should we let the candles go out? Or keep them alive with his memory? He lives in all of us our hearts and heads. Just because he has left us in body not in spirit…Today when I hugged my horse I only hope I have the courage to do what is right when it is his time…The gallantry of the horse and ALL the people involved is amazing…Let us all learn from them and keep his spirit alive…
VB there are no words to express your dedication to us other than THANK YOU. It was hard today checking my computer, which became a daily ritual, with no Barbaro, had a comfotable night in there, We all came here for a reason but the reason has not ended. We must continue his work…AMEN to that…
I have continued to light candles over the past few days just to say thanks for the memories. Like a pp pointed out, it’s for gratefulness, and I want to be sure my gratefulness is shared.
I must say I’m a bit surprised at the cremation news, though I have no idea why. I also know the Jacksons will do something wonderful for Barbaro’s fans in that we will be able to visit a memorial of some sort and continue to express our love for him.
I haven’t heard anything on Edgar, but I am sending a card to the address at New Bolton that VB shared yesterday specifically for him. Afterall, he was also emotionally attached AND was a major reason we had another 8 months with the big guy!
I thought everyone handled themselves well on Larry King and I forced myself to watch the whole thing. Bo Derek surprised the heck out of me, Jack Hanna looked nervous, the Jacksons and Dean R were the epitome of class as always and the PETA woman was…well…a joke. She came across to me as ill informed, and sensationalistic. She had about 2 good points and that was it but actually it made me happy that her appearance probably did not win more than 3 people over to her argument that didn’t already know it. If that’s the best PETA has to offer other than the radicals, I think they need to start doing their homework to appear a lot more educated.
Here in NC cremation of a horse normally is the head and heart only. I wonder if that’s true in PA? Please notice I have said “normally”…I suspect if one wanted to cremate the whole body, a suitable crematorium would be found. I am curious because that was going to be a tough decision for us when we put our great horse down several years ago. When I was told that “normal” cremation was head and heart, I found that so appropriate for a horse. In the end our decision was burial over cremation and I don’t know that we had a specific reason for one over the other at the time.
I’m all for keeping the candles going for personal reasons. I light a candle each morning when I’ve finished my morning prayers, so lighting one for B’s memory is a good thing to me too! It is interesting how “rituals” become a fabric of one’s life. I haven’t wanted to let this thread go yet either and I sincerely appreciate COTH for allowing us the space to have updates and now thoughts of Barbaro.
[QUOTE=eggbutt;2183061]
Here in NC cremation of a horse normally is the head and heart only. I wonder if that’s true in PA? Please notice I have said “normally”…I suspect if one wanted to cremate the whole body, a suitable crematorium would be found. I am curious because that was going to be a tough decision for us when we put our great horse down several years ago. When I was told that “normal” cremation was head and heart, I found that so appropriate for a horse. In the end our decision was burial over cremation and I don’t know that we had a specific reason for one over the other at the time.
I’m all for keeping the candles going for personal reasons. I light a candle each morning when I’ve finished my morning prayers, so lighting one for B’s memory is a good thing to me too! It is interesting how “rituals” become a fabric of one’s life. I haven’t wanted to let this thread go yet either and I sincerely appreciate COTH for allowing us the space to have updates and now thoughts of Barbaro.[/QUOTE]
I think they will cremate as much of the horse as you want. It’s just terribly expensive which shouldn’t be a factor in this case.
Bo Derek
Actually, Bo Derek is on our CANTER National Advisory Board and is very intelligent and well-versed in the horse racing industry. I thought she did an good job, although I wish Larry King had introduced her as the equine humane advocate that she has become.
It also seemed that Jack Hanna made a pretty quick call to John Phillips, whom he probably knew from living in Columbus. Darby Dan got some good mileage out of that one! I was glad he brought up that there is good and bad in racing just as in any other business.
The anti-slaughter movement was brought up on National TV during the discourse, which I found interesting.
Which brings me to ponder, what will Barbaro’s legacy actually be? I think, in part, it will be for the general public to realize that many people really do care for the humane treatment of these wonderful animals. We will all be grateful if it spawns any kind of new research (currently in the works, yea) and escalates the implement of some much needed safety measures (the new poly track, etc.). A special thanks to the Jacksons for sharing their relationship with Barbaro to the world. Who was it that said “he dared to love a horse”?
So true.
Nancy
[QUOTE=vineyridge;2180619]
Do any of you think we, the public, will ever know what really happened this past month? Barbaro seemed to be doing so well, growing hoof, actually walking without a cast or support on his broken leg. Then Scott Morrison was brought in to work on the laminitic hoof, and things went downhill very quickly. There was never any real explanation, of why intervention was so critical at that point.
Maybe Laura Hillenbrand or someone like her will do a Barbaro book–soon. She was on the Nightline piece yesterday evening and seemed truly affected by his death.[/QUOTE]
I do remember this part. Well sorta. The problem was he was not walking correctly on the laminitic hoof. He was walking with too much pressure on the inside I believe. They called in the hoof man to see what could be done about this and the came up with the cast to try and equalize the pressure on the weight bearing areas. The cast put pressure on the wall that LOOKED normal but turned out to be abnormal because it was only growing down on the outside but was not attaching to the inside. That is why they had to cut that away. Mrs. Jackson said he had actually been walking the best ever on that foot with the cast on but once they took it off and had to cut away that bad section (which would indicate there was some damage to the coronary band on that side of the hoof (the inner side was was not growing normally and some areas barely at all whereas the outside was nearly grown down the hoof they said). Also at this time his coffin bone was sinking. I’m not sure why they didn’t recut the tendon at this time but hindsight is 20-20.
After a few days or a week some more tissue had to be trimmed back (this would be expected) and they cut the tendon to relieve the pull on the coffin bone. Not sure what kind of cast, bandage, boot they put on during this time.
Anyway during all this he started to put more weight on the other foot which if you remember from the pictures was canted a bit so the heel was lower than a normal leg would be. It was the heel and the sole on the outside (I think he said) that took the weight and developed a bruise which caused the abcess. The abcess was not related to laminitis although if he had continued to overload that foot that of course would be inevitable. So after taking off the cast to treat that and trying the brace which he didn’t tolerate they put the “device” on. They knew this was a last chance effort there and had risks but if he didn’t get off that foot it would have fallen apart one way or the other.
So of course with two uncomfortable feet he’s now starting to shift weight on to the front end and it doesn’t take a whole lot of weight there to cause bad things to happen either, already 2/3 or so of a horse’s weight in on the front end. And well we all know the rest.
<<Maybe Laura Hillenbrand or someone like her will do a Barbaro book–soon. She was on the Nightline piece yesterday evening and seemed truly affected by his death.>>
Yes, or Jane Smiley.
VB may have posted a link to this on an earlier page, but I just found it online and thought it was really good:
Barbaro Was Different Eric Wing, Special to NTRA.com</SPAN> 1/30/2007 [URL=“http://www.ntra.com/content.aspx?type=news&id=23115#”]</SPAN>
<SPAN id=StoryData><DIV>Yesterday turned out to be the sad day we all feared, but hoped would never arrive. After a long and gallant struggle, Barbaro had to be euthanized due not to the break in his right hind leg – which was repaired remarkably well – but to the many other complications that can beset a Thoroughbred once one of his legs is injured.
My colleague, Joan Lawrence, who sped down from
Update 1420: Some of many articles recently published:
Barbaro’s death: Equine beauty meets harsh reality
Barbaro’s Surgeon Has Empty Feeling
A ‘Bottomless’ Heart
One Horse Dies
Richardson: ‘Still Hard to Deal With’ Barbaro’s Death
Barbaro, The Heart In the Winner’s Circle
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro euthanized
Which brings me to ponder, what will Barbaro’s legacy actually be? I think, in part, it will be for the general public to realize that many people really do care for the humane treatment of these wonderful animals.
On a personal level, the fallout is that my work colleagues no longer look at me quite so strangely when I tell them I have to take a morning off “because the vet is coming to look at one of my horses.”
Is there a link to Michaels video?
Thanks Alex~
Update 1421: Alex just got off the phone with Gary Stevens, one of the best jockeys we have seen in the US for many years - and asked him a few questions:
Alex: Your thoughts on Barbaro:
Gary: An outstanding racehorse who will be remembered more for his battle to survive and will to live than for his Kentucky Derby victory.
Alex: Your thoughts on Barbaro’s Kentucky Derby win:
Gary: It was the greatest Derby win I have seen, one of the largest margins of victory, and the ease with which he did it …
Alex: Your thoughts on Horse Slaughter in the US:
Gary: Its a travesty that they have been doing it all these years. Horses should not be slaughtered for human consumption.
life, death has lesson for all of us
/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070131/OPINION01/70131
VB, what a wonderful e-mail, thank you for sharing. :sadsmile:
I haven’t seen an on-line link. It was a video on ESPN early yesterday morning that also had snippets of the news conference as well as the Derby and Preakness. It ended with Michael’s thoughts on his favorite memory. What a true gentleman Michael is…Barbaro seemed to surround himself with classy folks didn’t he?
[QUOTE=eggbutt;2183363]
I haven’t seen an on-line link. It was a video on ESPN early yesterday morning that also had snippets of the news conference as well as the Derby and Preakness. It ended with Michael’s thoughts on his favorite memory. What a true gentleman Michael is…Barbaro seemed to surround himself with classy folks didn’t he?[/QUOTE]
Most Definately! You just knew, watching all the footage leading up to the derby that day that this was Michaels race! of course Barbaro’s and Edgars also! He is up there with the greats, he was to be our Triple Crown Champion!
I could not help but think of Barabaro watching “Dreamer” last night! I did not even think when I was putting it on, until that one line they use a couple of time in the movie:
“You Are A Great Champion
When You Ran The Ground Shook
The Sky Opened And Mere Mortals Parted,
Parted The Way To Victory
Where You’ll Meet Me In The Winners Circle And
I’ll Put A Blanket Of Flowers On Your Back!”
I didn’t even cry, it was strange, almost like time stood still and just the thoughts of Barbaro!
THANK YOU VB, ALEX, THE JACKSONS, DR. R, NBC, MICHAEL, EDGAR, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO ALLOWED BARBARO TO BECOME THE PEOPLES HORSE!
RUN HARD!
RIP BOBBY!
Thanks, Alex!
Update 1422: It is taking me a while to read through the discussion board (nearly 3,000 posts in the last 2 days), but I found this news report very heart warming regarding Barbaro’s legacy already at work: Barbaro “Euthanized” … and saves a horse
Thanks for the link! Today I did not cry as I watched our boy proudly be led around! I thought I may never stop crying but maybe I can! I keep 4 pictures of Barbaro around my desk:
One of he and DR with Edgar
One of he and MM
One of him poking his lively, lovely head out his stall door
and my favorite is one of Bobby, under saddle, gazing off with the wonderful spirit we have come to know>
Every day I imagined his perky face when visitors came a calling! Now I have trouble knowing that he is gone! Does anyone else have trouble with missing his character so much? I certainly knew he may die but I grew attached to the daily reports of how he was! Was he happy today, did he get out to graze today, did he get groomed today, did he try to bite everyone today?
Thanks again to you all and most of all thanks for understanding what Team Barbaro meant!:sadsmile:
Run, Bobby, Run, on your 4 good legs!
