Hm … no ice? No snow??
Might I suggest … SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA???
Works for me. 
Go, Bobby, Go.
He looks very happy. The leg looks bad, but solid. I think the gait won’t get too much better - he has to compensate for the lack of movement in the fetlock joint by lifting the whole leg higher.
As for breeding, well, I think he may well be the best shot there ever will be at getting the JC to allow AI. And FWIW, you can collect from the ground - no jumping or mare/dummy mounting required! And I certainly wouldn’t want to attempt live cover with him - one wrong step by a mare would be a disaster.
[QUOTE=olympicdreams04;2079781]
I doubt that he will ever get the pleasure of being turned out alone, much less running again. It makes me sick to my stomach to see everything he has gone through (especially the deformity of the limb and his subsequently painfully stick gait), but I am glad he looks happy enough. Keep your ears up, Barbaro![/QUOTE]
Ehhhh…it hasn’t even been a year yet. I have seen quite a few horses have these weird spontaneous improvements after being so badly injured that vets were suggesting euthanasia. I think if he can continue to walk around and move around, that the scar tissue will diminish and the leg will become more flexible again. It may take a year or two more but I suspect that horse will be able to canter again. He may never trot sound but I can see him having a very good quality of life.
I love the updates - it’s so great to hear how he is doing in such a personalized way!
“Horse Park Could Be In Barbaro’s Future”
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/sports/16287471.htm
Read it carefully. Sounds like some long-shot speculation to me.
[QUOTE=hitchinmygetalong;2080745]
“Horse Park Could Be In Barbaro’s Future”
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/sports/16287471.htm
Read it carefully. Sounds like some long-shot speculation to me.[/QUOTE]
I think Mrs. Jackson has already shot down that rumor.
I watched him walking on a news clip last night and have to admit I gasped out loud at the sight of that hind leg. I’m very shocked at how run under it is. Is he going to stay sound on a leg like that?? 
I have not followed the Barbaro thing at all because I have very strong opinions on what should have been done - but anyway - suffice it to say that I have a dog with a plate in his hock and a measely 3 screws in the bone and I know the pain and suffering this dog has endured.
He’s going on 3 years of recovery now and he’s on medication for arthritis, and his leg has to stay wrapped in a heat wrap during cold/damp periods to keep him comfortable. The leg cannot be bumped or knocked on anything or he screams out. My husband and I are extremely cautious to monitor the leg and the dog’s pain level daily. 99% of the time he seems to be in no pain at all, but the leg is very deformed and has to be regularly radiographed to watch for changes. He was in a car accident and the leg was broken in 3 places.
I just cannot imagine the pain and suffering Barbaro has endured, and will continue to endure. And seeing the end result of that right hind leg makes me shake my head. It’s just unbelievable. Sometimes I think people just try to do WAY too much. If my dog’s pain ever becomes unmanageable or it affects his happiness, he will be euthanized without a second thought. I love him too much to let him suffer. I just hope to god that Barbaro’s people would do the same. You cannot keep an animal alive just so he can be a “hero.” There are worse fates than death. I truly hope the horse is not in pain, and I hope that leg continues to mend. A leg like that just can’t stay sound for another 20 years.
Two Simple ~ The most pressing focus was to make sure Barbaro wasn’t in any pain. That was stated in every news cast, interview, etc.
Pain Management was Job # 1.
I finally watched the video. He looks like a very happy horse. I was surprised at how well he walks on the laminitic (sp?) hoof. He can’t bend the right ankle, so I imagine the hitch in the right leg will always be there but hopefully will diminish. Maybe I’ve been around horses and vet hospitals too long, but it doesn’t shock me the way it seems to shock others.
I think it was very brave of NBC to release the video, as I’m sure they anticipated the attacks and second-guessing from “experts” :uhoh: .
I have a huge crush on Dr. Richardson . Heck, I have a crush on Barbaro and the Jacksons too :lol: :lol: . These are very special people.
Thanks, VB, for the updates.
Bloodhorse is running this story: Barbaro Update: Derby Winner’s New Home Undecided, so while nothing has yet been finalised, it seems the Kentucky Horse Park has been ruled out as Barbaro’s next home.
I had posted this on the previous page which indicated the KHP has been eliminated as a site.
I’m betting on Florida.
Michael Matz is there, and Barbaro can have his turnout, etc.
Friday Morning ~
Update 1220: Another look at a piece of the Penn Video taken of Barbaro on wednesday, this time included in a story from KWTX.com: Barbaro Beats The Odds. Access the link “Raw Video: Barbaro Walks Again”. You can also vote for the Top stories in Delaware: From Barbaro to Branner.
Thanks, Alex.
I sincerely hope so, but it was still surprising to see it in TODAY’S on-line paper (though the article was dated 12/21). The whole article reeks of something not quite right. Especially this quote:
But the Horse Park has not discussed this with the Jacksons, according to Nicholson.
“We don’t think it’s appropriate for us to aggressively solicit the horse until his owners and his medical team feel that he’s comfortable and stable,” Nicholson said.
“…solicit the horse…” - for what? To get him in there to draw more people through the gate? Shameful.:no:
Well I sincerely do hope that the leg becomes more usable. This horse is going to have a long life full of arthritis and stiffness and undoubtedly pain as it is. And remember its not just the leg that’s affected. It is the entire horse all the way up to the hips, the back, the neck, and so on. On the news last night they talked about how much the horse’s owners loved him and they did all this as an act of love. People don’t keep animals alive through adverse conditions because they love the animal. They keep them alive because they love THEMSELF too much.
i admit my first reaction to seeing the video of Barbaro walking sans cast/wrap brought me to a misty-eyed place but then i look at his eye, his carriage, his evident and obvious (to me) spirit (and am still misty-eyed). the short term looks great, the long term… i am sure the Jacksons and all others directly involved are aware and concerned with such.
I think to judge an animal’s pain and suffering by human standards is to do the animal a disservice. While they seem to share some of our emotions they handle pain differently than we do. Occasionally we have to “play God” with an animal’s life but mostly they tell us whether they need to stay or go.
Barbaro has evinced nothing but a resounding STAY during the entire process. While his racing was no doubt great, his ability to stay the course and do it positively and with such joy is what makes him a truly great horse.
VB, as always, many thanks.
Well, I for one have learned through this entire process…
Don’t Bet Against Barbaro.
There was a mare that had a similar hind end injury to Barbaro’s that NBC took care of…I believe VB even referenced it quite some time ago. That mare required a year of therapy after she was released from NBC before she could be bred. Anytime anyone person or animal has been that imobile for such a length of time there is quite a bit of therapy that has to be done. Dr. Richardson even stated that had it not been for the laminitis, Barbaro would be undergoing a much more agressive PT program. So I think that Barbaro’s use of the hind leg will get much better once the left foot permits a more agressive PT program to begin. This mare also had to go to a smaller farm where she could get the kind of ongoing care her injury required. I am sure the Jacksons will select the very best place for Barbaro to go to to continue his care. I believe the name of the mare was Dancininmydreams…I am sure if I am wrong about that VB can provide the correct name.
[B]tradewind, you are correct!
[/B]Here is a link to the article:
Barbaro doesn’t look like a horse in pain to me. How can anyone predict that his future will be painful? Everyone (even animals) has a different pain tolerance. I think that if Barbaro had ever, at any time, through all of this, given Dr. Richardson and the Jacksons any sign that all of this was too much for him, different decisions would have been made. This is a horse that wanted to live. His owners and doctors enbraced his will to live, and give him everything they had. I think Barbaro looks great. Let’s not look for the “dark cloud”. Everyone agress that he has beaten the odds so far. Let’s light those candles for a bright and comfortable future for Barbaro!
I know VB already quoted from Dr. Richardson’s article Lessons learned from Barbaro. I love that article for its honesty, and this part really summed it up for me, and I think it’s worth quoting again:
When the four of us–the Jacksons, trainer Michael Matz, and me–were discussing the gravity of the situation, there were no dry eyes. But the nice thing is that there was one other individual there taking part in the decision who didn’t have tears in his eyes. That was Barbaro! Because he was just standing there–looking like a great horse–telling us that he wanted to go on.
Perfect! :yes:
