https://www.facebook.com/IAmLavaMan
According to Twitter and his Facebook page Lava Man is currently being treated medically for a colic episode.
He was one of my favorites and I am enjoying seeing how well treated and happy he’s been as a lead pony. Hope you’re feeling better, Lava Man.
Saw this on Doug’s fb page less than 3 hrs. ago; praying ever since. Wishing he will make a rapid and complete recovery with no side effects encountered.
Oh no… hopefully he is able to pull through this…
Colic and laminitis 
Jingling like crazy for a positive outcome. He is one special guy.
I heard he was in surgery but not laminitis. Ugh
Laurierace… my comment about colic and laminitis are my two most disliked medical challenges for horses…
Lava Man is out of surgery and back in his stall after correcting large colon displacement (per Doug O’Neill tweet).
Lava Man is, AFAIK, just colic - but laminitis also sucks… sorry for the confusion.
He made it through surgery to correct a large colon displacement and is back in a stall after leaving recovery.
Beat me to to WMW! Thanks for clearing that up, laminitis from colic would be very unusual that early so I was confused.
Thanks for the info. Hoping for an uneventful recovery for him.
So maybe just large colon displacement correction, maybe did not need a surgical resection? Which would be good.
Jingling for good recovery for this classy guy!
Many jingles!!!
Glad he made it through the surgery. Major jingles and healing thoughts for him for a full recovery. Love him!
My heart broke when I saw this.
jingles for a full and speedy recovery!
He was evidently feeling better this morning and thinking more about breakfast, which is good.
In view of the other thread about Justify and remembering them after they go away to stud, in my view Arrogate will fade into the woodwork unless he sires wonderful foals, the same goes for Justify (although you can’t take his triple crown win away from him). But isn’t it funny that a quirky old ex-racehorse and now lead pony can garner so much caring from an enormous number of his fans?
Hoping that he continues to improve.
While I don’t discount the accomplishments of either Justify or Arrogate, they were, in a sense, a flash in the pan… here one day for sparkling performances and gone the next.
Lava Man was here, day after day, racing his heart out - how many years did he race?
In the long run, the caring for a horse like Lava Man doesn’t translate to $ in the shed (yes, I know Lava Man is a gelding so moot point). If you have a horse like AP or Justify or Arrogate, it is a business and often the $ in the hand is the $ one should take as holding on may mean less $ in the future.
I do love Lava Man. So happy to hear he was interested in eating which is a positive sign. When my mare coliced and had surgery, I held my breath every single day until she stepped on the trailer to go home. I’ll be doing the same with Lava Man. Every positive sign is just that, positive. I’ll be waiting with bated breath until he’s back home safely.
He was such a long running hero. Hope he is just fine and can carry on.
ETA: Just found he has a FB page - “I Am Lava Man” and they have a couple of very good photos posted today. Passed a pile of manure and dragged them to the grass to graze. :yes:
Sounds good, let’s hope he continues to improve:
https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/228976/hall-of-famer-lava-man-on-road-to-recovery
Just saw the BH article. Glad to see that Lava Man is well on the road to recovery!
Love these tough old curmudgeons… they take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’! So glad he’s on the mend. 
Lava Man is back at Doug O’Neill’s barn at Del Mar. He’s not back to his ‘coaching’ job just yet but definitely on the mend.
TVG did an interview with him (Lava Man, not Doug) and Lava Man was definitely interested in nibbling ears and mikes
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