From: www.dailylocal.com
Vet: Barbaro’s smarts aiding his recovery
A century ago, a bay horse named Beautiful Jim Key was one of America’s most celebrated performers, famous neither for his beauty nor his speed, but instead for his exceptional intelligence.
Performing at state fairs and in nationwide expositions, the horse could “read, write, spell, do math, tell time, sort mail, distinguish between coins, make change and identify playing cards.”
Trained by Dr. William Key, a self-taught veterinarian, former slave and Civil War veteran, the gifted horse also sparked a dramatic shift in the public’s mind in regard to kindness bestowed on animals.
But mostly, Beautiful Jim Key astonished crowds everywhere with his “smarts.”
In the aftermath of Barbaro’s injury and recovery, the colt’s lead doctor at the New Bolton Center, Dr. Dean Richardson, has repeatedly cited Barbaro’s intelligence.
Peter Brette, Barbaro’s exercise rider and the assistant trainer in Michael Matz’s barn, marveled at the colt’s wits during a recent visit.
“They had taken him out of his sling and it appeared he was getting a little uncomfortable,” Brette said. “He walked over toward the sling, as if he wanted to say, ‘Hey, put me back in that thing.’ They put him in the sling, and you could tell he was happy.”
Just how smart are elite horses? Veterinarians and other equine experts have said horses have a great ability to learn and possess a strong memory. They are social animals that learn from their experiences. An elite horse is also very good at reading body language, and often anticipates a handler’s intentions.
Horses in pastures don’t adapt their behavior to humans, but those that are stabled very much do. As noon approached in Matz’s barn at the Fair Hill Training Center, a groom rattled a cup of feed and nearly all of the racehorses acted up. That’s a learned behavior and form of intelligence, said Kathy Anderson, Barbaro’s attending vet.
“Barbaro is not aggressive, but he is very confident,” Anderson said.
“He has always been in charge of his space, and he continues to assert that at the hospital. He’s become known as a sneak biter. When people turn their back on him, he tries to bite them. They turn around and he’s like, ‘Who did that, butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth.’ I think that’s pretty clever.”
Anderson added: “He’s adapted to the sling. I like to think he understands that if I shift my weight this way, I feel better. I’d say that’s not typical of racehorses. They’re so competitive, they just react, rather than having a planned action.”
When Barbaro shattered his leg at the start of the Preakness, the colt allowed jockey Edgar Prado to pull him up and he stood there calmly as the attending vet placed a cast on his right hind leg and led him into the horse ambulance. Had he tried to continue to run, he most likely would have suffered a compound fracture and would have had no chance of survival. When he arrived at the New Bolton Center that night, Barbaro withstood all the personnel and medical action much more calmly than the average racehorse.
“He knew he needed to accept all this attention,” Anderson said. “His personality shifted. He knew he needed to be more flexible.”
Anderson compares the change to the behavior of household pets. Cats are aloof and independent, while dogs tend to want company and affection.
“He’s shifted from a cat-like mentality to that of a dog,” Anderson explained. “Barbaro was never unfriendly when he was here, but again, he wanted his space. Now he has to cooperate with a lot of people. He may or may not enjoy it, but he realizes it’s what he needs to do to feel better.”
TERRY CONWAY, Special to the Local News
08/01/2006
