Barbaro’s cast may be removed soon

[spindrifter]

November 2, 2006


KENNETT SQUARE, PA ­ Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro’s right hind leg cast may be removed soon, according to his medical team at the George D. Widener Hospital at New Bolton Center. “Barbaro had radiographs taken through his fiberglass cast on November 1,” said Dr. Dean W. Richardson, Chief of Surgery. “The healing appears substantial enough that we plan to remove his cast and replace it with a splinted bandage some time next week.” Barbaro has been in a cast since surgery at the hospital following his accident at the Preakness on May 20.

"We will take some more radiographs after his cast is removed under general anesthesia. He will then be recovered again using our swimming pool system."

<slightly more>

http://www.vet.upenn.edu/newsandevents/news/Barbaro_Update11-2.htm

[brer cat]

1. That's great news! Thanks for the update.

We all need to break from the politics from time to time, and this is a cause to celebrate. I'm so glad that he's healing.

[Redstone]

2. Finally, some good news. Thanks for posting it.

Redstone

[Gloria]

3. A bright spot in an otherwise pretty shitty world....go Barbaro!!

[bklyncowgirl]

4. That's great news.

A little bright spot in an otherwise dark world. Courage, grace and dignity are increasingly rare in this world.

He still has to regrow his hoof from that bout of laminitis that almost killed him last July but things are definately looking up. I'm very happy for him and for his extended human family the Jacksons and trainer Michael Matz and his staff who've been at his side daily and have used the goodwill people showed to Barbaro to fund research and to bring attention to abuses in the horse world.

And for those who say that this sort of effort is wasted on a horse, the surgery on Barbaro was groundbreaking and the techniques used to fuse his leg can and will be adapted for human use.

[fidgeting wildly]

5. OMG! Did people actually say that?

That the effort was wasted on a horse? Sheesh. The war on science continues.

Edited to add a link to this article: Barbaro Doing Well: Vets Plan to Remove Cast Next Week, in which Dr. Dean Richardson rules out any possibility of Barbaro standing at stud in 2007. I'm glad to know they're not rushing the process for breeding purposes.

[bklyncowgirl]

6. Yeah quite a few people were saying the money would be better spent on humans

Yes, some people (even here) were saying that it should be spent on people.

Of course if it was public funding they might have an argument but the owners are footing the bill themselves. They are wealthy and besides, the horse won them over a million dollars on the track. They are also very involved in animal welfare organizations and much of the money collected by the Barbaro fund will go to pay for surgery for racehorses whose owners don't have the wherewithall to pay for their recovery or find them homes as an alternative to slaughter.

It's their money. I'd rather see them spending it to give this animal a decent chance at life than buying a new mercedes or something like that.