Send your thoughts, prayers and well wishes to Barbaro
On both the NBC10 site and the CBS3 site two Philly stations - you can share your thoughts and well wishes with the Jackson’s and Michael Matz.
The NBC site says they will hand deliver the messages to Michael Matz and the Jackson’s.
There are also videos with today’s reports of how he is doing on both sites.
You can tell whoever watched the press conference was not terribly savvy at medical explanations or good about writing down what they heard!
First he clarified that the blood supply was better than expected and not compromised, then he talked about the general condition of the leg, to wit he explained that there was some serum oozing because of the severe bruising to the limb. Not so much with the uncompromised blood circulation oozing out the skin though… 
I know a horse that had a PI and P3 fracture, pretty bad ones. He was plated back together. He was lame for a long, long time… and now he’s sound.
So it is possible that Barbaros quality of life will be acceptable, maybe even good.
Jackson press conference
Just heard on Comcast Sports that Mr. & Mrs. Jackson are going to have an update for the press at 9:30am Eastern time on Tuesday.
Thank you AnneFS!
NPR interview with Gretchen Jackson
NPR ran an interview with Gretchen Jackson regarding Barbaro’s recovery. You can listen to it at:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5423247
Gotta love the duct tape! At least he has the force on his side!
But look at those perked ears!
Thank you for posting that interview. I had no idea NPR was carrying the story so extensively.
Mrs. Jackson sounded so brave and caring and affectionately humorous and full of class during that interview. We’ve all heard she’s a horseperson, but she did a wonderful job of explaining the the dangers of recovery. She added a couple of things not mentioned in the press conference with MM and the Doc. She did say that he had a special height shoe to match up with the casted height. She said the cast was above the hock. And a picture above matched that (the duct tape one 
. Whereas in the press conference I thought the Doc said it was below the hock? Hm.
Love that he’s eating mints. My Nigel would be proud. I’ll have to tell nycrider to feed Nigel extra mints in honor of Barbaro. Everyone! Feed your horse mints! Maybe we can start a mint fund for Barbaro.
I know the doctor did say the PT wasn’t an issue, but I wonder if pool excercize would be a safe way for a stall rest horse to get off some of that energy without risk of reinjuring that leg. Even normal horses that aren’t as fit as a racehorse have to have sedative to handwalk when on stall rest. Maybe it would take the edge off. Like with Royal Kaliber … he was so fit and did not stand the stall rest stress. Maybe it would blow off some steam? I’m sure it would be awhile since the wounds would have to be healed because of infection that can get in from the pool (no matter how careful they are about sanitizing).
About germs, hospitals are crazy with infections. Malcolm picked up MRSA, pseudomonas, and seratia(sp) in the NICU which has every precaution against nosocomial infections. Sometimes I think he would’ve been better off in a barn …
Don’t know if this has been posted elsewhere but the USEF sent an e-mail this morning with a special e-mail address for sending well wishes. It’s matzbarbaro@usef.org. They will get all the e-mails to Michael.
I sent mine along.
I agree with you on that one! I don’t know if this is the case here or not, but vets often do not really know the function of a PT in rehab, maybe because in equine medicine, a lot of things are called “physical therapy” which are just low skill symptomatic treatments that anyone can perform with minimal training. The fact that the vet states PT would not be indicated because the ankle is going to be fused, makes me suspect he thinks PT would only apply to returning function to the horse’s right hind leg. Generally, orthopedic PT is much more inclusive in human medicine.
A good orthopedic PT will design a program aimed at helping the total body deal with the major shift in body mechanics caused by the change in functional ability of a weight bearing limb. The idea is to prevent injury and reduce pain and tightness in compensating soft tissues, prevent or relieve contractures, and build strength in supporting and compensating areas while maintaining optimum protection for the surgical site. Planning controlled exercise designed to prevent the debilitating effects of inactivity as well as promote the healing in the injured site without risking damage is paramount. It goes without saying that a very thorough understanding of orthopedic pathology, anatomy, kinesiology and the particulars of the individuals surgery are critically important. It also goes without saying that the patient must be stabilized enough medically and orthopedically to tolerate activity.
To me, Barbaro would be a prime candidate for progressive PT, as soon as he could tolerate it. In human medicine, that can be pretty early on, though the initial treatments are easy and progress as the patient is able to tolerate activity.
OK, I’m going to go back to sitting by the phone because I’m sure the Barbaro team will be calling me at any moment to come treat him…
The other thing I find interesting about the pic of him being lifted out of the pool is the guy closest to him is wearing a helmet. GREAT safety protocol!
I noticed the helmet, too. Very smart!
Update:
Barbaro Continues to Improve Second Day After Surgery
Date Posted: 5/23/2006 9:21:18 AM
Last Updated: 5/23/2006 9:46:53 AM
“Barbaro is doing very well. He’s actually better today than he was even yesterday, and he was pretty good yesterday,” Dr. Dean Richardson reported in a Tuesday morning news briefing at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, where the classic winner was resting two days after surgery to repair multiple fractures in his right hind leg suffered in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico race course in Baltimore, Md.
“He’s feeling very good,” said Richardson, who led the surgical team through a lengthy procedure attempting to fuse Barbaro’s ankle Sunday afternoon and evening. “He’s walking very well on the limb. He’s got absolutely normal vital signs today: his temperature, pulse, respiration attitude, and appetite. We have no shortage of volunteers to handpick him grass, so he’s grazing at a distance. He’s doing very well.”
Richardson, who was joined at the New Bolton Center by Barbaro’s breeders and owners, Roy and Gretchen Jackson, said he wanted to clarify one comment he made following Sunday’s surgery about saving the horse for the breeding shed.
“I made a big point about the optimal outcome is that he’d be salvaged for breeding,” Richardson said. “Some people are taking that the wrong way. I want everyone to know that if this horse were a gelding, these owners would have definitely done everything to save this horse’s life. I’ve known the Jacksons a long time. This horse could have no reproductive value and they would saved this horse’s life.”
Richardson added that he mistakenly said 23 screws were used in the procedure to fuse the ankle. “I think my resident (assistant) told me there were 27,” he said. “I kind of lost track.”
Roy Jackson thanked many people for their efforts to save Barbaro, including Edgar Prado, outriders and other Pimlico staff, trainer Michael Matz and assistant Peter Brette, track veterinarians, in addition to Dr. Scott Palmer (who was attending the race as a spectator and “jumped in” to help), city and state police officers who provided an escort from Pimlico, and the staff of the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.
“We’ve run through the gamut of emotions from the Kentucky Derby of euphoria to the devastation of the Preakness in our family and Gretchen and I,” he said. "I think we’ve gone through our own personal feelings. I think the sad part is in Barbaro’s case that the American public won’t get a chance to see him continue his racing career.
“We hope all of you here will be able to see little Barbaros,” he added.
Hundreds of well wishers have sent cards, flowers, apples, and carrots to New Bolton Center, and the hospital is establishing a link atits Web site for fans to send e-mails in care of Barbaro.
And note that Prado was thanked!
A good news article
Having read in this forum that some of the national news is less than good, this morning’s Salt Lake Tribune has a good article on Barbaro and injuries in racing, interviewing local owners and a vet (they misspelled his name, but they got the facts straight). First page of sports section, www.sltrib.com. Unusual because racing doesn’t get much press coverage in these parts, with this year being an exception since Brother Derek was started at the Salt Lake Equestrian Center.
Dear Equestrian Community,
We know there are hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, of you out there who would like to send words of support to Barbaro and trainer Michael Matz. A special email account here at the USEF has been created for that purpose. The messages will be compiled and sent to Barbaro, Michael and owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson at the New Bolton clinic. The email address is matzbarbaro@usef.org.
Let’s all join together to wish Barbaro a safe recovery.
United States Equestrian Federation, Inc. 4047 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511, 859-258-2472
Sounds like they are reading our forum…
The comment stating (which I had already known) that the Jackson’s would have done the same had this been a gelding still brought tears to my eyes. 
Let’s hope lots can be learned through this!
Penn Vet has Get-Well Message Board up
Penn Vet has a message board set up at their site now, as well as a ‘Barbaro Fund’ to benefit Friends of New Bolton Center: http://www.vet.upenn.edu/newsandevents/news/Barbaro.htm
I was curious about his meds.Dr. Richardson commented about his cath.
I am no vet by any stretch but was wondering about his antibiotics and pain regemine. Can any one enlighten me about this,I understand it won’t be strictly based on his care.
I was wondering what kind of tranquilizers he might be on to “limit friskiness” :winkgrin: so to speak. It is good that he is acting normally, but no one wants to see him get too frisky at this point.
Oh so many years ago, post surgical regimin was IV tetracycline and bute. Wonder if that has changed?
Richardson did say the epidural cath was there if needed, but not that it was being used. I know we were very careful about striking the right balance between pain killers - enough to keep them comfortable, but not so much that they felt like cavorting about!
Of course this was back in the dark ages when we had to go out and harvest the Bute Tree and make our own.
sending (((((HUGS))))) and healing thoughts. What a great horse - a bright shooting star!
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