barbaro recovery
 

let me just start off by saying, i hope this doesn't happen at all, but say he keeps having complications, how long will the vets/owners let him suffer?
i know that he is a very special horse and many want him to make it, but what if things start going wrong. i really hope he makes it, but i would hate for him to go through suffering just to keep him alive.

i am not trying to be negative, so please don't think i want him to die.

That depends on what you consider "suffering."

You will hear some news today. That is all I can say.

i am just asking, how far are they willing to go to make sure he lives...i know they are trying their hardest to save him, but where do you draw the line.

:confused:

I just hope they do what is right for the horse.

In keeping with previous helpful comments in this thread....



The sun will set sometime this evening. That's all I can say. ( I'm an insider....don't ya know ).

MANY would have drawn the line the day of the accident.

Obviously you aren't, because you wouldn't even be joking about it.

Just waiting for your defense of your hit and run the other day.

Your credibility is ZERO.

Then why not say what you want to say, bold? Are they going to put him down or has it already been done?

Here's the latest from the UPenn website:

Barbaro’s condition guarded

July 12, 2006

KENNETT SQUARE, PA —* Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is continuing to rest comfortably today according to Dr. Dean Richardson, Chief of Surgery. “As we said yesterday, Barbaro’s condition is potentially serious, and we are aggressively seeking all treatment options,” he said. “Today we will focus on further diagnostics and keeping our patient comfortable.” Barbaro is being treated for fractures received at the Preakness on May 20 as well as discomfort in his left hind foot.

“He’s facing tough odds and his condition is guarded,” said Dr. Richardson. “Our entire staff is determined to do all they can for this magnificent horse.” All decisions are being made in constant consultation with the owners, who continue to be only interested in his comfort.

Barbaro remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the George D. Widener Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center.

Watch for a media advisory for a press conference later this week. For more information on Barbaro, please see www.vet.upenn.edu.

----------------------------------------------------

I don't want to irritate anyone, but this sounds troubling. Whatever happens, you have to admire the medical team. From all that's been said and done, they've been truly outstanding.

Well, here's a positive article:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/horse...pt-barb12.html

God no. Sorry if it came across that way. I believe the owners were going to say something today, maybe because they are leaving for Africa. I think your concern is the concern of many in that they just don't want the horse to suffer. He is definitely not suffering. He is actually doing quite well, so well that the Jacksons still might be leaving for their trip to Africa.

Cajungator, I think that info was earlier than the UPenn release, which I, too, found troubling.

The first time I read that, I thought blacktw was alluding to very bad news this evening. (As in, 'the sun will set on Barbaro'). But I don't think that's what he meant at all. He was just using "the sun will set" as an example of something totally obvious.

I'm pointing this out because I might not be the only one who read it wrong, and the last thing we need is a misunderstanding on such a sensitive topic.

--Dunbar

If you were literally talking about the sun, I apologize for being a little rude. I thought you were using your term "the sun will set sometime this evening" in another way.

I'm laughing now.

I'm not smart enough to even realize what I said could be taken the wrong way....as it easily could have been.

Yes...I was making the second " Captain Obvious " reference on the board today. I see mine went over similarly.

Sorry.

I also took it as a joke, and nearly replied asking if you had inside info on whether the moon would rise...glad now that I didn't

No big deal.

Remind me of my hit and run though. I have a job so sometimes my run is related to my need to work.

Great, you think I have ZERO credibility. Why would I care what you think?

Sounds like you are just bitter a college kid mades some picks the other day that made you look stupid. That Hennig horse Endless Virtue win made you look like a complete novice. Right after the late double the earlier day made you look stupid.

He sure did make you look like an idiot on that thread. Not once, but twice. My favorite line of yours was

“Not bothered at all....just trying to help any of the misguided who may unwittingly be suckered into betting that horrendous Hennig favorite tomorrow. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do, at least, my part to give an official warning against poor risk-reward horses.”


http://derbytrail.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1674

OK, let me refresh your memory, as you actually did exactly what you wrongfully accused me of doing. You made the following post....


" The shady mobsters in NYRA will pay off the right people. They shouldn't get it and some should be in jail, but it is NY where the word legal means nothing. "

You were asked to tell us who these " shady mobsters " were, and what they had done to make them such, and then tell us who should be in jail and why.

You conveniently forgot your horrendous behavoir towards me when I, correctly as it turned out, gave honest and sound opinions last week. You accused me of everything under the sun, incorrectly on all counts, and then make irresponsible posts like that one. Apparently you feel you do not have to play by the rules yolu have deemed appropriate for others.

Funny, you don't seem to miss anything around here, but you never responded to either my post, or Kasept's, in that thread.

I will deal with your other foolishness later. Save to say, keep betting horses like the Hennig maiden the other day and you will continue to be a loser at the track.

Please post the thread to refresh my memory. I actually don't bet that often but am up about $6000 on the year, none of which I won by making picks. I am a terrible handicapper but smart enough to listen to people that know things.

As for the NY Mobsters, here you go. Disgusting. You know the guys that are going to get it, well here is my favorite thing

"Tim Toohey recently was convicted of willfully filing a false statement on a federal tax return and was sentenced to both probation and incarceration, but the jail time is being contested. Criminality could be cause for refusal of racing and lottery licenses by state authorities."

Crooks and more crooks in NY. Nothing but shady criminals running things. I know I read the NYRA corruption report that was posted here by someone too. Very corrupt.

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/sto...date=7/12/2006

If Spitzer gets elected, no way does he award the franshise to NYRA again. But this whole process is going to be one BIG CLUSTER*UCK

It is NY. The shadiest group with ties to organized crime will win. Which probably means NYRA.

The ESPN story is even more discouraging than that UPenn release:
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/hor...ory?id=2517051

Richardson is quoted as saying Barbaro's chances are now less than 50-50.

--Dunbar

Believe me, Barbaro will let them know when he has had enough. I have been there recently with a horse that despite intense pain made it evident she was not giving up, she pulled through and is doing miraculously today. If Barbaro continues to eat and shows interest in his surroundings and treats, than believe me he is not giving up.... you know when it's time to throw in the towel in these situations.

It is less than 50-50, but that is also a little misleading. His point was that the horse was that if the horse was 50-50 when all was going well, he is obviously less than 50-50 now.

The newspapers and ESPN are also a little behind, going more on yesterdays news than todays.

The bloodhorse and thoroughbredtimes are really the only ones that follow it hour by hour
http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=34371

The archive is here
http://tcm.bloodhorse.com/BarbaroArchive.asp

I am no horseman, but the guy who keeps me in the loop said exactly what you said, and that the horse has given no indication of giving up.

So, Bold Ruler, according to you it is OK for YOU to make unsubstantiated ( and since you make ZERO attempt to give any concrete examples AND names it can only be assumed they are unsubstantiatable ) but not OK for anyone else to have an opinion about Barbaro that YOU don't agree with.

You play by some set of rules.

I made a commitment to my horse that as long as she was willing to fight that I would go the whole way with her, some people probably woudn't have. It was emotionally draining to see her in pain, but at the same time she still had the look in her eyes of a horse that was not depressed. I did all kinds of things to keep her interested and happy, like buying a bunch of varieties of hays and hanging them in nets all over her stall to encourage her to stand on her feet, despite the pain. I had a small tv outside her stall, and a radio, hell you do ANYTHING you can do when you love something so much... and if that means letting go, than you do that too. The people closest to this horse know his heart, and they know when he has had enough. It's nobody else's business to question their ethics or the extent of their love. I wish more owners were like the Jacksons, and my heart and prayers go out to them.

Best post all day and I agree 100%.

It is a chatsite and people argue. What do you want? Example of what? How corrupt NYRA is? As for Barbaro, people post whatever they want. People who want to be negative can be, I am just arguing the positive side. Every argument I have about the horse is about information that can be seen as positive or negative. I just don't like negative people, so I argue the other side.

Trust me, there are tons of idiots out there that post things that already have him dead. I thought you were doing the same with your "sunset" comment. Last I checked, I apologized.

So right Larhage.
Words spoken from the heart.
Good thoughts for Barbaro. Seems that he's a long way from finding his way out of the woods, but if there's a path,I hope he finds it.
As I'm sure that those that love him do also.

Yep Larhage, I've been there too. I also wish that more owners were like the Jacksons. I agree with Gator...definitely the post of the day and maybe even the month. Touching.

I have a question that I have been asking ever since the injury but nobody has given me an answer. If the worst case scenario happens and they can't save the leg, why do they have to put him down? Why can't they try giving him a prosthetic leg? There have been horses that got prosthetic legs and did fine. There was a horse in California named Boitron and I believe he even stood at stud with a prosthetic leg. I believe it was a back leg that he had lost. Why isn't a prosthetic leg an option for Barbaro?

Boitron died when he was 11 from perotinitis. Interesting article I found...

http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/hor...=64413&subsec=

I guess it would depend on where they had to amputate and the disposition of the horse.

I don't think that option has come up because they are really just fighting an infection right now. He is around 50-50 to have a great life as a normal horse.

A prosthetic leg would be a last resort. Considering horses have been sires with a prosthetic leg it might be talked about if it came to that.

The doctor though is a pretty confident guy and I doubt he would even bring it up. He says the right things and is very cautious in the public, but I don't think there is any doubt in his mind that he will pull it off. The guy is VERY ARROGANT and CONFIDENT, and that is not a knock on him.

Thanks. That article answered most of my questions.

This just came up on DRF.....

Prognosis for Barbaro becomes more bleak
By GLENYE CAIN
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Barbaro's surgeon termed the colt's condition "guarded" and said he faces "tough odds" on Wednesday now that infection has threatened his survival.
"As we said yesterday, Barbaro's condition is potentially serious, and we are aggressively seeking all treatment options," Richardson said in a release issued Wednesday by the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa. "Today we will focus on further diagnostics and keeping our patient comfortable."

In an interview published Wednesday in the Washington Post, Richardson gave the 2006 Kentucky Derby winner less than 50-50 odds of surviving in light of an infection in his shattered right hind leg.

"He is stable today, and he's got a great appetite, but he's not as good as he was two weeks ago," Richardson said. "Two weeks ago, we were at 50-50. With this new problem, we're less than that."

Richardson was scheduled to hold a press briefing Thursday morning to discuss the 3-year-old's condition. In the meantime, the hospital release noted, Barbaro is being treated both for the fractures he sustained in the May 20 Preakness Stakes and for "discomfort" in his uninjured left foot.

Barbaro's injured right hind leg showed signs of infection last Saturday, prompting Richardson to perform a three-hour surgery to replace the compression plate and many of the screws that are holding the lower leg together while it heals. Barbaro's recovery from anesthesia afterwards reportedly took 12 hours, significantly longer than his recovery took after previous surgeries.

"He's facing tough odds, and his condition is guarded," Richardson said in the Wednesday release. "Our entire staff is determined to do all they can for this magnificent horse."

In a New York Times report on Tuesday night, the colt's co-owner, Gretchen Jackson, also revealed that Richardson had identified a bacterial infection in Barbaro's uninjured left hind hoof. Richardson drained that abscess as part of the Saturday surgery.

Barbaro remains in intensive care at the center's George D. Widener Large Animal Hospital.

The left foot's condition is of great concern to Barbaro's veterinary team in large measure because it is vulnerable to stress-related laminitis, a painful and potentially fatal hoof disease that can develop in horses forced to shift weight off an injured leg. So far, there have been no indications of laminitis, also called founder, in Barbaro, Richardson told the Times on Tuesday.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/76357.html

What gets me about such an article is that there isn't one thing on it that wasn't in the Penn update and others, but they put the word "Bleak" in the title which gives you a spin going in. Of course it is more bleak than it has been. We all know that. But no one said that he was packing it in. To me, it is ridiculous to speculate at this point. It's bad. We have known it was bad since May 20. In fact, we have mostly been shocked that he was doing so well. The dog days are here. Don't pack it in until they tell us to verbatum.

I never lose faith.....

You're right though. "Bleak" wasn't the best choice of words.

It was downright tabloidish.