I am sure I am not the only one who thought of Ruffian and Go for Wand (and many others) while watching the Preakness drama. I was in front of a television at a country inn in New Hampshire with farrier instructor Mitch Taylor, SNEFA president Sean McClure, Mitch's lobsterman cousin, and a vet student from St George University in Granada. We had just finished an anatomy lab at the Myrhe Equine Clinic in Rochester, NH. Oh, and the bartender, who was a dressage rider.
Just think, you only have to wait one year and ten days to re-live the horror of a horse breaking down.ESPN's made-for-tv film "RUFFIAN" will be based on the true story of one of the most beloved (and ill-fated) racehorses of all time. 1975 champion filly Ruffia broke down during a match race against champion colt Foolish Pleasure at Belmont Park in NY. Rufffian re-broke her leg after surgery and was euthanized. Some of us have never forgotten that day. The film will be shown on ABC on June 4, 2007 and will star Sam Shepard, one of my favorite actors.
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.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Updates on Barbaro: Surgery Complete
(photo of Barbaro above, taken by Dorothy Ours before the Kentucky Derby)
About nine p.m. tonight, Barbaro was announced to be resting in a recovery stall. Hooray!
There are 23 screws and plates in Barbaro's leg and he has a full leg cast--check out the radiograph and a good summary at this ESPN link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/horse/triplecrown06/news/story?id=2452946
Check your favorite news source--In addition to ESPN and CNN, I also recommend msnbc.com or abcsports.com, and the New York Times, although many of their Barbaro updates have been restricted to subscribers (grrrr).
The media frenzy surrounding this horse may be good or bad for the sport and for the public's perception of veterinary medicine's ability to save a horses from death (or not). Let's hope that all goes well and the press stays on the story for a while, rather than disappearing now that the horse is over what will surely be only the first of several hurdles.
Note: we later learned that the correct count of screws was 27, not 23 as stated in this article.
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.
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.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
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.
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