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Barbaro Euthanized
Topic Started: Jan 29 2007, 06:22 PM (431 Views)
LadyMacca
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Barbaro euthanized, owner calls it "the right decision"

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (AP) -- Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized Monday after complications from his breakdown at the Preakness last May.

"We just reached a point where it was going to be difficult for him to go on without pain," co-owner Roy Jackson said. "It was the right decision, it was the right thing to do. We said all along if there was a situation where it would become more difficult for him then it would be time."

Roy and Gretchen Jackson were with Barbaro on Monday morning, with the owners making the decision in consultation with chief surgeon Dean Richardson.

It was a series of complications, including laminitis in the left rear hoof and a recent abscess in the right rear hoof, that proved to be too much for the gallant colt, whose breakdown brought an outpouring of support across the country.

"I would say thank you for everything, and all your thoughts and prayers over the last eight months or so," Jackson said to Barbaro's fans.

On May 20, Barbaro was rushed to the New Bolton Center, about 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia in Kennett Square, hours after shattering his right hind leg just a few strides into the Preakness Stakes. The bay colt underwent a five-hour operation that fused two joints, recovering from an injury most horses never survive. Barbaro lived for eight more months, though he never again walked with a normal gait.

The Kentucky Derby winner suffered a significant setback over the weekend, and surgery was required to insert two steel pins in a bone -- one of three shattered eight months ago in the Preakness but now healthy -- to eliminate all weight bearing on the ailing right rear foot.

The procedure on Saturday was a risky one, because it transferred more weight to the leg while the foot rests on the ground bearing no weight.

The leg was on the mend until the abscess began causing discomfort last week. Until then, the major concern was Barbaro's left rear leg, which developed laminitis in July, and 80 percent of the hoof was removed.

Richardson said Monday morning that Barbaro did not have a good night.

Brilliant on the race track, Barbaro always will be remembered for his brave fight for survival.

The story of the beloved 3-year-old bay colt's fight for life captured the fancy of millions and drew an outpouring of support unrivaled in sports.

When Barbaro broke down, his right hind leg flared out awkwardly as jockey Edgar Prado jumped off and tried to steady the ailing horse. Race fans at Pimlico wept. Within 24 hours the entire nation seemed to be caught up in a "Barbaro watch," waiting for any news on his condition.

Well-wishers young and old showed up at the New Bolton Center with cards, flowers, gifts, goodies and even religious medals for the champ, and thousands of e-mails poured into the hospital's Web site just for him.

"I just can't explain why everyone is so caught up in this horse," Roy Jackson, who owned the colt with his wife, Gretchen, has said time and again. "Everything is so negative now in the world, people love animals and I think they just happen to latch onto him."

Devoted fans even wrote Christmas carols for him, sent a wreath made of baby organic carrots and gave him a Christmas stocking.

Although the get-well cards and banners eventually will fade or be trashed, the biggest gift has been the $1.2 million raised since early June for the Barbaro Fund. The money is put toward needed equipment such as an operating room table, and a raft and sling for the same pool recovery Barbaro used after his surgeries.

The Jacksons spent tens of thousands of dollars hoping the best horse they ever owned would recover and be able to live a comfortable life on the farm -- whether he was able to breed or not.

The couple, who own about 70 racehorses, broodmares and yearlings, and operate the 190-acre Lael Farm, have been in the horse business for 30 years, and never had a horse like Barbaro.

As the days passed, it seemed Barbaro would get his happy ending. As late as December, with the broken bones in his right hind leg nearly healed and his laminitis under control, Barbaro was looking good and relishing daily walks outside his intensive care unit.

But after months of upbeat progress reports, including talk that he might be headed home soon, news came Jan. 10 of a serious setback because of the laminitis. Richardson had to remove damaged tissue from Barbaro's left hind hoof, and the colt was placed back in a protective sling.

On Jan. 13, another section of his left rear hoof was removed. After Barbaro developed a deep abscess in his right hind foot, surgery was performed Saturday to insert two steel pins in a bone, one that was shattered but now healthy, to eliminate all weight bearing on the ailing foot.

This after Richardson warned last December that Barbaro's right hind leg was getting stronger and that the left hind foot was a "more formidable long-term challenge."

In the end, the various complications from the breakdown at the Preakness were too much.
-Liz
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BikerLikeAnIcon
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I had not heard this. Poor thing :cry:
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modgirl1964
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Poor baby. They tried to save him, but it's the best. He's not in pain anymore.
Bridget

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Imported from Detroit
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That horse seriously went through a lot, I do feel bad about the results ... although it is nice that so many people ended up showing their concern and offering support over this. I'd say it was a tough decision to have to make within the context of all that information about what he'd gone through.
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MarthamyDear
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So sad for such an amazing and brave horse :(
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong, I'm right.......Where I belong I'm right..........Where I belong.
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LadyMacca
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The poor horsie!!! :cry: :cry: :cry: I was in tears when I read this. I feel bad
-Liz
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Now all that loving that he was privy to should propel him quite nicely to something far better ... if you're even vaguely spiritual you should be able to appreciate the kindness of strangers having some pretty powerful capacities.

Understand the sadness, but let's not get cynical or anything ... let the continuum do it's thing. ;)
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iscreamer1
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SAd but I'm glad the owners at least did everything they could to save the animal knowing it would never race again. Lesser owners would have put him down right after the accident.
Laughter is the shortest distance between two people - Victor Borge

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I agree with you 'iscreamer1' and I'm hoping that my sentiments above your's aren't taken lightly or in the wrong context.

There are definitely those that are into that sort of thing that are only interested in the bottom line, and then there are those that aren't that way and truly do love the animals and all that they're about. I'd say that these people were of the later variety rather than the former.

My father and his wife were into boarding horses down in Northern California. She was an ex-Olympian equestrian and well, he'd do anything for her with regards to their horses. They had some story's of people that they'd come across that were unkind to animals ... my dad actually got into a few scraps over it. For example they were at an arena once and someone was up on a horse and every time the horse did something that the guy disapproved of the he'd pull the reigns around and actually punch the horse. She told him to "go do something about that" and needless to say the guy was yanked off the horse and given a through working over by him, don't know if it helped ... but some people really shouldn't be allowed near an animal of that sort.

This situation wasn't of that nature and I've seen the interviews with the vet and the owners today ... they obviously cared a great deal about this animal and the species in general. So I'm fine with what they decided to do as I can only discern that they knew the situation inside out.

I'm a little concerned about the emoticon that was used to supplement the posting of the article, not quite sure how to read that given the content of the article and the nature of the situation ... that was the reason I was saying that stuff about not getting cynical about it.
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LadyMacca
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Yes i'm well aware of that, however I always cry when animals get put down
or when their hurt, and I give my puppy a hug when she hurts herself ^_^
-Liz
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Ah well now that's just sweet isn't it. I understand, I really do. Although with all that casting and the procedures that he was going through for the last several months ... well it's just a far cry from what he would have been capable of doing if that injury hadn't occurred. I was upset after I watched the interviews because they'd interspersed it with footage of him walking about with those casts on. That's a lot of weight that was baring down on his legs and it was difficult to see ... so like I said I do understand, but that was a really extensive injury and well not much more that I can offer to it at the moment.

Your puppy has a good friend in you too. :)
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BlueMolly2009
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I just heard a little while ago. That's too bad. At least he doesn't have to suffer. RIP Barbaro. :cry:
Molly
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f*ckin' sucks. I live near the track that made this horse famous, and I hate hearing that he suffered a set back last week. He was a great horse. :cry:
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LadyMacca
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Icarus
Jan 29 2007, 03:32 PM
Ah well now that's just sweet isn't it. I understand, I really do. Although with all that casting and the procedures that he was going through for the last several months ... well it's just a far cry from what he would have been capable of doing if that injury hadn't occurred. I was upset after I watched the interviews because they'd interspersed it with footage of him walking about with those casts on. That's a lot of weight that was baring down on his legs and it was difficult to see ... so like I said I do understand, but that was a really extensive injury and well not much more that I can offer to it at the moment.

Your puppy has a good friend in you too. :)

Yeah she lives with my folks over in Wisconsin, and boy does she know when I come home to visit my folks, lmao. She is one hyper little doll!
-Liz
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maccascruff
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I saw the owners being interviewed. They were obviously upset that they had to make this decision, as any animal owner is. At least the horse is no longer suffering.
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MarthamyDear
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I give a lot of credit to all who cared for and didn't give up on this horse! And Barbaro didn't suffer long at all, only the last day or so.........they didn't want to put that horse thru pain and discomfort. It would have been easy to just euthanize him from the start (and collect the 8.4 million he was insured for...........my husbands' company has to cut that check this week.....yikes!) rather they hung in there for the long-haul.......too bad, it wasn't meant to be.......The good news is I read this a.m., that Barbaros' mom is pregnant and due to give birth to a colt this spring, which is a full-sibling to Barbaro :wub:
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong, I'm right.......Where I belong I'm right..........Where I belong.
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Give his heart some credit, too. He fought a broken leg and laminitis longer than any other horse has. Starting tomorrow, there will be sympathy cards to the owners available to sign at Churchill Downs. It's amazing that there is such an outpouring of love for this animal!
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MarthamyDear
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beep
Jan 30 2007, 02:33 PM
Give his heart some credit, too. He fought a broken leg and laminitis longer than any other horse has. Starting tomorrow, there will be sympathy cards to the owners available to sign at Churchill Downs. It's amazing that there is such an outpouring of love for this animal!

Absolutely!! Barbaros' survival started with himself.......that's why this is sad, he had so much heart and was valiant to the end :(
And it really doesn't matter if I'm wrong, I'm right.......Where I belong I'm right..........Where I belong.
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LadyMacca
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MarthamyDear
Jan 30 2007, 08:24 AM
I give a lot of credit to all who cared for and didn't give up on this horse! And Barbaro didn't suffer long at all, only the last day or so.........they didn't want to put that horse thru pain and discomfort. It would have been easy to just euthanize him from the start (and collect the 8.4 million he was insured for...........my husbands' company has to cut that check this week.....yikes!) rather they hung in there for the long-haul.......too bad, it wasn't meant to be.......The good news is I read this a.m., that Barbaros' mom is pregnant and due to give birth to a colt this spring, which is a full-sibling to Barbaro :wub:

Oh that's such wonderful news!!
-Liz
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