For Horse Lovers
 

Preakness runner Barbaro has been euthanized today, Monday January 29, 2007. I was so sorry to hear that he's gone but I am glad that he isn't going to suffer any longer. I am headed to the stables to hug my horse in a little bit. I wish the owners the best of luck and offer my condolences. RIP Barbaro.

Here is the article.
http://sports.yahoo.com/rah/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

I saw this just now too. I'm also glad that he isn't going to be living in pain. You can guarantee that I'll spend a bit more time appreciating the horses at the Horse Park this week when I go for my volunteer hours.

GROW HOOF GROW!!!! Oh wait, nevermind.

a true champion...athletic to the end...RIP Barbaro!!
 

Now, after a few months, I see where some of the more "profound" on this chat go in their stream of consciousness and thus, I ignore the above reply....

Meanwhile, I am not fortunate to own a horse to hug tonight...if I did,I would. Having attended college in Kentucky, the love of the thoroughbred just seeps into your soul when you see how very special, powerful and totally fragile these incredible champions are!!

Stop and think, they run on four fragile as fine crystal hooves and charge down the track at lightning speed with a rider on their back and most of the time, after several years, are fortunate to live the life of Riley in stud or just lazy and happy grazing on our tasty Bluegrass.

Secretariat was the epitome of the elite. Most only saw a Triple Crown Winner...and I was fortunate to see his start to fame at the Kentucky Derby start..but his heart and soul were pure athletic champion. He gave and gave and answered the signals of his jockey. When he passed away, he left an unanswered legacy.

I have no doubt in my heart that Barbaro was the one to continue and accept the challenge of Secretariat's mantel. What occured that horrible day at Preakness is going to stay burned in every viewers mind for the longest of times....he would have won and set records and proven his bloodline. But for the cruel twist of fate,
Barbaro's arduous adventure was set in stone and alas, today he lost his last challenge. I can only pray that somehow it was in the least painful of his last months of struggle, determination and pure thoroughbred lineage.

And all one can say is to make a joke about his hooves healing and growing...you just have no idea. There is a book and a movie called THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY? about the insane marathon dance crazes of the 20's and how, at times, it seemed less cruel to simply put the frenzied dancers out of their misery dancing night and day for a stupid trophy.
Perhaps, in retrospect, it might somehow been kinder to dear Barbaro to end his days that tragic day at old Hilltop in Maryland.

R.I.P. to a true champion whose ability and stamina we probably will not see for another twenty or so years. Hey Barbaro, the oats are the sweetest in Heaven!!

It only took one glance at Barbaro to know he was special, even if you weren't a "horse person". What a majestic animal, it was as if he knew he was a thoroughbred. To watch his fight to heal, to beat the unbeatable odds of such an injury, we saw the true heart of a champion.

RIP Kentucky Derby Champion Barbaro. May you always feel the wind in your mane.

Its a horse. Chill for now.

Barbaro was an amazing horse, it really isn't necessary for you to be sarcastic in his memory.

I wasn't being sarcastic. It is a horse, not a person. Yeah its sad, but its over with. I have plenty of experience with horses. Thanks though.

This thread isn't about you!

Great. Did I say it was?

Sorry, but the eulogy to Barbaro was a little ridiculous. Its an animal. Ive been around and trained/raised horses all of my life. It is very sad when they die....but c'mon.

Both times you've posted in this thread you've talked about yourself. So you didn't have to say it was, but your posts prove you think otherwise.




RIP Barbaro

Thanks for ingoring the point I was trying to make.

Please though, if you would, quote me where I said "this thread is about macallan25"

Thanks again for your concern.

Save a horse.

Ride a cowboy.

Dude...this messageboard is like 85% female. We're way more attached to horses than guys, hence we're more emotional. However, while TBs have notoriously bad feet, they do not have 'fragile as delicate crystal hooves'. No horse does. Except maybe those that are worth over 100k.

You know, I started this thread, as the title indicates, FOR HORSE LOVERS so if you wanted to come in and criticize those of us who DID want to discuss Barbaro, his death and the surrounding sadness, and other horses, then you deserve to be criticized in return. No one really cares about how may horses you've raised or how long you've been in horses. What we in this thread happen to care about is Barbaro. Go find a thread that doesn't "irk" you so much and leave us alone.

What captivated most of us so much about Barbaro was the fact that most everyone saw the injury happen. That footage from The Preakness was played over and over again in the days immediatly after the race. To have the news explain the extent of the injuries to us and then see the fact that not only did the horse survive the surgery but that he actually began to recover was fairly miraculous! It made you want to cheer for this horse! Who doesn't love a good underdog story? I think what most people find so heartbreaking about Barbaro's death was the fact that he had been so healthy (well, as healthy as he could be) and happy and he took such a quick turn for the worse and he had to be put down. You just wanted Barbaro to beat the odds! Every time a complication had come up during his recovery, he had beat it. It was so incredibly sad to hear that he just couldn't do it one more time. :(

RIP Barbaro

I don't think he was being sarcastic, I think he was just asking for some perspective, for your own good and sanity.

The Eulogy sounded like Casey at the Bat.

Exactly.

The legacy of Barbaro will live on as the glue in some kindergartener's art project.

http://www.dick-blick.com/items/238/...up-2-3ww-l.jpg

Fortunately that will not actually happen. He's going to be buried at Churchill Downs I believe.

hahahaha! It's a horse, get over it. This thing had health insurance policies that were worth millions. How many Americans are there right now without any sort of insurance. People crying over this is a joke. I think one commentator said that the horse ran with all it's heart? It had a little Mexican on top of it, whipping it so it would run faster!

Did Barbaro know that he was so awesome? Did anyone bother to tell him or share any of his earnings with him? I wonder what Barbaro thought about being so famous.

I bet he grazed on some prime grass and took a huge horse shit.

Then you probably know what awesome animals they are.

How many people would keep going after breaking their leg? Very few...it's impressive to see an animal perform like that.

Moderator note: The post wasn't edited, I added my words to it by accident and then deleted them.

Well there was that guy that got his leg caught under a tree while hiking and after being trapped he sawed his own leg off with a pocket knife and then crawled for help. Impressive. That doesn't diminish the horse's achievement I just wanted to give some props to human-beings too :)

Are you talking about the guy who was rock climbing and had to cut his arm off with a dull pocket knife because it was stuck behind a fallen rock? The pocket knife was dull because he tried to hack away at the rock, so you could imagine how dull it was! Even worse, he broke his own arm so he could cut the bone.

Bob Dole!