5/23/2006: Barbaro's leg repair
 

http://cellar.org/2006/barbaro.jpg

They don't necessarily shoot horses any longer. Barbaro won the Derby by as much of a lead as anyone could remember. He might have won the Triple Crown. But he totally shattered his leg in the Preakness on Saturday, and wound up in six hours of surgery at U Penn's veterinary hospital.

Barbaro got better treatment out of Penn than I did, but maybe his problem was worse - initially he was given a 50-50 chance of making it through. This morning they say he's doing much better and so they are much more optimistic. He's actually putting the weight of a horse on that leg - on that massive stitching of pins.

http://cellar.org/2006/barbaroleg.jpg

The "before".

http://cellar.org/2006/barbaropool.jpg

After surgery he spent some time in a pool before going back to a stall.

A lot of people who seem to know, say that Barbaro's owners would have done the extensive surgery for any of their horses. But the payout on these odds is much higher - if he makes it to Stallionhood, Barbaro will fetch some high fees as a stud.

I've lurked until now, but this whole incident has me fired up.
Take a good look at a horse race winner. For every one you see wearing roses, there's dozens more lame or dead from being pushed too hard too early. The growth plates in horses legs don't close until around 2+ years of age. Everybody's looking at the replays and don't see why the leg shattered. Duh....could it be too much stress on a growing bone?
And, not to be too much of a cynic, but while they're "healing" this stud's leg, I'm sure they'll be collecting semen as often as possible to sell. At a hundred grand or more a pop (pun intended?), I'm sure they'll be able to pay the vet bill.

I wish someone could collect and sell my se...

oh, sorry.:redface:

They may sell his sperm but if they do they can't register the foal for racing. TBs have to have clear bloodlines for registration for racing so the stallion has to actually mate the mare.

Is that a hockey helmet on the head of one of the vets?

I guess it's insurance against being kicked by an improperly anaesthetized horse?

rough job...

Maybe he needs the helmet because he's about to collect some sperm and the horse will get rowdy.

..i bet Barbaro can make a mean 'Map of Hawaii' on that vet

They say he's flirting with the mares. That's a good sign :)

He's worth more, Horses at this level are cared for better than all but the most wealthy of humans.

:headshake

uh uh, not more than OUR Toadie!!!

This looks like what would happen if I tried to build a deck.

i think its time we put UT out to stud.

Bri? you up for it?

Hey hey, I'm brokered out to another filly

"hit me ya five card stud"

Oh come on! About 20 years ago I got T-Boned on my motorcycle by a fully loaded Mack truck. Broke all my ribs, both knees, one shoulder and 2 vertabra... walk with a noticable limp... but hell, at least I walk.

And MOST of the brain still works. LOL

Spent better than 1/2 a year in the hospital.

And even in a full body cast and traction, I *STILL* flirted with the nurses :D

He might be a horse, but he's still a guy... if a guy were being strapped into an electric chair, and one of the guards was a woman, he'd flirt with her. ;)

Acroyear