, agreed: "It's a good sign because they've got the pain under control."

Barbaro was transported to New Bolton Center directly from Pimlico Race Course and the next day, Richardson inserted a titanium plate and 27 screws into the colt's injured leg to help fuse the fetlock (ankle) joint.

Since that time, Richardson has said laminitis was a major concern. The disease tends to show up about six to eight weeks after a serious leg injury, when a horse has spent a great deal of time trying to balance his 1,000-pound frame on four fragile legs.

While doctors continue treating Barbaro, Richardson and owners Gretchen and Roy Jackson also must be prepared to decide when and if it's unreasonable to try to save him.

It's a decision, Arthur said, he's sure Richardson has been wrestling with for weeks. Unlike doctors who treat humans, veterinarians make quality-of-life decisions all the time.

"All of us, when we are dealing with these cases, say, 'Should I pursue this case further?'" Arthur said. You don't want to talk euthanasia, but it's a decision that we ultimately make, whether it's taking care of racehorses or dogs or cats."

[Tubby]

He may not be out of the woods yet, but a good start


Barbaro walks outside his stall

By DAN GELSTON, AP Sports Writer

How's this for a breath of fresh air? Barbaro is enjoying daily outings outside his intensive care stall to pick his own grass, enjoy the warm weather and stretch his recovering legs.

Barbaro stepped outside his ICU stall and started daily walks on a grassy area near the unit last week for the first time since having catastrophic injuries in the Preakness nearly three months ago. The Kentucky Derby winner, also recovering from a severe case of laminitis on his left hoof, continues to show signs he's on the road to recovery.

"It's a big step just to know he feels good enough that you can take him out of the stall and walk him around like a normal horse and he eats grass like a normal horse," Dean Richardson, chief surgeon at the New Bolton Center, said Monday. "That doesn't mean he's healed. It just means things are going well right now."

The 3-year-old had made only a couple of brief walks back and forth from his stall to the surgery room at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center until last week. Now Barbaro is walked daily for about 15 to 20 minutes in a secluded area not far from the George D. Widener Hospital ICU.

"I thought he was thrilled the first time he went out," Richardson said in a telephone interview from New Bolton. "He just seemed very happy to be out. You can tell he's looking forward to it every day. It's absolutely normal. Horses love to be outside, obviously, and he's pretty excited about it."

Barbaro is shown on video released by the University of Pennsylvania grazing on grass, with Richardson walking him around.

Barbaro has a cast on his right hind leg that encloses the foot and extends up to just below the hock. There's a bandage on the laminitis-stricken left hind foot, and support wraps on Barbaro's front legs.

The colt's comfort level has taken a surprising turn since Richardson said in early July the prognosis for a full recovery was "poor."

"I think we're lucky his tissues are fairly healthy," Richardson said. "I don't know why he's more comfortable than some horses with the same condition."

Barbaro had the cast on his injured right hind leg changed last Tuesday and Richardson said it might not need to be changed for about another three weeks. The left hoof, which needs to completely regrow if the colt is to have any shot of walking, remains the biggest concern.

"He's got to get this left hind foot to the point where it's a solid structure that can sustain long-term weight bearing," Richardson said. "Could there still be some major things resulting in him having to be put down? Yeah. He's absolutely not out of the woods yet."

[Tubby]

Another Setback


Barbaro suffers significant setback

By DAN GELSTON, AP Sports Writer


Doctors were "pulling out all the stops" to save Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro, who suffered a significant setback in his recovery from laminitis after months of upbeat reports.

Chief surgeon Dean Richardson removed damaged tissue from Barbaro's left hind hoof, and co-owner Gretchen Jackson said Wednesday that the colt was lightly sedated and back in a protective sling in his ICU stall at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.

"They're taking extreme measures," Jackson said. "They're treating it very aggressively. They're really pulling out all the stops to help him."

Jackson said she brought Barbaro grass on Wednesday morning and said the colt's appearance was "not as bright." But she added her husband, Roy, visited Barbaro later in the day and his appearance had visibly improved.

Barbaro was being treated aggressively for his discomfort and is in stable condition, according to a statement released Wednesday morning by the Center. The tissue was removed Tuesday night.

"Things were marching along pretty smoothly until this," Jackson said. "We've been there before with him. He's a horse that wants to live."

Barbaro had become uncomfortable with his left hind foot, and a cast was removed after some new separation on the inside portion of his hoof was found. The cast had been on a week to help realign a bone.

The cast change could have caused some inflammation, said Dr. Kathleen Anderson, Barbaro's attending vet when the horse was racing and stabled in trainer Michael Matz's barn at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md.

Anderson said Barbaro has proved he was strong enough to overcome his latest medical obstacle.

"We all know most horses don't get this far," she said. "The bottom line with Barbaro is the fractured leg is the one that would have been the end of most horses. He won't be getting to the big green field any time soon, but I don't think this is insurmountable."

It was the first bad news after months of progress. The owners and Richardson even talked about releasing Barbaro from the hospital, perhaps by the end of the month.

"It's sad that's he's had a setback because he was marching along toward living outside the hospital," Jackson said. "The only thing we care about is that he's not in pain."

Barbaro shattered his right hind leg in the Preakness on May 20. In mid-July severe laminitis, a potentially fatal disease caused by uneven weight distribution in the limbs, resulted in 80 percent of Barbaro's left hind hoof being removed.

"I was there yesterday and it was obvious he was not comfortable in that foot," Jackson said. "The easiest and best way to work on Barbaro is when he's laying down. They had to wait until he was laying down and when they removed the cast, they discovered some reason for him feeling pain."

Just over a week ago, Richardson said Barbaro's right hind was getting stronger and should eventually be healthy enough to allow the colt to live a comfortable, happy life.

But he also warned: "Barbaro's left hind foot, which had laminitis, remains a more formidable long-term challenge. The foot must grow much more for him to have a truly successful outcome."

The disease, called laminitis or founder, involves inflammation and structural damage to tissue that bonds the horse's bone to the inner wall of the hoof. Richardson said in July that Barbaro's laminitis was "basically as bad a laminitis as you can have. It's as bad as it gets."

[Donna]

I hope he makes it. He has been such a fighter through this whole thing. It would be terrible to go through all of this and still die.

[Donna]

Barbaro was put down this morning. RIP big guy. I am very sorry it came to this. I was hoping he would make it.

[jzt]

Barbaro was put down this morning. RIP big guy. I am very sorry it came to this. I was hoping he would make it.

As a horse lover and a horse owner, I'm very saddened by this.