Do you remember Barbaro?

Question

Are there any horse fans out there who miss Barbaro as much as I do? I think that it was wonderful that his jockey atleast slowed him down and stopped him when he hurt his leg. But I think it was very sad because I as well as many others thought Barbaro was going to make a full recovery. He was such a wonderful horse and I was so upset when I found out they put him down. Your Thoughts?

Answer 1

I chose to answer this question, having been voted three times best answer relating to Barbaro.

Every answer above shows compassion, and I value that quality with people who would take the time to write their thoughts and feelings about our beloved Barbaro.

I am not looking for ten points, rather, would convey some more thoughts in the hope that everyone gets better understanding.

I owned a thoroughbred, and raced him 38 times. I've had many different jockeys and several different trainers.

What I've come to realize is that each racehorse has a distinct personality, and that doesn't coincide with the way they run.

Some have nice temperments but can't run worth a dime.

Some have nice temperments and run like the dickens.

And there are those that are viscious but run like the competitors they are.

Barbaro seemed to be a gentle giant, built like classic long distance runners that can "run all day".

With all due respect to his trainer, I believe (and I was informed of this by one of my trainers) that the Preakness came up too soon, and Barbaro may have needed more rest, preferably a long rest on a farm.

Whenever I got some negative feedback on how my horse was feeling/doing, I would always send him back to the farm.

Again, I can't say directly I fault the trainer, or anybody, because I'm merely doing some Monday quarterbacking.

The pressure was on Barbaro to win a Triple Crown, and the pressure was on all his connections to deliver a Triple Crown champion.

It wasn't enough that he was a great Kentucky Derby Champion, the public wanted more.

I am a big believer in the theory of stretching the rubber band too much. In every life situation, we come across a point where should we continue doing the "same old", things can and do go wrong, and as was the case with Barbaro, he was stretched a bit too much.

I observed his photograph taken before the Preakness, and what I saw was a horse lacking the alertness in the eyes, the muscle rippling that is customary with well built and strong bodied individuals who run all day. I would have bet on him because his built was outstanding, and needless to say, nobody was interested in who won the Preakness.

Barbaro was built in the image of Secretariat. The only difference is 33 years and changes that took place that make today's animals similar to today's athletes from all sports.

Other champions like Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex were built a bit smaller and lack that majestic appearance of a Barbaro. These lucky fellas went on to stud duty, so I expect to see more of the short stocky types on the racetracks, and less of the long running, loppers like Barbaro.

A different course after capturing the Kentucky Derby might have given this beautiful animal a whole different story...and going contrary to what the public wants is a difficult task.

Again, I am just second guessing, and I wouldn't want to be placed in that difficult spot of making decisions on a horse's future.

With my racehorse, all he needed was long distance races, the longer the better, and generally he gave a final punch that was at times successful. His running style prevented injuries to himself and other racehorses in the race since he never got too close to them, and just gave a closing kick when everybody else was
tired. That's my kind of racehorse, and Barbaro was that kind.

And now, all I see is memorabilia on ebay, gathering momentum. They have breyer figures going for several hundred dollars each, and the demand is strong for everything Barbaro.

The most impressive thing I've seen is the print by Fred Stone.

I'm thinking of doing a painting soon of Barbaro.

Again, in all due respect for everyone connected to Barbaro, my comments here were made in the wish that we still had him around, and not to put anyone down because everyone tried their best to save him.

(Please don't vote me Best Answer again, give it to somebody else on here.)

Answer 2

Yeah I know what you mean Mel. No one around me is into horse racing, and when you try to explain the anniversary of Barbaro's death they don't care. I miss Barbaro every day and I think of him all the time. He was very special to each and everyone of us. He holds a very special place in my heart. I am so glad that they decided to bury him at Churchill Downs. This was where he romped in the 2006 Kentucky Derby. He showed everyone what he had. That fateful Preakness Day, I remember thinking to myself "Something is going to go wrong" and it did. When I read about his death on January 29, 2007, I was in tears. I didn't want to see him go. Barbaro was a very special horse.

Answer 3

I was really sad too when I found out they put him down. He was a great athlete and had a wonderful heart. But its nice to know that atleast he's not suffering anymore. I remeber reading the newspaper and Dr. Richardson said that after discovering laminites in his front legs he didn't have a good leg to stand on. It's better to remember Barbaro for who he was...a great horse who will always be remembered.

Answer 4

I feel the same way and i'm never going to forget Barbaro! I just got done crying. Well never forget him. R.I.P. Barbaro! <3 Because i also thought he was going to make a full recovery.

Answer 5

We all hope Barbaro is now running on a grassy field without any pain. His owners are to be commended, for they could have put him down at the beginning and collected tons of insurance money. Instead, they chose to utilize the wonders of modern veterinary medicine in a hope that he could be saved. It is hard to fault them for their actions.

Answer 6

My eyes are burning from sobbing earlier when I was watching the news coverage. I am from a town that has a thoroughbred racetrack, so I tend to pay attention to related stories. I was rooting for him to make a recovery, to overcome the odds and have a happy ending. There are not many happy endings these days I wanted him to have the chance to have one. And according to recent reports before he turned for the worse he was to go home soon. To be so close to making it after going through so much is just heart breaking. My heart goes out to his owners and all that worked so closely with him. A great loss.

Answer 7

Do I miss Barbaro as much as you do? Maybe more.

I was shocked to hear the news on Monday and I've cried every day since. I'm so thankful to all the people who did everything in their power to save him (Gretchen and Roy Jackson, Dean Richardson, Edgar Prado). I spent the last 8 months checking the internet for Barbaro's condition at least once a day. I watched as Edgar pulled up during the Preakness and I anxiously awaited the results of his surgery the next day. I was sorry to hear he had developed laminitis in July, but I knew he'd pull through it.

By the end of the year I was celebrating. Dean said Barbaro could be going home within a month. I think that's what made his death such a sickly surprise. I spent a few evenings last week watching fan tribute videos of Barbaro's races, injury, and recovery. By the end of those, I was crying, but they were tears of joy. Last week, I was sure that Barbaro had made it... he would survive. Dean reported a setback including that they cut away more of Barbaro's left foot, but I was unaffected. Laminitis isn't something that goes away... once the swelling forces the coffin bone to rotate, there's no going back. So when I heard reports last week of more cutting away of that hoof, it wasn't news to me. Barbaro was strong enough to survive the shattered leg, so I was sure he could deal with the laminitis: a much more common injury that ordinary horses face every day.

I didn't learn of Saturday's surgery until Monday. I was at a horse show last weekend, so I didn't have my computer. I went about my busy life, oblivious to the fact that Barbaro had a painful abcess deep within his right hoof. Oblivious to the fact that while I was horse showing, Dean was performing yet another surgery, this one riskier than the others.

I came back from the show on Sunday night and went to classes Monday. I didn't learn of any of these horrible developments until that afternoon. I turned on the computer to browse my usual websites, check my e-mail, and of course check on Barbaro.

I always knew that so long as Barbaro was deep within the sports section of Yahoo, he was safe. I knew that if he appeared on the main page, it would be nothing but bad news. So when the Yahoo page loaded and that beautiful colt was staring back at me, I knew what had happened.

I spent the following days reading and watching all of the news stories. I learned of Barbaro's abcess and how that, coupled with his left leg, resulted in the laminitis of both of his front feet. I watched Gretchen, Roy, and Dean give a sorrowful press conference. I read about Michael Matz's reaction and the thoughts of all of the people involved in thoroughbred racing.

Yes, I've cried. I cry reading the reports on the internet and when watching the news. I compiled a group of Barbaro pictures and saved it as the background for my computer, so when I get bored with note-taking during class I've stared at those pictures and cried then too. I've cried as I've written this reply.

I take comfort in knowing that there were many others like me... so many people were touched by Barbaro: by his talent on the racetrack; by his bravery in the ICU; by his noble attitude in remaining the positive, happy, and frisky stallion that he is, even in the face of such catastrophic injuries; and by the hope that he brought back to the world. Of course Barbaro was a great racehorse... but he was more than that. He was a positive force that brought people together. In an age where we push each other apart, going about our lives thinking mostly of ourselves, Barbaro gave us something in common, a reason to unite as a solitary group with one common goal and purpose.

Yet there are those who failed to see the magic of Barbaro. They focus on the negative things, the problems that face the world, while comparing Barbaro with the dead squirrel that we all drive past on the road. How can Barbaro, they ask, be a hero when there's so much bad happening in the world, and so many true heroes fighting that bad? But that's exactly the point: Barbaro is a hero because he brought us together at a time when everything else in the world pushes us apart. While the soldier fighting in the mid-east is a hero, he also symbolizes the great adversity the world faces. We, in the United States, can't even agree regarding that soldier's presence in the mid-east. On the world wide scale, our heroic soldier is the reason for great hatred in other countries.

Barbaro's magic and heroism is that no one can hate such a wonderful colt. Barbaro did everything we asked him to do: he won every race we ever entered him in and recovered from his shattered leg like a true champion.

At a time when the world needed a uniting force, Barbaro was there. That's what made him a hero.

Thank you, Barbaro.

Answer 8

They knew up front there was no way to save him. A good horse to be sure, but he should have been put down on that day.

Answer 9

I am sooooooo sad they put him down! y couldn't they just keep him as a pet? I know that no one would ride him, but, still..... hed be alive!