And latest Barbaro update
 

http://news.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=34574

Keep up the good fight, B!

That is one special horse.

You know I heard a pretty good conversation on the Barbaro issue over the weekend. I didn't add one thing to the conversation, I was just listening. Everyone at the table agreed that saving Barbaro was of the utmost importance for racing. But now the bar has been set to try and save every horse that breaks down and gets laminitis. Barbaro's condition as far as his fracture and his laminitis is about the worse you can get. But the majority of horse owners do not have the money to spend on a horse like the Jackson's have. So now the arguement in the future is going to be "well they saved Barbaro, why can't they save your horse." There is only one answer...MONEY. I wonder how the casual public will take to that answer. Just sort of interesting to think about.

But keep on keeping on Barbaro--you are one amazing animal.

That isn't really true. The casual public doesn't even pay attention and the people in the business know that money runs everything. You can't save every horse, just like you can't save every dog or cat in a shelter. The casual public doesn't even get concerned when people are dying of starvation all over the world, they are more concerned with their own lives and complaining about how much they are paying for gas.

Maybe I didnt make my point clear. When the casual public watches the Derby, Preakness, Belmont and Breeders Cup and see a horse break down and then the horse is put down, they will be saying--you saved Barbaro but not this horse? They will not accept the answer of MONEY as acceptable.

No they won't. The casual public watches for 2 minutes and then turns the channel. They don't understand types of injuries or anything like that. What are the odds of that happening anyway? This is 2006, people understand that money runs everything.

The type of injury may still play a factor-- one of the few things that went in Barbaro's favor is that the skin wasn't broken in the initial accident. In a case like Ruffian's, by the time Vasquez got her pulled up she'd nearly torn the foot off.

I would guess any time it's a Classics winner, they'll do their best to save him (her). A Classics also-ran-- well, I guess that will be up to the owner.

And a lot of this will still hinge on whether Barbaro makes it. If he (God forbid) doesn't pull through, I wouldn't be surprised to see people yell that he should have been put out of his misery right away.

And how long before I move off of "Bowie?"

Bold you made my point for me. The casual fan doesnt understand horse inuries. That is why they will say--well you saved Barbaro, why not this horse.

and at the same time ... the horse slaughter issue is in the public eye!!!

Thank heavens for that...

I can't wait for the day when horses are no longer slaughtered.

I thought I heard her injury was less severe. They tried to save her, but she reinjured herself coming out anesthesia.

No, I am just saying they won't even care one way or another. The race is over and then they will tune in maybe for next years KD.

If you look at Horatio Nelson, in a country where people are much more passionate about racing, they just said it was terrible and moved on. That is the way the world is.

If you read the account of it in Jane Schwartz's book, it's pretty gruesome. Barbaro let himself get pulled up right away, but Ruffian fought Vasquez when he tried to pull her up and kept running on that broken ankle. She did also undo all the work they did when she came out of anesthesia, you are still right about that.

And an article I read said they've made some advances since then-- they now try to wait to do surgery so the adreneleine from the race is out of the system and they bring the horse out of anesthesia in a standing position so it doesn't panic- but it seems to me her injury was still very severe even by today's standards.

I've seen the video unfortunately, I just took as you saying it broke the skin...and I don't recall that.

I've seen the video, too-- and you're right; it's awful. I think from that distance, it's hard to see, but I just googled Ruffian and here's one of the accounts saying she did keep running and got sand and dirt in the wound:

http://ap.lancasteronline.com/4/rac_...ous_breakdowns

It's a really sad article, but it ends with Holy Bull and Charismatic, for a (slightly) uplifting ending. And it's fair in that it points out thoroughbreds break legs in all kinds of situations, not just on the track.

Barbaro appears to be an extremely bright horse. He does everything right. He even sits like a dog to take pressure off his legs. Not too many are that smart.

Tough read indeed....part of the sport and part of their existence, my family has come home to a mare in the field...just like they cite...that's what the public doesn't understand.

That's the truth. Colicking, injuries, laminitis-- they're such efficient animals that if one thing goes wrong, it can be catastrophic. We humans seem to have much more room for error, don't we?

Hey, this is post 200! Do I get to leave Bowie?

lovely animals...somewhat questionably designed.....

Yes...you're up to Turf Paradise....I'll be joining you in 6:cool:

Bold...that WAS true before Barbaro....now I get all of my friends and aquaintances asking me, albiet every once in a while , how Barbaro is doing.
Most of them realize that this is somewhat unusual that that money is probably the reason that he's still with us.
But my point is NBC kept their cameras on him SO LONG that the casual watcher is now aware of the sport's casualties/injuries. Some of my friends refuse to watch now but like I said, my friends who dont watch often want to know what has become of him.