Barbaro breakdown threatens champion racehorse's life...and racing's image

(Photo of Barbaro at left was taken by Dorothy Ours at Churchill Downs in early May)
By now, everyone knows that 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro broke down in the Preakness Stakes today. As I write this, he is being transported to the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary teachning hospital outside Philadelphia, where he will be examined and plans made for surgery to repair his broken hind leg. Or, worse case scenario, he will be euthanized.

An interesting fact from www.preakness.com:
>>Gretchen Jackson is involved in several organizations, including being an Overseer on the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School; and a board member of Thoroughbred Charities of America and Anna House, the Belmont Park day-care center.<< end quote

Gretchen Jackson is co-owner of Barbaro, with her husband, Roy. They live right down the street from New Bolton Center, the large animal hospital and research facility in Kennett Square, PA, where their horse is tonight a patient. New Bolton is not far from Pimlico but the trip must have been tough for the horse and his human connections.

I wrote about the great stallion Nureyev years ago at Walmac International in Lexington, KY. He shattered his right hind leg below the hock in a paddock accident. He was a very smart and cooperative horse and survived surgery and recovery to become one of racing's all-time leading sires. Nureyev lived in a sling in an extra-long stall for months. Of course, he was not racing-fit at the time of his accident.


Text and photos © 2006 Hoofcare Publishing. Text and photos posted on “The HoofBlog”, a casual news source for subscribers and friends of Hoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of Equine Foot Science. Learn more (and subscribe online using our secure server) at http://www.hoofcare.com or write to Hoofcare Publishing, 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930 USA. Tel USA 978 281 3222; Fax 978 283 8775, or email hoofblog@hoofcare.com

Note: this blog is an interactive web page. By clicking on the envelope icon at the bottom of an article, you can instantly email that article to a friend. By clicking on the word “comment” after a post, you can leave a message, which may be viewed by future blog readers who click on the same “comment”. Commenting may require registering with Blogger.com. You may also comment by emailing the author, Fran Jurga, at fran@hoofcare.com and your comment will be posted for you, technology willing.

Edinburgh Police Farrier Honored for his Work

Royal farrier a shoe-in for animal award
Found this by accident today....it's nice to see a farrier get such recognition!--Fran

The Scotsman Edinburgh Scotland Thu 18 May 2006

THE Queen's former farrier was today to be honoured with a parade of police horses along Princes Street as he was presented with an award for his work in animal welfare. Lothian and Borders Police horses in full livery were due to assemble at The Mound to celebrate Donald MacNaughton receiving his Animal Champion award from the Scottish SPCA. Mr MacNaughton, 60, has worked with the force's horses for 32 years. Born in Liberton, he joined the Royal Army Veterinary Corps as a young man and trained as a farrier. He was later responsible for tending to the Queen's horses in London before moving back to Scotland. Inspector Jim Baird of Lothian and Borders Police Public Order Unit said: "Thanks to Donald's skill and dedicated care, our horses lead long, productive lives."

Text and photos © 2006 Hoofcare Publishing. Text and photos posted on “The HoofBlog”, a casual news source for subscribers and friends of Hoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of Equine Foot Science. Learn more (and subscribe online using our secure server) at http://www.hoofcare.com or write to Hoofcare Publishing, 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930 USA. Tel USA 978 281 3222; Fax 978 283 8775, or email hoofblog@hoofcare.com

Note: this blog is an interactive web page. By clicking on the envelope icon at the bottom of an article, you can instantly email that article to a friend. By clicking on the word “comment” after a post, you can leave a message, which may be viewed by future blog readers who click on the same “comment”. Commenting may require registering with Blogger.com. You may also comment by emailing the author, Fran Jurga, at fran@hoofcare.com and your comment will be posted for you, technology willing.

May 19 Update on Buster Conklin's Condition

This just in from Steve Kraus, regarding the health of our good friend Buster Conklin, New York state farrier and retired farrier instructor at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Steve writes:

"As of today he is doing a little better and is home. He still is in a fragile situation and no one knows what the time table is but we are are still thinking that he can't live very long with his liver condition, but maybe he will fool us! As I've said, he will choose his own time. They don't make guys like him anymore. He still has some drain tubes in. He has a doctor appt. on Tues. to see what the next step is. He likes hearing from his friends so don't be bashful. Joe Chicone gave him a haircut the other day. His color comes & goes. I'll keep you all posted every several days. Let me know who else needs to be sent messages, I'm not trying to leave anyone out, its difficult to find all the addresses."

Steve Kraus

Scroll down a few posts and you will find the address and phone number to contact Buster. Thanks for keeping him in your thoughts!

Text and photos © 2006 Hoofcare Publishing. Text and photos posted on “The HoofBlog”, a casual news source for subscribers and friends of Hoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of Equine Foot Science. Learn more (and subscribe online using our secure server) at http://www.hoofcare.com or write to Hoofcare Publishing, 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930 USA. Tel USA 978 281 3222; Fax 978 283 8775, or email hoofblog@hoofcare.com

Note: this blog is an interactive web page. By clicking on the envelope icon at the bottom of an article, you can instantly email that article to a friend. By clicking on the word “comment” after a post, you can leave a message, which may be viewed by future blog readers who click on the same “comment”. Commenting may require registering with Blogger.com. You may also comment by emailing the author, Fran Jurga, at fran@hoofcare.com and your comment will be posted for you, technology willing.

eBay: You Never Know What You Might Find...

Four shoes by British racing champion filly (and US Breeders Cup winner) OUIJA BOARD are up for auction for charity this week on eBay. So far, the bidding is up to just under $1000 with the latest bid from "Lady Tavistock"--who knows if it is the real Lady Tavistock or an imposter, but that is part of the fun of eBay!

Here's a link to the listing:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8807511785&ssPageName=ADME:B:EF:US:1

No mention of who the farrier is or the make of the shoes. Maybe someone will email me and tell me...

Ouija Board is still in training and seems to be circling the globe, racing in major stakes from Dubai to the Pacific Rim this year. The shoes were donated by the Countess of Derby.

Text and photos © 2006 Hoofcare Publishing. Text and photos posted on “The HoofBlog”, a casual news source for subscribers and friends of Hoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of Equine Foot Science. Learn more (and subscribe online using our secure server) at http://www.hoofcare.com or write to Hoofcare Publishing, 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930 USA. Tel USA 978 281 3222; Fax 978 283 8775, or email hoofblog@hoofcare.com

Note: this blog is an interactive web page. By clicking on the envelope icon at the bottom of an article, you can instantly email that article to a friend. By clicking on the word “comment” after a post, you can leave a message, which may be viewed by future blog readers who click on the same “comment”. Commenting may require registering with Blogger.com. You may also comment by emailing the author, Fran Jurga, at fran@hoofcare.com and your comment will be posted for you, technology willing.

Who Has the Right to Put a Horse Down?

This is a strange story: one of the UK's leading race trainers is being prosecuted for putting a horse down. The horse was suffering from a severe leg infection following a breakdown in a race. Apparently, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals believes that that is the attending veterinarian's call, not the trainer's. This is not the first story of this type I've run across. A story from Australia comes to mind, in the reverse: a horse owner was struggling for the right to keep a horse alive, while veterinarians insisted the horse be put to sleep.

These stories bring up challenges to laws and traditions and many people's beliefs in what constitutes suffering and a horse's right to be free of pain.

Follow this link, read this article, especially if you are a veterinarian.

This story is in today's London TIMES: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,379-2183497,00.html

Text and photos © 2006 Hoofcare Publishing. Text and photos posted on “The HoofBlog”, a casual news source for subscribers and friends of Hoofcare & Lameness: The Journal of Equine Foot Science. Learn more (and subscribe online using our secure server) at http://www.hoofcare.com or write to Hoofcare Publishing, 19 Harbor Loop, Gloucester MA 01930 USA. Tel USA 978 281 3222; Fax 978 283 8775, or email hoofblog@hoofcare.com

Note: this blog is an interactive web page. By clicking on the envelope icon at the bottom of an article, you can instantly email that article to a friend. By clicking on the word “comment” after a post, you can leave a message, which may be viewed by future blog readers who click on the same “comment”. Commenting may require registering with Blogger.com. You may also comment by emailing the author, Fran Jurga, at fran@hoofcare.com and your comment will be posted for you, technology willing.

Wet Your Feet, Dear

I saw this sign in a Thoroughbred farm's barns in Paris, Kentucky recently. Notice that this is a mass-produced sign. Are these seen in other parts of the world? Other places in the USA? I had only seen signs like this (and not "storebought" one, at that) in equine hospitals until this spring's trip to Kentucky. The funny thing was that the farm did not have a sprayer, it had a wet mat. I guess no one has manufactured a sign for wet mats yet.