I don't know the exact but the fact that the break is abnove and below his ankle and horses basically have to be on their feet almost all the time with that type of weight, that if they can't fix it properly he will live in pain and anguish the whole time. Therefore they tend to euthanize and put the horse to sleep rather be inhumane and let him suffer for the rest of his life.
Will they need to put him down. How sad. It seems like every couple of years the network talks about triple crown. Is there a curse?
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/14630884.htm The horse's prognosis - and whether he is a candidate for surgery to repair the fractures - now depends on the blood supply to that leg, according to Bramlage. He said the blood supply will be absolutely critical. "If there's no blood supply, there's no chance for repair," Bramlage said. "Despite all the advances, however, equine surgeons deal with difficulties unknown to human surgeons: horses have to get back on their feet as quickly as possible, to prevent further complications. Humans can recover from major fractures while lying in traction."
Yes,it has to do with a horse's circulatory system.It isn't about putting a horse down because he can't race....It's just the way they are made.
"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," Richardson said before the surgery began. "This is rare." ______ Barbaro Emerges From Full Day of Surgery Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro underwent day-long surgery Sunday to repair three broken bones in his right rear leg and afterward "practically jogged back to the stall," the colt's surgeon said. At this moment "he is extremely comfortable in the leg," said Dr. Dean Richardson, who stressed before the marathon procedure that he's never worked on so many catastrophic injuries to one horse. Barbaro sustained "life-threatening injuries" Saturday when he broke bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the Preakness Stakes. His surgery began early Sunday afternoon at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center for Large Animals. "It's about as bad as it could be," Richardson said of the injury. "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." Horses are often euthanized after serious leg injuries because circulation problems and deadly disease can occur if they are unable to distribute weight on all fours. 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 breaks occurred as a result of an "athletic injury," said Corinne Sweeney, a veterinarian and the hospital's executive director. "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." link
I'd really like to know how this happened. I saw the video but could not get a conclusive view. Did he plant it wrong or what happened?
Could have just been a mis-step or might have stepped on one of the other horses legs...can't really tell in the video..bad plant and that was all she wrote.
I remember that one guy on TV said that the horse could have been trying to compensate for a minor injury in the front legs from the jumping the gate thing. Who knows? It's too bad.
6 hour surgery today and Barbaro woke up and jogged. He's doing fine but they say his survival is still up in the air.
This article explains how the injury can happen. Barbaro moved to ICU after six hours of surgeryESPN.com news services KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- Barbaro underwent more than six hours of surgery Sunday to repair the rear leg bones he broke in the Preakness, calmly awoke from anesthesia and "practically jogged back to his stall" for something to eat. But the Kentucky Derby winner still faces just a 50-50 chance of survival. "From the last time I saw him to now was a big relief. They did an excellent job. It's just an amazing thing to see him walk in like that. I feel much more comfortable now. I feel at least he has a chance." Michael Matz, Barbaro's trainer Despite the huge first step on the road to recovery, Dr. Dean Richardson said the Kentucky Derby winner's fate still came down to "a coin toss." "Right now he's very happy," Richardson said after the surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center for Large Animals. "He's eating, he's doing very good. But I've been doing this too long to know that day one [isn't] the end of things." The strapping 3-year-old colt sustained "life-threatening injuries" Saturday when he broke bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the Preakness Stakes. His surgery began around 1 p.m. Sunday, and it wasn't until some eight hours later that Richardson and trainer Michael Matz emerged to announce that all had gone well. "From the last time I saw him to now was a big relief," said a visibly fatigued Matz. "They did an excellent job. It's just an amazing thing to see him walk in like that. "I feel much more comfortable now. I feel at least he has a chance." Unbeaten and a serious contender for the Triple Crown, Barbaro broke down Saturday only a few hundred yards into the 1 3/16-mile Preakness in Baltimore. The record crowd of 118,402 watched in shock as Barbaro veered sideways, his right leg flaring out grotesquely. Jockey Edgar Prado pulled the powerful colt to a halt, jumped off and awaited medical assistance. Barbaro sustained 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. Richardson said the pastern bone was shattered in "20-plus pieces." The bones were put in place to fuse the joint by inserting a plate and 23 screws to repair damage so severe that most horses would not be able to survive it. When he came out of surgery, Barbaro was lifted by sling and placed on a raft in a pool so he could calmly awake from the anesthetic. Richardson said the horse "practically jogged back to his stall" and was wearing a cast from just below the hock to the hoof. "He's a real genuine athlete, there's no doubt about it," Richardson said. "Even the way he woke up from anesthesia, he was very much the athlete waking up from general anesthesia." Richardson again stressed that Barbaro had many hurdles to clear. "Horses with this type of injury are very, very susceptible to lots of other problems, including infection at the site," he said. Barbaro will be treated with antibiotics to try to stave off such infections. Horses are frequently euthanized after serious leg injuries because circulation problems and deadly disease can arise if they can't distribute weight evenly -- and lying down for long periods can cause internal problems, making immobilization or elevation impossible. Richardson said he expects Barbaro to remain at the center for several weeks, but "it wouldn't surprise me if he's here much longer than that." 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. It is renowned for its specialized care, especially on animals needing complicated surgery on bone injuries. Roses, other assorted flowers and cards from fans and admirers expressing well wishes were delivered to the center Sunday and displayed in the lobby. One sign said "Be Well Barbaro." Two apples and five carrots, some of a horse's favorite snacks, lay next to the flowers. The breaks in the colt's leg occurred as a result of an "athletic injury," said Corinne Sweeney, a veterinarian and the hospital's executive director. "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." Barbara Dallap, a clinician at the center, was present when Barbaro arrived at the center 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." Barbaro's injury came a year after Afleet Alex's brush with catastrophe at the Preakness. Turning for home, the horse was bumped by another and nearly knocked to his knees before gathering himself and going on to win. Thoroughbreds have broken down in the past in big races: In the 1993 Preakness, Union City broke down and was euthanized; in the 1993 Belmont Stakes, Preakness winner Prairie Bayou broke down; in the 1999 Belmont Stakes, with Charismatic trying to win the Triple Crown, he was pulled up while finishing third with a fractured ankle; Go For Wand broke down in the stretch of the 1990 Breeders' Cup Distaff and was euthanized; and in 1975, the great Ruffian broke down in a match race with Foolish Pleasure. She was operated on, but was later euthanized.
It's probably hella expensive. I'm pretty sure that the owner doesn't care about the costs though. Most of these horse owners are billionaires already.
And he can make it back easily as a stallion. That's another reason they want to save him. I bet if he had not won the Kentucky Derby there wouldn't be this urgency. I saw a report once on HBO's Real Sports that one horse (I can't remember his name) gets $500,000 EACH TIME he impregnants a horse.
Barbaro takes a turn for the worse http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/10/sports/othersports/10barbaro.html Barbaro Faces Complications From Infection in Injured Leg By JOE DRAPE Published: July 10, 2006 The condition of Barbaro, who won the Kentucky Derby, then broke down in the Preakness, took a potentially serious turn late Saturday when veterinarians had to remove the plate and some of the screws from his injured right hind leg to stave off infection. Your guide to the Tour de France: commentary, stage by stage standings, profiles, complete route and more. The colt has had a temperature since having the cast on his injured leg replaced twice and some new screws inserted last Monday. Dr. Dean Richardson, chief surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa., said in a statement yesterday that the new complications are "potentially serious." "Barbaro had developed some discomfort and a consistently elevated temperature so we believed it was in his best interest to remove the hardware and thoroughly clean the site of the infection," Richardson said in the statement. "We also applied a longer cast on that leg for additional support." Richardson stressed that while the main fracture sustained in the opening yards of the Preakness on May 20 was healing well, the pastern joint that veterinarians are trying to fuse in an effort to allow Barbaro a pain-free life remained a challenge. It was stabilized with implants and a fresh bone graft. The colt also was being treated with topical cream for an infection on the sole of his left hind leg. "The recovery process from anesthesia took longer with this surgery, but Barbaro is now back in his stall in the Intensive Care Unit," said Dr. Richardson. "He is receiving pain medication, antibiotics and other supportive care."
Just an update. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/spor...c13,0,1582174.story?coll=orl-sports-headlines Barbaro remaining on road to recovery The Kentucky Derby champion's right leg is improving after 7 months of rehabilitation. KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- Barbaro continues gaining strength in his right hind leg since having his cast removed last month, another encouraging sign for the Kentucky Derby winner. Nearly seven months into his stay at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, Barbaro's veterinarians said Tuesday the colt continues to recover gradually. "Barbaro will need a special shoe on his right hind foot that will provide extra support for at least the next several months," said Dean Richardson, chief surgeon at the New Bolton Center. Barbaro will likely have his right hind shoe changed within the next day or two. Barbaro's laminitis-stricken left hind foot also continues to improve. "The left hind foot is progressing slowly although his comfort on that foot remains acceptable," Richardson said. "Most importantly, Barbaro's overall condition is continuing to improve and he weighs more now than at any time during his hospitalization."
