It is good to hear that Bobby is holding his own. I hope this week will be a much better week for him and all involved. I lit some candles Saturday night at 7:00 and said prayers for him. He is such a brave boy and he just has to come through this. If prayers could heal him, he would already be galloping in the field. Many thanks to VB andAdventurebeachponies for the updates. It is good to be able to get the info from people who are so close to the situation. Hang in there Bobby…
VB, Adventurebeach and everyone else, thanks for the updates and links regarding Bobby. . .
For a variety of reasons, we all feel connected to this remarkable horse, his owners, trainer, veterinarians, facility, etc. - perhaps we’ve had horses/ponies who have gone thru surgery, beaten the odds and thrive today, (we’ve also know the flipside, doing all we can and have equines that have passed on); we relate to the Jacksons as we too are owners, we’ve trained ourselves or know the Michael or Didi, whether thru the H/J world or now racing, many of us have been to New Bolton, or a comperable facility. . . and, we know that Barbaro exemplifies what why we have known all along and why we all part of the horse world…
Jingling my keys at work…
dana
Good Morning America interviewed Dr. Richardson this morning and he basically said the same thing, that if Barbaro’s healing was based on the tremendous outpouring of support, well wishes, and prayers that have come in he would be already galloping in the field.
He looked good this morning. Just hope the cast changes go well today and the infection in his right hind has subsided.
There was a short interview with Dean Richardson on ABC morning show today (Monday). They showed some pics of Barbaro, but none were new ones that those of us that have followed either this thread or other info haven’t seen, but who cares! It was still good to see the “MAN” with his bandages, sling and all looking bright eyed and bushy tailed! 
[B]Thanks again to Tim:
[/B]Update 256: Jeannine Edwards just called. She is back at New Bolton Center and will be covering Barbaro today and will air on Sports Center at 6 pm (and 11pm). She mentioned she might have an interview with Kathy Anderson.
Update 255: A few random things. Gallant Secret sustained soft tissue damage as far as I am aware (Delaware Handicap). I asked Kathy Anderson about her condition. Career threatening (ending probably) not life threatening. I caught up with Barclay Tagg this morning. He is pointing Showing Up for the Secretariat, a (grade 1 i think) turf race at Arlington Park, early August. Funny Cide may also make his next start at Arlington late July. Barclay expressed a little concern re: the condition of the Arlington track (dirt), and that may impact Funny re: running. Jean left a comment about her visit to Fair Hill saturday, you can see the comment in full below (time: 1:43), here is an excerpt:
At 6 am the fog was heavy, but I-95 traffic from DC was light. I finally found the stable area at Fair Hill, but realized I had no clue how to get the beer to Alex. Two helpful women near the Fair Hill office called his barn and, to my happy surprise, I was told to come down and drop it off.
Once I found the correct barn, I was fortunate enough to meet Penny, Tim Woolley’s wife. Penny suggested that I come with her to watch Tim and Alex breeze two horses at the track.
Update 254: It is my understanding that they are planning to change Bobby’s cast on his right hind today, and x ray both hind legs (monday). We should hear more about this later I guess, but I wanted to also note that this is likely to occur while Bobby is in a sling, under some form of sedation, rather than having to go completely under as with previous cast changes. Again, I am thinking this from a few conversations I have had this morning, and wanted to relay that the fact they are planning to do all this via the sling should help tremendously. Lets hope we hear positive news from this today. We know he had a comfortable night last night (update 253); but we also know he is in serious condition.
VB has been doing a great job of keeping the forum updated but must have been sleeping in this morning (well deserved for many, many weeks of quick updates!) … I know many of you check the board frequently and so I cut and pasted the updates.
What a great guy Tim is for tracking this down several times a day for us and for Barbaro’s friends, owners and vet staff to accomidate the fans need to know.
Thanks again VB for all you have been doing in keeping us posted.
Updated: July 17, 2006, 9:27 AM ET
From ESPN.com
Barbaro still stable, but condition yet to improve
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. – Barbaro’s vital signs, appetite and heart rate remained normal Monday, though there was no indication the Kentucky Derby winner’s condition has improved since a grim prognosis by his veterinarian last week.
The colt, who had 80 percent of his left rear hoof wall removed last week, still faces the same tough odds to survive a severe case of laminitis and a reconstructed right hind leg.
For the fourth straight day, Dr. Dean Richardson said Barbaro’s condition remained stable.
“He had a restful night last night,” Richardson said Monday on “Good Morning America.” “That’s really how we’re assessing him each night as whether or not he gets up and down and sleeps well and then when he gets up that he eats normally. His vital signs are all good. He had a very good night last night. His heart rate is absolutely normal. He’s eating well. If you were to see him, you’d think he’s a fairly comfortable, happy horse. But his pain is being intensively managed.”
Richardson, who has treated Barbaro since the colt shattered his right hind leg a few yards after the start of the Preakness Stakes on May 20, said the best case scenario is still “many months of very extensive medical care and rehabilitation.”
Assistant trainer Peter Brette emerged after a Sunday morning visit to the intensive care unit and said the colt “is in a good frame of mind.”
“He was bright,” Brette added. “He sort of at least had a bit of sparkle in his eye.”
Brette, who exercised the colt daily for trainer Michael Matz, has been visiting Barbaro almost every day since Barbaro was injured.
“We’re still very worried,” Brette added, “but it’s very good for me to go in and see him like this.”
Barbaro has casts on both rear limbs. The cast on the colt’s right hind has been changed at least four times in the last two weeks at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals. A smaller cast is on the left rear hoof, and the bandages protecting it were changed Saturday, and are likely to be changed again in the coming days.
On Wednesday, veterinarians performed a procedure to remove most of the hoof wall in Barbaro’s left rear leg to combat the laminitis, a painful, often-fatal foot disease usually caused by uneven weight distribution in the limbs. The disease could appear in another limb at any time, and if it does, it would likely result in the horse being humanely destroyed.
Barbaro has been listed in stable condition since Friday, the day after Richardson said the colt had laminitis “as bad as it gets” and termed his chance of survival poor.
While Barbaro’s condition is being constantly monitored, it was a relatively quiet weekend around the New Bolton Center. Residents and interns tended to their rounds, checking on the many other animals in their care. One resident said he’s treating two goats in the stall next to Barbaro’s.
Homemade signs that implored the colt to keep fighting and that they would keep believing continued to be posted on the fence near the hospital’s entrance. Other signs thanked Dr. Richardson and his staff while one read “God Bless Barbaro. Hang in There!” with a single red rose taped next to the message.
A couple from Hershey, Pa., made a side trip to the hospital and left a get-well card at the front desk before heading to the races at nearby Delaware Park.
“So many people are rooting for Barbaro to make it – he was going to be our Triple Crown winner,” Dawn Templin said a few minutes after admiring the get-well cards, flowers and fruit baskets on display in the lobby. “We came here to leave a card, and just see the place where they’re trying to save his life.”
Adventurebeach…Sleeping In???
Certainly you jest! I had to have my Mom at a hospital for a procedure by 7am. Nice thought, however…sigh.
Update 257: Looking at a few of the articles on Barbaro today. This ABC article: Barbaro’s Condition Is Still Stable confirms Bobby had a good night last night. The following is an excerpt:
“He had a restful night last night,” Richardson said Monday on “Good Morning America.” “That’s really how we’re assessing him each night as whether or not he gets up and down and sleeps well and then when he gets up that he eats normally. His vital signs are all good. He had a very good night last night. His heart rate is absolutely normal. He’s eating well. If you were to see him, you’d think he’s a fairly comfortable, happy horse. But his pain is being intensively managed.”
This philly.com article: Sparkle in Barbaro’s eye makes hearts skip a beat was a result of an interview with Peter Brette directly after his visit with Bobby yesterday. Peter mentioned he was meeting someone from the media, who he said was awesome in his coverage of this situation (he mentioned this to me before this piece was printed). I liked this excerpt:
“He was galloping around one day and someone comes by, and he went to take off on me,” Brette said. "It was like, if you’ve ever driven a Porsche and put your foot down, and it bumps you right up… . That’s what he did. I said, ‘Good God, he’s getting stronger and stronger.’ "
And then there was Barbaro’s breeze the weekend before the Kentucky Derby that was the talk of Churchill Downs.
“He went down the straight in three strides,” Brette said. "I pulled up and said to Michael, ‘This will win the Derby.’ Then his phone just started to ring nonstop. Before he got off the track, he got six phone calls. There was one guy that came over, a guy that sits in the stands. All he does is he looks at horses and clocks horses. He told Michael, ‘That was the best horse to breeze at Churchill Downs for at least five years.’ "
I remember reading about Barbaro’s final work and thinking it must have been too fast. Little did I know we are talking about Bobby!
Update 258: New Bolton Press Release today: Barbaro stable, comfortable with foot cast:
Chief of Surgery Dean Richardson reports today that Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro’s vital signs are good and that he had another quiet, restful night. “He remains in stable condition, and he is eating well,” said Dr. Richardson. “We continue to manage his pain successfully, and he is alert.”
Barbaro is tolerating his right hind leg cast well; this cast supports the repair of the injury suffered at the Preakness on May 20. To treat a severe case of laminitis in the colt’s left rear hoof, last week Dr. Richardson and his surgical team performed a hoof wall resection that removed 80 percent of the hoof. Doctors then applied a modified fiberglass foot cast to protect the hoof; this foot cast will be changed as needed so that the hoof can be treated and watched for signs of infection. The foot cast is rigid and provides greater stability and support than a bandage.
“It is important for people to understand that this is not a ‘routine’ laminitis. The care involved in treating a hoof with this degree of compromise is complex,” said Dr. Richardson.
No word on whether the right hind cast was changed (as I noted in update 254). Will try to get insight on that later. A couple of comments from our friends at the Kennett Florists:
Hi, this is Annie from Kennett Florist. I wanted to let you all know that I just returned from New Bolton Center and as promised, asked one of Barbaro’s doctors about the benefits of corn husks. She said that corn husks have to be extremely fresh and broken into very small pieces to be fed to him, and that they were given to him only for a special treat by Mrs. Jackson. Also, spoke briefly with Dr. Richardson and he said that Barbaro is feeling good today. Someone else asked if I could find out from the staff what kind of goodies they would like in their gift baskets. They all said chocolate, cookies & baked goods.
and
I also wanted to let you all know that we are putting together a sort of “fund” for those who want to send something to Bobby, but don’t have the means. (Let me preempt this with – I am by NO MEANS trying to solicit business.) There have been numerous inquiries, so I thought it would be best if I addressed them here and it would meet a more broader spectrum. It’s getting hard to keep up with the emails and messages. Many people have called saying they want to send something, but can only afford $5 or $10 dollars. So, if anyone wants to contribute to a basket of goodies for Bobby or the NBC staff, you can send us a check with your message to Bobby, Dr. R., staff, etc (not too long, please) and we will send it over when we have enough for a Basket of treats. Hope this is helpful!
The pseudo-medical updates are sooooooooooo frustrating. What kind of improvement does anyone expect? It takes a year for a whole new hoof wall to grow in, so what do they expect to see in 24 hrs if 80% of his hoof wall is gone? I can’t help but wonder if they are dumbing it down for the public, it gets totally lost in translation by the press, or they themselves don’t understand.
Super great idea! Mailing address?
I really got scared today when I heard/read a comment that Dr Richardson has said if Bobby shows signs of laminitis in one of his front feet that will be it and the decision will be made to put him down. I certainly don’t know if what I heard was correct or reported out of context but it sent shivers down my spine. I understand but it’s still so, so sad to come this far and…well, many of us have been down this road too many times.
Update 259: This Forbes article quotes Kathy Anderson after her visit today, this afternoon: Barbaro’s Condition Still Stable, excerpt:
“He has learned how to adapt his posture to the sling so he can benefit from the most comfort,” Dr. Kathleen Anderson, Barbaro’s attending vet when the horse was racing and stabled in trainer Michael Matz’s barn at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton, Md., told The Associated Press after a visit.
“He’s learning how to almost dog sit, which is good because it takes the weight off the front legs which is, of course, our next great concern.”
Anderson left a mid-afternoon visit feeling good about the way the colt was looking. But while medical reports were encouraging for the fourth straight day, she said Barbaro’s prognosis was still serious.
“The reality is, you have to say poor at this point in time,” she said. “It doesn’t mean it’s hopeless and I think that’s the big difference.”
Kennett Florist Inc
405 W State St, Kennett Square, PA 19348
www.kennettflorist.net
Local: 610-444-6040??? Who doesn’t understand? New Bolton? Or the press? (It goes without saying the press doesn’t understand, and if the writer did, you know the editor didn’t)
A medical update is what it is - how things are today. In that regard, they are doing a great job, and thye have always talked about the key indicators of the moment. And not once have the indicated that today’s good report has any bearing on tomorrow.
I’m sure at some point someone has explained to some writer how theoretical treatment will progress under various scenarios of laminitis, but the average NBC, ESPN, NYT reader isn’t interested in that detail. Hell, a lot of horse people aren’t interested. This is like talking heat shield engineering on space shuttles. Most of us just want to know if the damn things are still on and is re-entry safe.
Barbaro’s will to stay alive live is worth celebrating
courier-journel.com
He should be dead by now, and we know that.
We just don’t like admitting it because morbid thoughts scare and depress us. We’d rather hold onto Barbaro’s life than submit to his demise. It’s a most human sentiment and a proper one, too.
But in order for us to appreciate this horse right now, we have to look at the dark side. It shows us how much of a champion Barbaro remains. It shows us his strength. It shows us that his willingness to confront death, to fend off death, surpasses any dominant achievement he had on the track.
Poor Barbaro? Yes, but how about [U]more Barbaro[/U]?
Keep going. Keep battling. Keep showing us even more than we knew you had.
What’s harder? Winning the Kentucky Derby by 61/2 lengths or surviving for eight weeks while being required to prop 1,200 pounds on a shattered right hind leg?
Ever sprained your ankle and tried to stand on it for hours and hours, days and days, until it healed? Didn’t think so. For the most part that has been Barbaro’s assignment since he hurt the leg during the Preakness Stakes on May 20; only his injury is way more painful and his girth way more problematic.
A survivor
Eight weeks ago we heard doctors say any other horse would’ve been put down instead of having surgery to insert 27 screws and a titanium plate on a delicate limb.
Eight weeks later Barbaro is still fighting.
Four days ago we heard Dean Richardson, Barbaro’s chief surgeon, describe how the colt had developed a severe case of the potentially fatal laminitis in his left hind leg, his good leg, and faced “long shot” odds of survival.
Four days later Barbaro is holding steady.
Every day is the same perilous struggle, and there’s no clear timetable for relief. His dilemma just keeps rewinding itself.
“We monitor his condition very closely because signs can change quickly,” Dr. Richardson said in a release Friday. “However, it’s important to remember that Barbaro’s treatment could easily continue for several weeks and, if all goes well, even months. Our goal is to keep him as comfortable as possible, and clearly that comfort level will be a major indicator for our treatment decisions.”
There are so many things that could go wrong. If Barbaro develops laminitis in another foot, he’d likely be euthanized because the pain would be too much. It might become too painful even without a spreading of laminitis.
He should be dead. But he continues to live. He continues to impress.
There’s a positive
Thoughts of what a healthy Barbaro could’ve accomplished do not matter anymore. What he’s accomplishing seals his legacy as talented and tough.
He’s teaching us something about horse racing, too. We appropriately put considerable emphasis on what went wrong and how the sport needs to challenge itself on safety issues. But Barbaro’s not going to be remembered as a champion who showed us the ugly side of horse racing.
His story is showing us the heart of this sport. We’re discovering why we love animals so much. We’re appreciating how special it is just to watch a racehorse compete and walk away healthy.
All athletes put their bodies in danger every time they play. But when we see LeBron James or Tom Brady writhing in pain, our thoughts don’t immediately wander to death. They do with horses.
I can still hear the screams of a woman at Pimlico Race Course when Barbaro pulled up lame. She cried and yelled and jumped over a rail to yell more. She knew the morbid possibilities.
Barbaro dismissed death that day. He’s dismissed death for 58 straight days now.
Can he continue? I don’t know. But it sure is amazing to watch him try.
Jerry Brewer, author
Continued thanks to Alex & Tim:
Update 260: Just recieved a voice-mail from Kathy Anderson. I guess I need to start camping out at New Bolton so I can beat the AP to a story (update 259)! Anyway, Kathy confirmed her positive visit with Barbaro today. She said he was very bright, eating voraciously as he does when he is in good form. She said the cast change is scheduled within the next 24 hours (as of 1 pm today); it had not occured as of her visit. When she visited he was in his sling developing a new learned behaviour, almost similar to a child in jolly jumper (her words, I am not sure what this is). It seems to be some kind of energy release, boing around his stall a little bit. This was characterized by Kathy as a positive activity!
I was browsing quickly through the site stats and saw a referer from horsehats. So they have this site linked for Barbaro Updates (cool, will help with our SEO). Anyway, I e-mailed them and asked them when they were releasing a hat that contributed to the Barbaro Fund. They are close to doing this (mentioned some legal and license stuff), but also mentioned that their current hat also contributes some (small) amount to the fund.
The guy who e-mailed me said they had not publicized this as they did not want to be seen to be exploiting the situation. I can empathize with that sentiment. This site now gets a crazy amount of visits (likely 15k today). It would be easy to add some ads (thanks to google, and no doubt horsehats would appear) but we also do not want to have a hint of issue that we are doing this for any other reason than purely because we want to help get the word out about a horse people LOVE. Of course Horse Hats has to make money selling hats (that’s their business model); ours is training racehorses, so we do not have to worry about that, as long as the site does not cost us anything (and thanks to Eliza that has been the case thus far, she is also a horse person.)
Profound WOW! The Jerry Brewer article really sums up a whole lot of emotions.
Thank you again as always VB!
As posted by eggbutt:
“Profound WOW! The Jerry Brewer article really sums up a whole lot of emotions.”
I completely agree. Jerry Brewer GETS IT. :yes:
Best article I’ve read in a while!
love the jerry brewer article!!! nice to see something a little more positive and optimistic.
