I know it sounds odd, but this passing away struck me just as hard as a human being.  Feel free to call me cooky, but I had strong admiration for this incredible animal.  Godspeed Barbaro!

The ‘06 Kentucky Derby winner remains in our thoughts as the horse tries to win another significant setback in his recovery. Barbaro is no longer placing weight on the right leg he shattered eight months ago and this is a huge concern. There was a surgery yesterday to try and correct the complications, but only time will tell if the risky surgery will work. In recent months the major issue was in respect to the left foot and the often fatal hoof disease. For the first time lead Dr. Dean Richardson stated if the same leg was to break again due to this risky procedure, “I think we’ll quit.” 

It’s been roughly seven weeks now since Barbaro severely broke his leg racing at the Preakness.  In that time the horse has gone through 4 operations and the last three have occurred pretty much back to back. Barbaro now has a severe case of laminitis which is a potentially fatal disease caused by uneven weight distribution in the limbs. The vetenarian has stated that Barbaro’s chances of survial are a “long shot” and the situation will be closely monitored. Barbaro is certainly a fighter and I definitely hope this magnificent horse lives, but I definitely don’t want to see the horse in pain either.

For those that are interested, Barbaro went into surgery this afternoon, and 7 hours later, he is said to be “extremely comfortable in the leg.” The biggest hurdle now is avoiding an infection in the leg. It does say something that almost all cases of injuries this bad never make it to the surgery table, but rather euthanized right there at the track. Doctors give Barbaro a 50/50 shot at recovery currently.  We will keep you updated on his condition, and hopefully, his recovery.

As an animal lover, it breaks my heart every time I see the video of Barbaro breaking his leg on Sat. during his attempt to win the second leg of the Triple Crown. The leg was broken in two places, both above and below the ankle on the right rear leg. As it looks now, the injury may be severe enough that it could be life threatening, depending on whether or not the blood flow to that leg has been permanently damaged. I certainly hope that’s not the case. What is certain is that Barbaro has run his last race. Previously undefeated, he will no longer be able to race and the trainers and vets are saying that a best case scenario is to use him to breed other horses. The injury cast a long shadow over the winner of the Preakness, Bernardini. We will keep you updated on Barbaro’s status.