Going mad! Can anyone update on Barbaro and his condition PLEASE?

[Little Quacker in OR]

Hope someone out there has heard how he is and what the diagnosis is? Not a word in the papers here in our little town of course...our paper comes out every Weds whether we need it or not! LOL

Thanks! LQ

[Ravenlost]

Check this out: http://msn.foxsports.com/horseracing...24450?GT1=8192

Barbaro, thought by many to be a serious contender for the Triple Crown, was diagnosed with a fracture above and below his ankle. Dr. Larry Bramlage, of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, called it a "life-threatening" injury.

Surgery was set for Sunday at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, a veterinary facility, in Kennett Square, Pa.


Made me sick to my stomach when I saw he'd fractured his leg. I'm glad I didn't see it on TV.

[myheaven]

my computer is running to slow it wont even run a google search. Im wondering how he is to. He didnt look good. Everyone I was with was in tears. You could tell he broke something The way his hoof was hanging. THe poor animal. He was trying to kick them as they were getting near him to load him in the ambulance. Ill keep trying to do a search.

[Ravenlost]

And more...

"It's a serious fracture. This will require pretty major surgery," Bramlage said. "Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer. His career is over. This is very life-threatening.

"Under the best circumstances, we will try to save him as a stallion."

Bramlage said a human would have to spend six weeks in bed with a comparable fracture, "with a horse that's impossible."

Barbaro was taken back to his barn, where he was X-rayed, tranquilized and stabilized before being transported to the hospital.

[Little Quacker in OR]

Thank you so much...I was going nuts just wondering what was happening! Man, how sad is that!

Thanks, appreciate it.

LQ

[ChickenMom]

That's sad indeed, I got really excited watching him run the Kentucky Derby, He is truly a special horse.

[FreightTrain]

At least 2 months before the injury is no longer life threatening.

Soon as it happened to Barbaro I HAD to turn it off..
i had totally forgotten why i had left thoroughbred racing 20 years ago.. until today. it bothered me to see horses put down who injured themselves during races.... then hauled away in the "meat wagon" Thankfully, i never had a horse put down that i walked or groomed.

[Oilpatch197]

Originally Posted by FreightTrain

At least 2 months before the injury is no longer life threatening.

Soon as it happened to Barbaro I HAD to turn it off..
i had totally forgotten why i had left thoroughbred racing 20 years ago.. until today. it bothered me to see horses put down who injured themselves during races.... then hauled away in the "meat wagon" Thankfully, i never had a horse put down that i walked or groomed.

EXACLTY why I hate horse racing, too many Jockies and drugs and pushing the horses to the limit, never liked horse racing, especially the gambling!!

[Brighid1971]

I caught this thread because we were watching the report live on NBC10 news--

http://www.nbc10.com/news/9249591/detail.html

After Barbaro suffered a life-threatening injury at the Preakness, trainer Michael Matz said surgery would be performed Sunday afternoon on the star race horse.

Barbaro suffered upper and lower leg fractures during the race, won by Bernardini.

Barbaro was transported back to Kennett Square for medical treatment. However, the severity of the injury could cut off circulation to Barbaro’s leg, which makes the injury life threatening.

The horse false started and had to be put back in the starting gate at the start of the Preakness. Then Barbaro pulled up near the first turn and jockey Edgar Prado guided Barbaro to the side of the race track.

Fans were crying in the grandstand as the horse was loaded into an ambulance and taken away, his injured leg in an inflatable cast.

Prado was also tears on the race track.

Dr. Larry Bramlage, the attending veterinarian for the race, said Barbaro suffered a fracture above and below the ankle.

"It's a serious fracture. This will require pretty major surgery. ... Keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer," he said.

NBC 10 camera crews were at the scene when Barbaro left the area behind the track, but were asked not to film the horse’s departure.

Barbarao, the Kentucky Derby winner, was the overwhelming 3-5 favorite. The only other horses at less than 10-1 were Brother Derek (3-1) and Sweetnorthernsaint (9-1).

Four straight favorites lost from 1997-2000. Since then, favorites had won five in a row entering Saturday's race.

During the days headed into the race, Barbaro's foes sold the notion that the Derby winner was the horse to beat.

``He's passed all the tests. He's got one more coming this week,'' said Mike Trombetta, trainer for Sweetnorthernsaint.

Since 1909, 15 Preakness winners have won from the No. 6 post position, which happened to be where Barbaro started Saturday.

Affirmed, the last Triple Crown winner, broke from the 6-hole in the 1978 Preakness.

The next race in the Triple Crown series will be the Belmont Stakes in New York, in three weeks.

He's here at the University of Pennsylvania's vet hospital Good luck Barbaro...

[BillyGoat]

The only news I heard tonight was he had several fractures, but did go through surgery. I haven't heard any long term results of it though. Though you know he won't race.

[Oilpatch197]

the Horse will probably never see racing again, saved for breeding at the ranch.

[wolfheart23]

As of this morning, he is supposedly doing fine. Had a 7 hour surgery to fix several fractures. He will never race again, but I imagine he will have a leisurely life as a stud (that's not so bad is it

[steff bugielski]

As of this morning he still only has a 50/50 chance of survival. Even though the surgury went well.
steff

[GrannyG]

The Abilene Reporter news stated Barbado is back on his feet. Surgery was more than 5 hours and the bones were put back in place to fuse the joint by inserting a plate and 23 screws to repair damage so severe that most horses wouldn't have survived it.They state chances are still a "coin toss". He is such a magnificent animal. I am praying he makes it.

[Cygnet]

Thorobred racing requires live cover. With this sort of injury he may never be sound enough to cover a mare.

Says something about the owners that they're trying to save him even when he may NOT be able to breed. A lot of owners would have just put the horse down and taken the insurance settlement.
Leva

Originally Posted by wolfheart23

As of this morning, he is supposedly doing fine. Had a 7 hour surgery to fix several fractures. He will never race again, but I imagine he will have a leisurely life as a stud (that's not so bad is it

[Little Quacker in OR]

Like many of you I finally got on to finding the live feeds and news updates from the Surgeon etc. Forgot I had The HOrseracing Channel! Duhhh!

Things are still bleak for the beautiful boy but at least he has a chance. The surgeon said this morning(as many of you probably know that saw the Conference) that there's many months and months, maybe a year, of recovery time, even if things go " perfect".

One of the points that I found interesting(besides all the info on the fantastic facilities there)was that they don't do any physical therapy during recovery per se as with this type of devastating injury they want the pastern to fuse. Hmmmm. It would quite interesting to be with the team as this brave horse goes through the stages.

thanks again you guys..............LQ

[RandB]

The one possibly good thing that can come from this devastating injury, I think, is that it will show just exactly what the limits of modern equine medicine are, when the vets are allowed to do anything and everything possible, with money as no object. I sure hope he survives to breed. I think he will be able to do his "duty" just fine if the fetlock fuses. I have seen horses with worse than one fused ankle live an amazingly normal life.

[MichelleB]

Such a devastating injury, and a tough decision to make, regardless of the colt's potential as a stud. My dad and I owned a mare--purchased for practically nothing, and a couple years later we had stud owners around the region wanting to use her in their breeding programs. But at age 5 in a freak accident she suffered a similar break--and there was no way we'd make her go through the months of recovery. Even if she could eventully carry a pregnancy to term, or even as a beloved pet--we let her go.

Thing is, I was 12 and my dad deferred to my judgment. Was the hardest decision I could ever make, but a good one.

It would be interesting to see x-rays of how they surgically mended the breaks--indeed, vet science has made great advances in the last 20 years, but I hope compassion wasn't overruled by economics here.

[airotciv]

Such a sad day for the racing community. I have to say thank you to the owners for trying, instead of just putting him down. Odds are not good, but surgery has come along way. I use to work for a large animal Vet 30 years ago. Then it was sure death. Now, we have hope. I have helped my Vet (in resent years) in surgery with dogs/cats/ horses and cows, that would have been put down, and now they are up and living a good life. Horses/ cows are harder to work with (because they must stand), but there is hope and if you can spend the money. Not many of us can spend ???? on Vets. But I sure hope he makes it.

[dcross]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...3079804668.jpg

Looks like they let Tim Allen at it with a nail gun!