5/23/2006: Barbaro's leg repair

They don't necessarily shoot horses any longer. Barbaro won the Derby by as much of a lead as anyone could remember. He might have won the Triple Crown. But he totally shattered his leg in the Preakness on Saturday, and wound up in six hours of surgery at U Penn's veterinary hospital.

Barbaro got better treatment out of Penn than I did, but maybe his problem was worse - initially he was given a 50-50 chance of making it through. This morning they say he's doing much better and so they are much more optimistic. He's actually putting the weight of a horse on that leg - on that massive stitching of pins.



The "before".



After surgery he spent some time in a pool before going back to a stall.

A lot of people who seem to know, say that Barbaro's owners would have done the extensive surgery for any of their horses. But the payout on these odds is much higher - if he makes it to Stallionhood, Barbaro will fetch some high fees as a stud.

I've lurked until now, but this whole incident has me fired up.
Take a good look at a horse race winner. For every one you see wearing roses, there's dozens more lame or dead from being pushed too hard too early. The growth plates in horses legs don't close until around 2+ years of age. Everybody's looking at the replays and don't see why the leg shattered. Duh....could it be too much stress on a growing bone?
And, not to be too much of a cynic, but while they're "healing" this stud's leg, I'm sure they'll be collecting semen as often as possible to sell. At a hundred grand or more a pop (pun intended?), I'm sure they'll be able to pay the vet bill.

I wish someone could collect and sell my se...

oh, sorry.

They may sell his sperm but if they do they can't register the foal for racing. TBs have to have clear bloodlines for registration for racing so the stallion has to actually mate the mare.

Is that a hockey helmet on the head of one of the vets?

I guess it's insurance against being kicked by an improperly anaesthetized horse?

rough job...

Maybe he needs the helmet because he's about to collect some sperm and the horse will get rowdy.

..i bet Barbaro can make a mean 'Map of Hawaii' on that vet

They say he's flirting with the mares. That's a good sign

This looks like what would happen if I tried to build a deck.

i think its time we put UT out to stud.

Bri? you up for it?

Hey hey, I'm brokered out to another filly

"hit me ya five card stud"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brianna They say he's flirting with the mares. That's a good sign

In human terms, he's already rich & famous and if what he's got to look forward to doesn't give him the "will to live",........well...ALPO.

Welcome to the Cellar, queenb. You make a good point, of course, but considering what we do to future ballet dancers and gymnasts, it all seems natural.

Hello UltraViolence, welcome to the Cellar.
Stick around and that registration won't be wasted, since you told us in Post #18 (in this thread) what we already knew in post #4.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ubergeek He might be a horse, but he's still a guy... if a guy were being strapped into an electric chair, and one of the guards was a woman, he'd flirt with her.

It doesn't look good for the big guy.

Barbaro Takes a Bad Turn

Barbaro Euthanized

It just got worse.

Ah, that sucks.

Just this morning I heard an interview with his Vet. He said that Barbaro was still eating and bright-eyed, and did not look like a horse in pain or ready to give up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spexxvet Just this morning I heard an interview with his Vet. He said that Barbaro was still eating and bright-eyed, and did not look like a horse in pain or ready to give up.

Was Barbaro a stallion, gelding or mare? I honestly don't know, but, if a stallion, I assume he was thoroughly milked prior to having been put down...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elspode Was Barbaro a stallion, gelding or mare? I honestly don't know, but, if a stallion, I assume he was thoroughly milked prior to having been put down...

Barbaro was a colt. Only 4 years old. A baby.

They were pretty sure he would never be able to be put to stud as he didn't have much of a chance to put all his weight on his back legs. Artificial insemination is against horse racing rules.

It's as sad as when they had to euthanize Ruffian after her match race with Foolish Pleasure.

Aww... poor guy.
My daughter heard the news on KYW in the car today and she's very sad. He was her pick in the Derby and Preakness last year.... she felt a connection.
I commend the owners and vets for trying so hard, and for knowing when enough was enough, it must have been a really hard decision.

Great link, MilkFish! Ruffian is my all-time fave TB. Her courage was unequalled and her greatness never fully realized...
hh

Despite the possible profit in stud fees, I was very surprised they didn't euthenize Barbaro on the track. I remember Ruffian, too. It's a shame.

I think they would have needed 20 years of stud fees to recoup what they would have received from insurance with euthanasia on the track. Far more profitable to have euthanized him, but they felt he had given so much to them, they should try to give back to him and give him a chance to live.

Regardless, his case has given new hope to other leg/hoof injuries and inspirational means of treatment.

What's sad is the continual press for faster horses. This means the breeding selects for thinner legs and smaller bones. The smaller and stiffer,(read brittle), the bones the faster the horse. And... the more often their legs will snap like a dry saltine. We will see this more and more often. It's what happens when we start selective breeding for one trait. Rather like Irish Setters that were bred for that classy look until they were utterly brainless.

Let me try to show this.
A modern cutting horse that has to be agile (turn a lot and quickly).


Poor Barbaro a thorobred bred for speed only. Notice the thin legs.

[cue intense piano playing]
Once again, The Philly Curse has struck!!!
The Eagles.....
The Phillies.....
the Flyers......
and now Barbaro
Godspeed

So sad. They didn't give him time to answer all the cards and letters wishing him well.

26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoof Hearted ...Regardless, his case has given new hope to other leg/hoof injuries and inspirational means of treatment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPUCK What's sad is the continual press for faster horses. This means the breeding selects for thinner legs and smaller bones. The smaller and stiffer,(read brittle), the bones the faster the horse. And... the more often their legs will snap like a dry saltine. We will see this more and more often. It's what happens when we start selective breeding for one trait.

Put some Clydesdale in for more fun. The entertainment is not in how fast they run, it's in how closely they're matched.

Oh, sure, you say you're just mixing in a little Clydesdale, but someone gets carried away and this is what we'll get:Attachment 11734

What's your point, Luddite?

They cleverly got around the obvious wing-size-to-weight issues by adding rocket nostrils.

He's sneezing from the Magic Dust.