i know this might not matter but i have a trak/tb cross stallion that had a simlar accident happen to him in a field as a 2yr.old he fractured the hind rt pastern and broke off two chips on the ankle. he was stall kept for 8-9 months(owners at the time refused surgery) hence how i have him now.he has made a wonderful recovery and is now a coming 4 yr.old full of himself and able to breed!he plays and runs, rears and bucks all day long in his paddock. yes it was hard keping a young fit stallion quiet for that long, but we gave him 20 reserpine pills twice a day for the entire lenth of the stall rest. it was more for our own safety when in the stall, cold hosing and cleaning the stall. but i hope this gives everybody hope that he can heal up and come out of this, it is just up to him after the surgery. i know it was not as bad of an injury as barbaro’s but simlar.some days are better than others for taylor, somedays he is 95% and somedays he is 75%, but he is happy and healthy and still with us!
Still waiting
TVG said no update as of yet but they will show the press conference from ESPN…as of 6:18 pm Chicago time
It occurs to me as I haunt this computer that we are likely to be in a very long vigil. The last time one of my horses had major (5+hour) surgery, it took over 9 hours to get her awake and upright-- and THEN came the roller-coaster ride of laminitis, infection, ulcers, etc. Every time I became elated at a turn for the better, the vets would remind me of how many possible complications still loomed-- and were they ever right on that score!
The good news is that although my horse was given a much smaller chance of survival than Barbaro (less than 10%), she recovered fully, and has been happy, healthy and sound (knock on wood) for the entire 4 years since.
Gosh, it’s hard to get things done with all appendages crossed! I have very, very high hopes that this horse will pull through, though.
7:25 EST
No update yet…
Lets keep this thread for updates only.
As copied off the Channel 10, Local PA News:
Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was in surgery Sunday fighting for his life a day after breaking his ankle at the Preakness, and the colt’s surgeon said he’s never worked on so many catastrophic injuries to one horse.There was no update after nearly 5 hours of surgery.Dr. Dean Richardson was operating at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center for Large Animals and said the procedure could take several hours.At the front gate, well-wishers already had tacked up signs: “Thank you, Barbaro,” “Believe in Barbaro” and “We Love you Barbaro.” Barbaro sustained “life-threatening injuries” after breaking three bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the Preakness Stakes.
“You do not see this severe injury frequently because the fact is most horses that suffer this typically are put down on the race track,” said Richardson, the chief of surgery for the center. “This is rare.”“It’s about as bad as it could be,” he added. "The main thing going for the horse is a report that his skin was not broken at the time of injury. It’s a testament to the care given to the team of doctors on the track and [jockey] Mr. Prado on the racetrack."Richardson outlined Barbaro’s medical problems: a broken cannon bone above the ankle, a broken sesamoid bone behind the ankle and a broken long pastern bone below the ankle. The fetlock joint – the ankle – was dislocated.“The aspects of the surgery will be dictated slightly by what we find,” Richardson said. "But the bottom line is we will attempt to perform a fusion of that joint and to stabilize it and make it comfortable enough for him to walk on."Barbaro suffered upper and lower leg fractures early during the Preakness, won by Bernardini.Barbaro was transported back to Kennett Square on Saturday night for medical treatment. However, the severity of the injury could cut off circulation to Barbaro’s leg, which makes the injury life threatening.The horse false started and had to be put back in the starting gate at the start of the Preakness. Then Barbaro pulled up near the first turn and jockey Edgar Prado guided Barbaro to the side of the race track.Fans were crying in the grandstand as the horse was loaded into an ambulance and taken away, his injured leg in an inflatable cast.Prado was also tears on the race track.Barbarao, the Kentucky Derby winner, was the overwhelming 3-5 favorite. Four straight favorites lost from 1997-2000. Since then, favorites had won five in a row entering Saturday’s race.
7:40 EST.
Still no news… same old, same old
Lets keep this thread for updates only
most recent update on ESPN - as of 7:33 pm
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. – Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was in surgery Sunday fighting for his life a day after breaking his right rear leg in three places at the Preakness, and the colt’s surgeon said he’s never worked on so many catastrophic injuries to one horse.
“You do not see this severe injury frequently because the fact is most horses that suffer this typically are put down on the race track.”
Dr. Dean Richardson
Dr. Dean Richardson was operating at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center for Large Animals and said the procedure could take several hours.
Corinne Sweeney, a veterinarian and the executive hospital director, said the horse was still in surgery about five hours after it began but that the procedure was near completion. She didn’t give any other details on the horse’s condition.
At the front gate, well-wishers already had tacked up signs: “Thank you, Barbaro,” “Believe in Barbaro” and “We Love you Barbaro.”
Barbaro sustained “life-threatening injuries” after breaking bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the Preakness Stakes.
“You do not see this severe injury frequently because the fact is most horses that suffer this typically are put down on the race track,” said Richardson, the chief of surgery for the center. “This is rare.”
“It’s about as bad as it could be,” he added. “The main thing going for the horse is a report that his skin was not broken at the time of injury. It’s a testament to the care given to the team of doctors on the track and [jockey] Mr. Prado on the racetrack.”
With no word on Barbaro’s condition over four hours after surgery began, the normally empty New Bolton Center was swarming with media awaiting an update. There had been no sightings of trainer Michael Matz or owners Roy and Gretchen Jackson, though the Jacksons reportedly were at the center for the start of surgery before leaving.
The Jacksons live less than 10 miles away on their farm in West Grove, outside Philadelphia in the horse country of Chester County. Now the fate of their horse could be determined down the road.
Richardson outlined Barbaro’s medical problems: a broken cannon bone above the ankle, a broken sesamoid bone behind the ankle and a broken long pastern bone below the ankle. The fetlock joint – the ankle – was dislocated.
“The aspects of the surgery will be dictated slightly by what we find,” Richardson said. “But the bottom line is we will attempt to perform a fusion of that joint and to stabilize it and make it comfortable enough for him to walk on.”
The breaks occurred as a result of an “athletic injury,” Sweeney said.
“It’s an injury associated with the rigors of high performance,” she said. “They were designed as athletes and they are elite athletes, thus they incur injuries associated with performance. The frame sometimes plays a role, absolutely.”
If the surgery is successful, Barbaro will be lowered into a large swimming pool before he is awakened – part of New Bolton’s renowned recovery system that minimizes injury risk. The horse is fitted with a sling on the operating table, placed on a raft and lowered into the water, allowing it to safely flail until fully conscious.
After about an hour the horse is transported via monorail back to the stable. Richardson “anticipated the horse would have a pool recovery,” Sweeney said.
Unbeaten and a serious contender for the Triple Crown, Barbaro broke down only a few hundred yards into the 1 3/16-mile Preakness. With his right leg flaring out grotesquely, the record crowd of 118,402 watched in shock as Barbaro veered sideways. Jockey Edgar Prado pulled the powerful colt to a halt, jumped off and awaited medical assistance.
Barbaro was fitted for an inflatable cast by the attending veterinarian, Dr. Nicholas Meittinis, and the colt trained so expertly by Michael Matz was taken to the center, known as the University of Pennsylvania’s George D. Widener Hospital New Bolton Center.
Barbara Dallap, a clinician at the center, was present when Barbaro arrived Saturday night.
“When we unloaded him, he was placed in intensive care and we stabilized him overnight,” Dallap said. “He was very brave and well behaved under the situation and was comfortable overnight.”
Matz, too, was at the center Saturday night.
“Two weeks ago we were on such a high and this is our worst nightmare,” he said. “Hopefully, everything will go well with the operation and we’ll be able to save him.”
Tucked away on a sprawling, lush 650-acre campus in Chester County, the New Bolton Center is widely considered the top hospital for horses in the mid-Atlantic region. The center is renowned for its specialized care, especially on animals needing complicated surgery on bone injuries.
I knew I should’ve logged on here before trying to check anything via TV when I woke this afternoon! Thanks for the updates.
FoxNews did just have a tidbit about 10 minutes ago that Barbaro’s still in surgery, noting the 3 bones and comments of how catstrophic the injuries are & the fact most horses are put down right on the track when something like this happens. They also stated it has been 6+ hours and they are waiting with baited breath for news he’s out and in recovery. I know, that’s not much, but each little bit is better than nothing (at least for me).
Jingles, jingles, jingles for Barbaro!!
Just now, ESPN says he’s still in surgery (7:46 EST)…
and I sat through all that baseball for that?!!!
which channel would be the best to see the post surgery press conference? They ARE still going to have one aren’t they? It’s been so long since they said the surgery was almost completed. Is it possible they’re waiting to see how he comes out of recovery before they give us any news? On pins and needles here.
How long has he been in surgery for? How long can a horse stay under anesthesia for??
I found it interesting to read about the pool and waking him up. I so hope that he is ok…
So thankful for this forum…feel much more informed here than by watching tv. Jingles for Barbaro…
Now I’m worried. It’s been 1 1/2 hours since they said it was almost finished. I’m watching ESPN News and they just keep saying that they will cut to the live news conference when the surgery is over.
Well if he did go in at 1 like they planned then he would be approaching 7 hours… Thats a good question about the anesthesia…
Well, I’m thinking that maybe they are including recovery time in the reporting when they say he is still in surgery - maybe he is actually out of surgery and in the pool, and they will do a press conference after they have him back out of the pool and into his stall. I’m hoping that this does not mean that things are going badly, because if that were the case, we’d be hearing that he was put down on the table.
Another update on ESPN News - just saying that they will update the details when they come available, and he’s been in surgery for most of the day.
I think Evenstar has it right.
Press conference when out of pool and back in stall.
Think about it… out of surgery and sitting in pool and then talk to media? What if they ask how he came out of anesthetic…uhhh no answer?
Can he bear weight? Uhhh no answer.
No I think (And hope) its a long wait to get him to standing in the padded stall.
As a side note… my updates may slow down. Mr. Xctrygirl is beyond upset at how many hours I have been online.
I will try to update but in my abscence, please throw what you hear and know up on the thread!!!
Thanks again everyone,
~E
ESPN just had an update, saying as soon as they here something they will report it. 8:11 EST
Holy … that’s a long time, but it could mean they are including recovery time,
JINGLES, JINGLES!!!
Anesthesia and horses
Here’s an article about the effects of anesthesia on horses.
http://www.ctba.com/husbmgmt/jul98askvt.htm
Meanwhile, jingles for Barbaro…he should be out soon.
