Barbaro Updates: 161
updates are now here.
Update 1206: No update yet today for Barbaro (noon), but we know New Bolton is planning its update for today. A nice opinion article in the Bloodhorse from Dr. Joan C. Hendricks, Dean of Penn Vet: Seize the Moment. It includes the following excerpt:
We must use this opportunity -- we may not get another -- to raise funds to move forward on equine diseases such as laminitis. We must focus and invest more time, science, and funds in preventing and treating performance injuries. For complex animals with complicated diseases, we have only a tiny amount of money; despite historic highs, the total amount available at the two major equine charities is still less than $4 million. While everyone involved in raising these funds deserves applause, let me put this in perspective: These amounts are less than one National Institutes of Health award granted this year to the University of Pennsylvania for human clinical research. No one can expect to make progress in fighting a complex medical problem with this kind of insufficient funding.
Update 1205: A couple of articles that wrap up what we can learn from yesterday: Barbaro on the move? and No decision made after Barbaro sees foot specialist. The upshot being no one yet knows the plans for moving Barbaro. I met Sandra McKee yesterday for the first time while at New Bolton. I also spoke briefly to Mike Jensen on the phone.
One interesting excerpt from the Philadelphia Inquirer article:
Even without an exact timetable, she said, "things are moving along." Jackson reported that a catheter had been taken out of Barbaro's neck yesterday at the Kennett Square facility that has been the horse's home for seven months since he suffered catastrophic injuries in the May 20 Preakness.
"That's a major step," Jackson said.
It is seven months for Barbaro and New Bolton today. A couple more snippets from my visit yesterday. John and I commented on the quality of music Barbaro was listening to ... the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin were playing on the radio, not country music! Peter Brette was happy to hear that when I spoke to him last night. Barbaro was also playing the game of getting the spearmint mints, stud muffins (which are also small) and sugar cubes off the stall ledge, without dropping them on the stall floor. He was very careful when doing it, moving his top lip like an elephant moves its trunk when seeking something! Very cool.
Update 1204: A nice editorial from the Bloodhorse: Beyond Barbaro. It includes the following excerpt:
The son of Dynaformer would have none of it. Roy and Gretchen Jackson's beloved colt demonstrated other-worldly intelligence, matched only in size and scope by his courage and heart. Barbaro could play the role of the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin Man -- after they'd been to see the Wizard of Oz.
Wouldn't it be nice if some of those attributes gravitated toward Thoroughbred industry leaders?
A few years ago I interviewed Ray Paulick for a class I was teaching: Internet Conversation with Raymond Paulick, Editor in Chief, Bloodhorse.
A couple of articles on Hard Spun's facile win yesterday: Hard Spun Draws Crowd, Raves in Nursery Win and Hard Spun ends local run with another win.
The Cecil Whig ran this story yesterday on Mike Rea: HOUSE WHISPERER WANTED *Horse trainer's family hopes for Extreme Home Makeover. It includes the follwing exerpt:
Someone clued her in to the ABC show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which renovates homes to meet families' various needs.
In October Rehm started a petition to rally for the show to feature her brother's family. So far she has garnered signatures from people around the world n many who know of Mike by association with Barbaro blogs. The petition has more than 3,000 signatures so far. There's no telling how many it will take for ABC to take notice, Rehm said, but every signature is another sign of hope.
Update 1203: From New Bolton: The December 19 update has been postponed until tomorrow. I assume this is simply because it got too late in the day.
Update 1202: My fourth visit with Barbaro.
So today I was to meet Mrs. Jackson and John Hennegan at 10 am at New Bolton. John and his brother are making a movie "The First Saturday in May" for which John is filming the epilogue, so following up with Barbaro. Peter Brette had mentioned this project to me a few months ago, and John and I had had a brief conversation in the summer about it and the state of horse racing in general. We had not met. Mrs. Jackson thought it would be good for us to meet (for which I was very grateful, as not only was I interested in meeting John, it meant a visit with Barbaro). Given I needed to be at New Bolton by 10 am I cut my Fair Hill work short this morning. Hawty Creek breezed yesterday so she was having a day off anyway. Another of the horses I ride also had (an unscheduled) day off! I arrived at New Bolton ten minutes early, which gave me just enough time to place another poster on the outside fence line at New Bolton.
Once I got into the lobby I chatted with Kathy Freeborn as I waited for John and Mrs. Jackson. Kathy has promised to take a couple of pictures of the outside fence line so everyone can see how it is looking with all the new posters.
John arrived first. We made our brief introductions, and Mrs. Jackson arrived very shortly thereafter, and right on 10 am. Mrs. Jackson had her usual bag of grass for Barbaro and led John and I back to the ICU. As we went back John began filming. We entered the ICU, put on our ICU garments and went in to see Barbaro. He has now been moved back to his old unit (I had not seen him in this unit) but is in a different stall. Both his old stall and this stall are similar in size, and both have windows, but Barbaro's current view is much more interesting (outside, fields etc. rather than the back of another building). Mrs. Jackson opened Barbaro's stall door (it is a sliding door) about a foot and placed the freshly cut grass close to the stall door. It took a minute or so for Barbaro to be encouraged to start to eat the grass, but once he did, he was very contented. All the while John was filming, he also asked Mrs. Jackson questions for which she was hooked up to a microphone. Barbaro also receives some carrots, spearmint mints, stud muffins etc. He did get a little fiesty from time-to-time and I put on his halter so we had a little control if needed. We basically hung out for about an hour while John was filming, Barbaro was eating, and moving around his stall, peering out of his window (which is closed of course as it is a temparture controlled environment). This was also the first time I got to see his right hind leg without anything on it. In the deep straw it looks great, its only when you see the leg raised do you notice it is a little different now after all the surgery he has had. He also has a pretty big shoe on the end of it! Towards the end Barbaro decided to lie down. It seemed to take him a little while to get in position to lie down, he is quite deliberate about things he does, in order to take care of himself I think. Anyway, John thought this was brilliant, and Mrs. Jackson illustrated to us how gentle Barbaro is when he is lying down (she went up to pet him and he looked so at peace.)
All in all a great visit, and the staff everywhere were great. John was planning to meet Tom (the Jackson's farm manager) later so he could get some footage of Barbaro outside grazing, and what a beautiful day it is this afternoon for that to happen. I went to lunch with Jennifer Rench (New Bolton PR) and we caught up an everything that is Barbaro!
Update 1201: Another comfortable night last night for Barbaro (monday night). I visited him with Mrs. Jackson and John Hennegan, from 10 am to about 11:30 am. John is making a movie / documentary, with his brother Brad, titled "The First Saturday in May". This movie follows the stories of Barbaro, Brother Derek, Laywer Ron, Jazil, Sharp Humor and Achilles of Troy. More on the visit in the next update. The New Bolton Update will likely not be much before the end of the day.
update 1:45 pm, tuesday, december 19
me first?
Posted by: designgirl7 at December 19, 2006 6:48 PM