Barbaro Enjoying Quiet Holiday Weekend

yahoo.com ^ | 5/28/06 | unknown

[beyond the sea]

(snip) — KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Barbaro is enjoying a quiet Memorial Day weekend, good news for the Kentucky Derby winner who is a week removed from surgery for a life-threatening injury.

"Barbaro is doing very well and seems perfectly content spending his holiday weekend at New Bolton Center receiving abundant carrots, apples and veterinary attention," said Corinne Sweeney, executive director at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.

[onyx]

Sweet!
Thanks for the ping!

[Rte66]

Yeah, his 2nd racing year.

[Rte66]

Just think of all the animals that will be helped because of Barbaro. Wow.

[Pajamajan]

Bookmark

[Rte66]

Gail Luciani at the New Bolton Center posted today:

~~~~
" ... Beginning today, updates on Barbaro’s condition will be made weekly, unless there is a significant change to report.

June 12, 2006 ..."
~~~~

>>>I think that's good news! And here's a post-Belmont story that incorporates today's update as well, with a good little Q&A included:

~~~~
http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?ID=7073

Barbaro Treated to Carrots and Sugar Following TV Appearance
by: The Blood-Horse Staff
June 2006 Article # 7073

Because he continues to improve daily, Barbaro was allowed by his veterinarians to make a special televised appearance during ABC Sports' coverage of the Belmont Stakes Saturday, June 10.

"He is just fine and he has been enjoying some homegrown carrots and sugar cubes today," Dr. Corinne Sweeney, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's New Bolton Center, said Monday. "We are very pleased with his progress."

Barbaro, winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, is recovering from a shattered hind leg sustained at the Preakness May 20, and remains in intensive care at the medical facility.

Dr. James Serpell, Marie A. Moore Professor of Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare, and head of Penn's Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society, answers the question:

Why does Barbaro continue to attract so much public attention?

Barbaro is the latest in a long line of equine heroes going as far back as Bucephalus, Alexander the Great's famous steed, who helped his owner found the Hellenistic empire before eventually dying of battle wounds in 326 BC.

Then there was George Armstrong Custer's horse, Comanche, reputedly the only US Cavalry survivor of the battle of Little Big Horn who was nursed back to health and became a national legend until his death in 1890, or Seabiscuit, the rags-to-riches racehorse, who made history and ultimately became the subject of a major motion picture.

Why do heroic animals inspire such intense emotions?

Partly, I think, because they perform their acts of heroism for us, and not of their own volition. While we may feel intense admiration and concern for human warriors and athletes who put themselves at risk of injury or death, our sympathy is always tempered by the belief that they were aware of the risks and were willing to face them.

With animals we cannot shelter realistically behind this assumption. The racehorse races because he is bred, and trained, and ridden for this purpose by humans, not because he chooses to compete with other horses at the racetrack. So a horse like Barbaro who gives his all for us, and who is maimed (perhaps fatally) in the process, is an immensely powerful symbol of self-sacrifice.

[Rte66]

Here is yet another "take" on the possible brush with Brother Derek - more eyes have seen the video now and it's still inconclusive.

I hope Barbaro is loving his new cast today - no more itchiness for a while and the little aggravating heel rubs are gone, too. Atta boy!

*Apple wishes and peppermint dreams* for B today!

~~~~~
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/horseracing/bal-sp.barbaro15jun15,0,3240356.story?coll=bal-sports-horse

Barbaro's injury reviewed -- closely
Analysis of race video shows possible contact with Brother Derek; jockey Solis says 'no way'

By Sandra McKee
Sun reporter
Originally published June 15, 2006

Questions have been swirling for more than three weeks about how Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro broke his right rear leg in the May 20 Preakness Stakes.

The biggest one is: What happened?

Yesterday, Maryland Jockey Club president and chief operating officer Lou Raffetto showed The Sun the stewards' video of the Preakness frame by frame in his Pimlico Race Course office.

The tape shows what could have happened as Brother Derek got a late start from the gate and trailed Barbaro down the track. At about the eighth pole, Barbaro appears to have an open path to the front, but for some reason swerves to his right, into an opening for which Brother Derek is aiming.

When Brother Derek's jockey, Alex Solis, sees Barbaro directly in front of him, he sits back and puts all his strength into pulling up his horse. Just as the horses enter a shadowed area, a side view shows Brother Derek's right front leg and Barbaro's right rear leg coming close. The shadow, however, obscures a clear image of whether their legs came in contact.

But in the next instant, Brother Derek's head is pulled strongly right, Barbaro's head comes up and his jockey, Edgar Prado, realizes something is wrong and makes his first effort to pull up his horse.

"It sure looks like something happened there," Raffetto said. "But as I've said, you can't be 100 percent sure. We decided, because it wasn't definitive, not to make it public. What difference would it make anyway? It doesn't change anything."

The Maryland Racing Commission decided at its regular monthly meeting Tuesday that it will look at the tape.

When Prado visited Barbaro two weeks ago at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa., he was asked whether Brother Derek made contact. His answer was as shadowy as the tape.

"Maybe he did and maybe he didn't," Prado said. "It's one of those things we'll never know for sure."

But Solis told The Bloodhorse Magazine on May 30: "There's no way he could have struck Barbaro; I would have felt it. We were close behind him, but not that close. Getting that close to him and going that speed, if I had struck him, I would have gone down."

The tape offers plausible alternatives, more plausible than the idea that Barbaro hurt himself in the starting gate, because the only thing that appears certain is that when Barbaro, who had another good day of recovery yesterday, broke from the gate he was a healthy racehorse able to run.
~~~

[Rte66]

From Baltimore Sun Sports Digest today 6-16-06

" ....
Fit appears good for Barbaro's cast

After checking Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro's cast, the horse's surgeon, Dr. Dean Richardson, said by all indications Barbaro, who is recovering from a broken leg he suffered in the Preakness, should be able to wear his new cast for several weeks because the fit appears to be as good as the original. Dr. Corinne Sweeney, director of the George D. Widener Animal Hospital for Large Animals, said Richardson described Barbaro's chance of survival as "considerably better" than the 51-49 percent chance he gave the horse about 2 1/2 weeks ago. ..."

Attaboy, Bobby! Good odds!

[Rte66]

[A good news story about our favorite injured thoroughbred (unless you have one of your own, in which case Barbaro would be 2nd on your list!)]

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=34064

Barbaro Doing Great a Month After Breakdown
by The Associated Press
Date Posted: 6/18/2006 3:03:48 PM
Last Updated: 6/18/2006 3:03:48 PM

By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
AP Racing Writer

His coat gleaming and muscles rippling, Barbaro still has the look of a champion.
One month after the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner's life-threatening breakdown in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), the colt remains cooped up in the intensive care unit at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.

But he's making such steady improvement even surgeon Dean Richardson can't help but smile when discussing the world's most famous equine patient.

"This horse has had a remarkably smooth progression of events, he's just done everything right so far," Richardson said. "He's a lively, bright, happy horse. If you asked me a month ago, I would have gladly accepted where we are today."
.....
In his spacious corner stall, Barbaro walked around with head held high, sporting a new fiberglass cast that protects the catastrophic injuries to his right hind ankle at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on May 20.

Once a visitor stepped inside his cubicle, the bay colt approached with eyes bright, ears up and barely a hitch in his step. He eagerly devoured a handful of sugar cubes, followed by a peppermint for dessert, then shook his head up and down and gave a little whinny as if asking for a second helping.

"When someone walks in the door, he's ready to head out -- not because he's bored or frustrated, but because he's full of energy," says Dr. Corinne Sweeney, the hospital's executive director who sees Barbaro nearly every day. "He's been full of energy since he came in here and he remains that way."

Barbaro is working on a new life, and these days he's the master of his domain in the six-stall ICU. Mares have come and gone since his arrival, and Barbaro has flirted with many of them. In the neonatal ICU -- elsewhere in the building -- Barbaro's former mare-next-door was tending to her premature foal. Over the weekend, a stallion replaced the mare as Barbaro's new neighbor.

The day Jazil won the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), June 10, ABC Sports visited Barbaro and put him on television. There was even a TV set placed in the ICU. Would Barbaro watch the Belmont?

At first, he seemed interested: When the call to the post sounded, the 3-year-old colt walked to the front of his stall, ears pricked and head up, Sweeney said. By the time the field turned for home, though, Barbaro had turned away, walked to the back of his stall and relieved himself.
....
For the most part, Barbaro is a cooperative patient.

"He's very personable, he knows his job," Sweeney said. If someone comes in to groom him or clean his stall, "he kind of moves over as if he's saying, `OK, I don't want to fight you. You're just trying to do your job."'

While Barbaro appears friendly, frisky and a bit feisty -- a note on his stall door read: Caution: Bites. He's got a long road to recovery, and the staff at the New Bolton Center knows complications could develop at any time.

Months of healing remain before the cast comes off for good and decisions are made about Barbaro's future, but Richardson was feeling better after fitting the colt with a new hock-to-hoof cast last week. His left hind leg has been fitted with a special shoe and support apparatus to ensure his weight is evenly distributed.

Most encouraging was Richardson's first look at the 18-inch incision he made to piece together three broken bones with a titanium plate and 27 screws.

"I was thrilled to see the incision had healed fairly well," Richardson said. "There's not a lot to see in X-rays after just three weeks, but everything looked fine. We're very encouraged."
....
The only visible blemish on Barbaro is the blistered skin on his left side, caused by the sling used for his initial surgery, and then again when the cast was changed. As with humans, wearing a cast is not the most comfortable thing in the world.

"Horses aren't usually capable of taking a pen or a coat hanger and guiding it down there and scratching it," Richardson said. "All he can do is stomp his foot."

The day after the Preakness, Richardson and a team of doctors performed perhaps the most complex surgery of the surgeon's career -- a five-hour plus procedure. Afterward, Richardson told a hospital conference hall full of reporters that Barbaro's chance of survival was a "coin toss." It could have been a lot worse.

Ten days later, he revised the figure to 51 percent, calling Barbaro an elite athlete and a model patient who knows how to take care of himself.

Today, Richardson is guardedly optimistic. He says the odds are "going up," and adds: "Until he actually walks out of the hospital with no cast on, the radiographs look normal and he's bearing full weight, it won't even jump to 75 percent.

"If and when that happens, it will probably creep up ... and when I decide it's time to leave the hospital, maybe I'll finally admit that something worked," he said.
....
The next major concern is the healing process: Will the bones heal before the hardware begins to loosen?

"He's a large active horse and the metal really isn't meant to bear the weight for a very long period of time," Richardson said. "There's always this race between healing the fracture and continued structural support from the implant. If they start to fail, that could be a problem, so that is a continued concern."
....
Owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson, who live down the road in West Grove, Pa., are daily visitors, as is trainer Michael Matz. They remain amazed at the colt's ability to handle so much adversity.

"If that was me in that stall, I don't think I'd have as good an attitude he has," Roy Jackson said. "He just seems to know he's got to go through this. It was the same thing with his racing. He knew what he had to do and did it."
....
But now, hopes are high for Barbaro. He still receives e-mail at www.vet.upenn.edu/barbaro/ -- no indication that he is computer literate -- and cards, flowers, stuffed animals and posters keep pouring in.

"I just can't explain why everyone is so caught up in this horse," Roy Jackson said. "Everything is so negative now in the world, people love animals and I think they just happen to latch onto him. People are looking for a hero, for something positive. The fact that he's gotten through this and is a fighter, people seem to relate to that."
....
The Jacksons will be spending tens of thousands of dollars as Barbaro wends his way toward recovery. If he is able to breed -- male Thoroughbreds must stand on their hind legs during breeding sessions -- he will be able to pass along some of his regal genes. But even with a full recovery, Richardson said Barbaro always would have a hitch in his giddyup. That is not a bad thing, though.

"Actually, he could run around, he could trot, but he wouldn't have a symmetrical gait," Richardson said. "A best scenario is he would have an asymmetrical gait but would be absolutely comfortable."
....
Thoughts of a Triple Crown -- Matz will always believe Barbaro could have been the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978 -- have been replaced by a more pastoral vision.

"I hope he heals up so he can at least be out in a field and have some grass and be in more of a natural environment," Jackson said. "That's what we're hoping for."

The Jacksons are not alone.

"It's impossible for us to thank everybody who has supported the horse as he goes through this," Jackson said. "It's meant the world to all of us."

[Rte66]

Pings to all who have posted on the most recent 4 Barbaro threads!

I'm so excited about this, I'm jumping up and down to post it. Most will think I'm being silly, but I know some are Breyers collectors (or may be one soon!) and there's probably still a Beanie Baby person left on the planet ... check this out!

~~~~~

6-21-06

Barbaro enjoys another good day

Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner who is recovering from a broken right rear leg, had another good day yesterday at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.

His owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, also reported they have signed with The Breyers Line and Beanie Babies to produce a plastic replica and Beanie Baby of Barbaro, respectively.

"Any and all the money that is earned from these items is going to the New Bolton Barbaro Fund or other horse-related charity," Gretchen Jackson said.

~~~~~~

[stopem]

Glad to hear he is doing well.

[Help!]

Can't wait for the Breyer. We have a collection of the great racehorses.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

"Most will think I'm being silly, "

Nah. Anerica loves and needs Champions (esp now), and Barbaro is one.

[apackof2]

So glad to hear about Barbaro and I would buy a "Barbaro Beanie Baby" since the proceeds are going to a horse-related charity

I would buy one anyways

[apackof2]

For an extra speical treat I give "my" Missy small pure maple syrup candy, besides the apples, carrots and field corn on the cob

She LOVES her treats and gets annoyed if I give any to the other horses so I have to do it on the sly, LOL

[AnAmericanMother]

I'll have to try the maple syrup candy and see what the Gracie Mare thinks. She doesn't like peppermints very much, her fave is the molasses-and-oatmeal cookies.

[conservativebabe]

What a neat idea.

[STARWISE]

How awesome!!! This baby is a Super Star .. with legendary adoration and interest. I'm so happy .. and he is blessed with truly wonderful owners and fantastic doctors. I pray he continues to recover and thrive, finds a way to make lots of little Barbaros, and enjoys a healthy retirement for years and years at pasture.

How neat -- Breyer is announcing it, and also has Afleet Alex and Ruffian at their site.

Hartland was another company besides Breyer, who made plastic models. I ended up being an accidental Hartland collector when I found a whole sack full of the horses and TV series cowboys that previous owners had left in the attic. Luckily, unlike just about everything else, they survived Hurricane Andrew. I had no clue what they were, but they moved with me more than once, and I'm so glad I held onto them and researched what they were. I was stunned at how much I got for them on eBay about 7 yrs ago.

For those who don't know, here's an example of Hartland models.

on eBay.

Model horses - Wikipedia

[xarmydog]

Looks like you have touched the hearts of many a good horse lover out there! Good going.

[SHOOT THE MOON bat]

Thanks so much for the info. There have been many Breyer horses bought in our house...looks like there's going to be one more. Fun stuff.

[Rte66]

Isn't it a great idea for fund-raising - and a wonderful salute to a horse with a heart as big as ... well, I'd normally say "Texas" here, but you get the idea.

Many continued prayers and good wishes for Barbaro! And next time, I'll use my head and remember that Breyer doesn't have an "s" on the end, even if the horse magazine spells it that way!

I have a few Breyer horses and a Brahma bull, a Hereford cow, and my very favorite, a sacred White Buffalo. I think that one probably was issued when the Janesville, WI, white buffalo calf, Miracle, was born in 1994, but I'm not sure.

Miracle was why I bought the model one - although Miracle did not become a white adult bison, like my model is. She changed to all the colors of people - white, red, yellow, black, as predicted in Indian legend, and died at 10 years old, before we knew if she would have changed back to her original white.

Once again, way to go, Barbaro!