Laminitis- A Wonderful Article About The Condition That May Threaten Barbaro.

Laminitis (Founder) What is Laminitis (founder)? By Laura Martlock

Reprinted by permission by:TheMane Street (Original Publisher)

In a very basic way, Laminitis, also known as founder, is a problem with the blood flow in the tiny capillaries in the laminae of the hoof. This can be caused by trauma to the hoof (concussion on hard surface), pain from an injury, a tiny little blood clot on the loose, a little swelling in the foot, or a number of chemical imbalances in some distant part of the body caused by retained placenta, or a release of endotoxins as beneficial bacteria in the intestines die off because of a sudden change in their environment. A typical cause of sudden environment change is the sudden influx of simple carbohydrates and sugars in spring grass, or making a sudden switch in the horse's daily feed. The thing is, once there is a little glitch in the blood pressure, the inside of the hoof does not forgive errors. Once the flow of blood through those capallaries is compromised even a tiny bit, the hoof "throws a switch" and creates a shunt that allows the blood to bypass the capillaries and take an easier detour around the laminae. That is what causes the digital pulse you feel so strongly during laminitis. At this point, the laminae are now suffocating. The increase pressure in the capillaries is causing plasma to leak into the free spaces in the foot, and making things even tighter.

This cascade of events begins to accur soon after a horse has a carbohydrate overload (grass or grain) and although a lot of damage is being done on the inside, he will not begin to show the first signs until about 16 hours later. The heart rate goes up, then a few hours later he is mildly lame, maybe as much as 24 hours until distinctive lameness is evident, and it may take as long as a full 40 hours for full blown founder to accur. This is what causes a lot of confusion about the cause of it. However, there are many causes besides carbohydrate overload. Hypothyroidism, selenium deficiency, endotoxemia, Potomac Horse fever, kidney disease, liver disease, infection with Salmonella, ANYTHING that causes a change in the blood flow to the capillaries. (Carbohydrates constricts blood vessels)

Signs of Laminitis

Classic signs of a horse having a laminetic episode are first a "stepping short" way of moving, then a reluctance to move at all. Very quickly, the horse will progress to standing with it's weight rocked back on it's hind feet with the front feet stretched way out in front. This is a very awkward and unusual stance and is quite easily noticed and identified. Normally, a light pulse can be felt above the hoof, but in a foundering horse, the pulse is hard and "bounds" against the fingertips.

Treatment

In all cases of suspected founder, calling the vet immediately is critical to the horse recovering fully. The quicker the series of events going on inside the horse's hoof can be halted, the better the chances for recovery.

Treatments will depend on what started the event. If the problem started in the digestive tract, mineral oil is given by stomach tube to block the absorption of endotoxins and get things moving out faster. There is a hyperimmune endotoxin antiserum that can be given intravenously, costs about $200-$300. Intravenous fluids and antibiotics could be given, too.

Pain-killing antiinflammatory drugs are given because the pain reflex also constricts the capillaries. These help block that response. These drugs are Bute and Banamine. Banamine also has a protective action against endotoxins. Medication is given to incourage circulation in the foot(aspirin and heparin) and Acepromazine and isoxsuprine to dilate the constricted blood vessels and DMSO to reduce inflammation.

Cold hosing is helpful while waiting for the vet, and if the situation is such that it will be a while before the vet gets there, taping wedges under the heels of both front feet will help keep the deep digital flexor tendon from tugging the coffin bone out of place.

Recovery depends entirely on how much damage is done inside the foot. Most of the devastating damage is done within 24 hours, so prompt, aggresive, proper treatment is critical. And, treated properly, even a severely lame horse can recover with virtually no risidual damage. Severe pain does not necessarily mean that perment damage has occured.

Prevention

Prevention is, sometimes, nearly impossible. However, since some things are known to cause certain reactions in a horse's body, these things can be controlled.

Being careful that your horse does not take in too many carbohydrates in the form of spring grass (when stools get loose and bright green, get him off the grass) and preventing access to the grain bin. Proper vaccinations, and proper training methods that don't stress the hooves or the body unduly.

Make any changes to the horse's feeding schedule or the feed itself slowly over a period of time, and feed as little cereal grains as possible.

An overweight horse is more prone to founder. Feeding these horses a chromium/magnesium supplement while eliminating grains and restricting pasture will help them lose weight.

Avoid bedding the horse's stall with hardwood shavings. Shavings made of black walnut and some other hardwoods will introduce toxins into the horse's hoof material.

Prevent overheating during exercise in hot, humid weather if trail riding by riding where there is sure to be available water in the form of running creeks and taking a sponge with you and spongeing the horse at crossings, allowing him to drink his fill whenever he wants to. When riding in the ring, immediately untack and hose the horse off when done.

Limit spring grass in susceptable horses and make sure feed is secured where the horse can't get to it.

The problem with preventing founder or even laminitis, is that it can result from ANY major stress, whether that is diet, illness, fever, injury, mismanagement, overwork, or something inside that is never identified. The most important thing is to talk to your vet about what you can do with your resources to prevent as much damage as possible while the vet gets there.

Laura Martlock - 2004 (c)

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This is an excellent diagram of Laminitis/ threat for Barbaro of healthy limb

Barbaro Still Improving as Prado Visits

Jockey Had Not Seen Horse Since Preakness
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
AP Sports
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (May 30)

Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is progressing so well he might not have the cast on his severely injured right hind leg changed for several weeks.

Sabina Louise Pierce, The University of Pennsylvania/AP

Jockey Edgar Prado greets Barbaro as Dr. Dean Richardson, right, watches at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.
Emotional Reunion:
Dr. Dean Richardson, the surgeon who repaired Barbaro's shattered bones after the colt broke down at the Preakness Stakes on May 20, said Tuesday the prized patient has had an "incredibly good week - far better than I would have ever hoped so far, so far, so far."

Richardson said the fiberglass cast on Barbaro's will be assessed daily, but there' no urgency for a change.

"Right now this horse is walking so well on his limb, walks around the stall, he's very active," Richardson said at a news conference at the University of Pennsylvania's George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals. "If he continues to look as good as he does, he can wear this cast for several more weeks. It has been a surprisingly good fitting cast considering I thought there would be a loosening of it or swelling above it . Neither one has occurred, and that's why we're letting it stay in place."

Meanwhile, jockey Edgar Prado paid his first visit to Barbaro since pulling up the colt early in the Preakness, and was relieved by what he saw.

"It was very emotional," Prado said. "I was happy to see him doing so good, feeling so good, looking so bright. He's not out of the woods yet, but it was really good to see him making progress."

"It was very emotional. I was happy to see him doing so good, feeling so good, looking so bright."

-- Jockey Edgar Prado

Following Barbaro's five-hour plus surgery May 21, Richardson had said the prospects of recovery were "50-50."

That has changed slightly:

"I was going to call a news conference to say it's officially 51 percent," Richardson said, smiling. "Seriously, every day that goes by is a big day, and in terms of some of the complications, some of them were more likely to rear their head in the earlier stages in the convalescence (such as infection within 10-14 days).

Laminitis, an often fatal foot disease, or failure ofthe injury to heal properly can occur later, Richardson said, "but things are definitely better eight days post op. But it's still a long, long way from being discharged from the hospital."

2006-05-30 13:46:04

 

A Great Site For Updates and Sending Get Well Messages

I ran across this recently and wanted to share it. The site is fantastic. You can get recent updates and also post comments, well wishes and prayers for Barbaro here!

GET WELL BARBARO.Com

Barbaro progressing well; Prado pays a visit! Great News

Associated Press
Horse Racing News Wire

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is progressing so well he might not have the cast on his severely injured right hind leg changed for several weeks.

Dr. Dean Richardson, the surgeon who repaired Barbaro's shattered bones after the colt broke down at the Preakness Stakes on May 20, said Tuesday the prized patient has had an "incredibly good week -- far better than I would have ever hoped so far, so far, so far."

Richardson said the fiberglass cast on Barbaro's leg will be assessed daily, but there's no urgency for a change.

"Right now this horse is walking so well on his limb, walks around the stall, he's very active," Richardson said at a news conference at the University of Pennsylvania's George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals. "If he continues to look as good as he does, he can wear this cast for several more weeks. It has been a surprisingly good fitting cast considering I thought there would be a loosening of it or swelling above it. Neither one has occurred, and that's why we're letting it stay in place."

Meanwhile, jockey Edgar Prado paid his first visit to Barbaro since pulling up the colt early in the Preakness, and was relieved by what he saw.

"It was very emotional," Prado said. "I was happy to see him doing so good, feeling so good, looking so bright. He's not out of the woods yet, but it was really good to see him making progress."

Following Barbaro's five-hour-plus surgery May 21, Richardson had said the prospects of recovery were "50-50."

That has changed slightly:

"I was going to call a news conference to say it's officially 51 percent," Richardson said, smiling. "Seriously, every day that goes by is a big day, and in terms of some of the complications, some of them were more likely to rear their head in the earlier stages in the convalescence (such as infection within 10-14 days).

Laminitis, an often fatal foot disease, or failure of the injury to heal properly can occur later, Richardson said, "but things are definitely better eight days post op. But it's still a long, long way from being discharged from the hospital."

Also making their daily visit were owners Gretchen and Roy Jackson, who live about a 10-minute drive from the hospital.

"He was just walking around when I went to see him, it was great to see," Gretchen Jackson.  

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. 
 

The Man Whose Job Is Saving Barbaro

Dr.Dean Richardson, DVM

By Mike Jensen Inquirer Staff Writer

JOAN FAIRMAN KANES / Inquirer

Dean Richardson, 52, is the chief of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's school of veterinary medicine at the New Bolton Center in Kennett Square.

A sinus surgery lasted 2 1/2 hours. Four more were spent taking a bladder stone out of a show horse. Dean Richardson was still at a friend's equine hospital in Florida on May 20 as Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner, was saddled for the Preakness Stakes.

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Richardson wasn't going to miss the race.

"He had blood all over him, and he was doing it in flip-flops, so we hosed him off," said Byron Reid, a veterinarian in Loxahatchee, Fla., just outside West Palm Beach.

The two men watched the Preakness on a six-inch screen in the hospital.

"You could see enough," Richardson said. "That's the sad thing. It was just crushing. My stomach started churning. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was a very bad injury. I knew which horse it was."

Richardson, 52, is the chief of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's school of veterinary medicine at New Bolton Center in Kennett Square. Though he had done quite a few surgeries over the years for Barbaro's trainer, Michael Matz, Richardson didn't get on the phone right away.

"I was waiting for my phone to ring," Richardson said. "The people on site have the work to do. Then the phone calls started coming."

Within 30 minutes of Barbaro's devastating right hind leg fractures in the first furlong in Maryland, a decision was made: Get him to New Bolton. That was his best chance for survival. Thirty minutes after the horse had "catastrophically" broken three bones, Barbaro's digital X-ray arrived in Richardson's e-mail.

"I knew it was going to be a bad fracture," the surgeon said. "When I saw the radiograph, it was worse than I had hoped. I tried to sleep, but didn't succeed real well."

By Monday evening, a national newscast had the words Saving Barbaro behind the anchorman's head. But few on Saturday evening had been convinced that saving the colt was even likely.

"Nobody was about to put this horse down at the racetrack without giving him a chance at a hospital," Richardson said. "It just wasn't going to happen."

All sorts of lightning-fast, high-stakes calculations had been made at Pimlico Race Course. Jockey Edgar Prado had pulled up the horse expertly. By all accounts, the veterinarians skillfully had applied a splint to the leg. Richardson also saw something else.

"The horse's tremendous athletic ability, to pull up," he said. "Look at that tape, and the horse literally galloped on three legs for a few strides. He didn't drive his bad leg into the ground hard. That saved his life."

• 

There wasn't much question Richardson was performing the surgery. Never mind that he had worked on Matz's horses and gotten to know him well, or that co-owner Gretchen Jackson is on the board of overseers of Penn's veterinary school.

New Bolton's pool-recovery system made the place ideal for the surgery, and Richardson is one of a handful of surgeons, one former colleague said, equipped to tackle the catastrophic injuries suffered by Barbaro.

"I think all of us in this job who fix horses for a living know that Dean is somewhere in another space," said Patricia Hogan of the New Jersey Equine Clinic, who was his student researcher for a year.

In fact, he wrote the book on a lot of this stuff.

"All major textbooks that deal with equine-fracture repair, Dean is an author," said Alan Ruggles, a surgeon at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.

Roy and Gretchen Jackson offered immediately to rent a jet to get Richardson back to Pennsylvania, but he didn't think that was a necessary expense.

"That would be like grandstanding, I thought," Richardson said.

He got on a US Airways flight out of West Palm Beach bound for Philadelphia shortly before 8 a.m. last Sunday.

"I got the back-row seat, next to the toilet," Richardson said. "If you want a real news story, [the flight] was on time."

As long as the horse's condition didn't demand earlier intervention, the surgery wasn't going to be earlier than Sunday afternoon.

"One of the big mistakes we used to make in the past: It's not generally a good idea to take a very fit horse that just broke down on the racetrack, is extremely stressed, and take them into a hospital, a strange environment, place them under general anesthesia, and expect them to wake up and act like they're halfway sane," Richardson said. "That's just putting the horse through way too much trauma."

Given a chance, he said, "they start understanding that, 'Hey, you know what, I've only got three legs to walk on. Let me figure out how to deal with it.' Then their chance of waking up from anesthesia and not injuring themselves is quite a bit higher."

The night he arrived at New Bolton, a helicopter buzzing overhead, Barbaro had calmed down considerably. First-year resident Steven Zedler saw Barbaro lie down for two naps that first night, both for about 45 minutes. The horse made sure he put his good limb underneath him.

"Horses have to lay down in order to get REM sleep," Zedler said, referring to rapid-eye-movement stage of sleep. "One day, two days, it doesn't matter. Long term, they start to get really sleepy and stumble occasionally. For him, it was just perfect. Some [injured] horses won't do it."

• 

A 1974 graduate of Dartmouth, Richardson showed up at New Bolton in 1979 for his internship right after graduating from Ohio State's veterinary school.

"I knew the day I met him he would be the best intern I ever had," said Midge Leitch, the surgeon in charge of Richardson's first rotation at New Bolton. "He was - he is - one of the smartest people I've ever known. He has a tremendous ability to recall and integrate information. I didn't know what kind of hands he had."

She said it was like finding a kindred spirit.

"We started arguing at 5,000 decibels," Leitch said, "to the extent, in his internship year, some of the students thought we hated each other because we argued so vehemently."

When Richardson was an intern, Leitch said, there were even staff members who were more comfortable when he wasn't around. It was a good thing, she said, that she had six years of experience on him.

"I think if I hadn't that much clinical experience, I would havebeen intimidated," Leitch said. "He is a powerful intellectual force, and it turns out he has magical hands."

He has a great sense of where the pieces go, she said, but what sets him apart is his grasp of a fourth dimension. He can see possibilities.

"He will work on cases that ordinarily would be unlikely to have successful outcomes," Leitch said.

Richardson was the reason she went into orthopedics, said Hogan, his former researcher, who got a lot of attention herself for treating Smarty Jones after his famous starting-gate injury in 2003. Hogan said Richardson's approval "still means so much" 16 years after working with him.

Now, Richardson lectures all over the world on equine orthopedics. His research on gene therapy and cartilage repair is considered cutting-edge.

"He's as tough on himself as on anybody else," Leitch said. "But he's a little tougher, so he can also take it better than anybody else. He's into the carrot and the stick. And if there isn't a carrot handy, by God, there's a stick."

There are some in his position who could - some who do - occasionally skip Grand Rounds, the weekly Thursday 8 a.m. hourlong get-together when students present their cases for critique. Richardson is there.

"The students fear his questions," said Corinne Sweeney, the associate dean for New Bolton Center and executive hospital director. "Some of them, you can see, are so delighted when they see he is out of the country. When there are no questions, somebody will say, 'Isn't Dean here?'... He even will critique their grammar."

He's renowned for remembering the name of every horse and every owner who comes through New Bolton. But they got him once, a year or two back. One of his buddies who is a surgeon made a referral, and somebody showed up with a lame horse. Richardson gave a full evaluation, but kept saying, "This looks like my horse." Finally, his residents and interns couldn't hold it together any longer and admitted it. It was his horse.

He rides his own horses, plays basketball once a week, gets angry at himself too easily on the golf course, is an avid bird photographer, and not a bad cook. His wife also is a veterinarian, in private practice. They live in Landenberg, Chester County, and have a son attending an Ivy League school.

Richardson is direct, if not always loud. On Thursday, during a relatively simple procedure to straighten the crooked legs of a newborn foal, he showed afirst-year resident how to put wire under the head of a screw properly so it wouldn't slip.

"You have to make sure you pay attention to which way you twist it," he told her, speaking evenly. "Remember, it doesn't have to be terribly tight."

At the news conference just before his surgery on Barbaro, Richardson came off as kind of brash. Asked what time the surgery would begin, Richardson said, matter-of-factly, "As soon as you stop asking me questions."

• 

By that time, Barbaro already was receiving anesthesia.

"I was pretty confident we were going to wake this horse up," Richardson said. "I would have said the only reason we would put this horse down - the only reason, period - would have been if I'd taken the splint off and the foot was cold and there was an obvious loss of blood supply. I would have talked to the Jacksons at that point and discussed the possibility that it might not be fair to the horse to wake it up."

Before the first incision was made, he knew the foot was warm and there were strong pulses in there. The skin was very badly bruised. If it had broken, the risk of infection would have increased dramatically.

"There's serum literally kind of oozing through the surface of the skin," Richardson said. "That's very badly bruised. But the skin isn't broken. It's about as close as it could be to being broken."

The horse was under anesthesia for almost seven hours.

"He maintained his normal body temperature throughout," said the chief anesthesiologist, Bernd Driessen. "Most, over time, get cold... . Maybe we'll find out sometime that, like Secretariat, he has an unusually large and powerful heart."

The tricky part of the surgery was repairing the pastern bone, which had splintered into more than 20 pieces.

"It would be like if you broke a china bowl and you try to put it back together but you're missing a lot of pieces," Richardson said. "So you have to fill in those areas with a bone graft, which was taken from his pelvis."

He was putting screws into some pieces barely more than a centimeter wide.

"We ended up doing what we'd planned; it was just harder than I'd hoped," Richardson said. "He had rubbed a lot of the bones together [after the fractures]. There was a polishing of the bone. Instead of nice jagged pieces fitting together, they become smooth and you can't put it together well."

He put in 27 screws and a 16-hole steel plate, asseen the next morning in newspaper illustrations all over the country. Operating-room nurse Erin Fabre - who had been listening to the race via cell phone the day before in the OR - said of Barbaro's operation: "It was one of the calmest surgeries I've been in."

"Throughout this, it isn't Barbaro really there," Richardson said of the surgery. "It's really not Barbaro. It's a horse with a very difficult fracture. It's Barbaro when I'm talking to the media. It's Barbaro when you have to face the consequences if you screw something up. But, you know, it's still the same work."

The horse is doing well. There are still risks of infection and other problems, but the real hurdle - the one that caused Richardson to call the prognosis "a coin flip" right after the surgery - is what happens weeks from now when the cast is taken off for good. The Jacksons and Richardson agree that this horse has to be comfortable.

"In the long run, I think we all think it's a 50-50 shot," said Liberty Getman, one of the residents who assisted Richardson during the surgery, holding some of the smaller bone fragments while he inserted a screw.

The only good that has come out of this, a number of Richardson's colleagues around the country mentioned, is that a linchpin of their profession got some recognition.

Not that they intend to tell him that.

"I talked to him Monday morning," said Ruggles, the Kentucky surgeon who had trained under Richardson at New Bolton. "He's an extremely competitive golfer. I told him, 'I shot 76. What did you do this weekend?' "

Contact staff writer Mike Jensen at 215-854-4489 or mjensen@phillynews.com.

MSNBC Video -Prado Talking about Barbaro 5/22

I wanted to post this video of an interview with Prado. The love and the connection between he and Barbaro is obvious. While it is very difficult to watch the accident again, the interview is touching and something I wanted to share here. There is also excellent coverage giving accurate information. Thank goodness, as of today, Barbaro continues to recover, uneventfully!

WATCH THE MSNBC Vido With Prado Interview

"Owning A TB Racehorse"- by Nancy McMinn

This is one of the best articles that I have found concerning TB Racehorses. I found it to be educational, and to dispell some of the misinformation that has been appearing on the internet, especially since Barbaro's tragic accident. I feel it brings a note of sanity and accurate information.

Posted with permission of The Mane Street ( original publisher)

Owning a TB Race Horse

Owning a TB racehorse is a different dimension of horse ownership for many people, one that may appeal to some.  In some ways, much the same as any horse ownership, but in others quite different. 

The first major difference is that economics does come into play, faster than it does with pleasure horse ownership.  To own a racehorse requires financial stability, and though there is a chance of earning money, even making a profit, this must not be the driving force of the exercise.  If it is, the horse will come to grief in time, and the owner will be disappointed. 

Less than 10 % of all racehorses cover their expenses. People who successfully own racehorses must enjoy the journey, enjoy watching an elite athelete trained to a pinnacle of perfection, speed and strength, performing to the best of his ability in the sport for which he has been destined, the result of 400 years of selective breeding.  Basically, happy racehorse owners must enjoy their horses, whether they win or not, must enjoy small training successes along the way, and visiting with their horses and feeding them carrots.  If an owner only enjoys the wins, these come sparingly and are not enough to sustain interest in the long run. 

Keeping a racehorse is substantially more expensive than keeping a riding horse.  Unless you can do some or all of the work yourself, professionals must be paid for care and training.  Often, owners can do some of the work themselves, perhaps winter care and turnout, sometimes early training.  Unless an owner has extensive experience at the racetrack, training, they can not train their own racehorse, it is not something that a neophyte can step into after reading a book.  Training at the track locally averages about $50 per day, and many horses will be in training for at least 6 months of the year.  This includes feed and training, and race readiness, but does not include vet bills, shoeing, shipping etc.  If a horse needs boarding in the off season or for lay ups, most establishments charge about the same as high end show barns, at least $600 per month.  Because of the financial investment owners have in their horses, and the easily "breakable" nature of young, fit TBs, only farms suitable for their care can be used. 

Most owners have a minimum of $30,000 invested into their horses by the end of their 3 yr old year.  By this time, an owner should know if they truly own a racehorse, or if they do not.  When it becomes apparent that the animal is not going to be an economic and financially viable racehorse, it is often sold on to others at a loss, either at the end of it's three year old campaign or soon after that.  Racehorse owners live in hope of someday owning a horse for whom this is not the case.

What happens to culled racehorses is of concern to those who like horses, and care about them.  While some people who are not involved with racing presume that all horses are heartlessly shipped for meat at this point, in reality this is not usually the case if other options are available.  Some horses are put down, or are shipped for meat, if they have been injured to the point of little chance of recovery, or to the point that they have no value to another owner. 

There are many other avenues of life for culled racehorses.  Not all are suitable for riding or show horses, but some are.  Mares with acceptable pedigree and performance records often go to the breeding shed to produce more racehorses.  Mares with acceptable conformation for other breeds are often used to bring TB blood into other breeding programs, including QH, paint, sport horses.  Some culled racehorses can continue racing, at venues where the competition is less trying, bush tracks, or with chuckwagons.  Some go home to their owners farms, and are kept as pets.     

Injury is a constant threat to racehorses.  It isn't a question of "if", but more a question of "when" and "how bad".  This is similar to any professional athelete, who is asked to perform to the limits of physical ability.  Racing is one of the most demanding equine endeavors, but it does act to select the cream of the crop through it's physical trials, to select the best lines to continue the breed.

Culling is often hard on the individuals who do not make the grade, but is necessary to keep the breed strong, selecting for sound, talented individuals to contribute their genetics to future generations.

The expected career of a racehorse is at least two years, a 2 yr old year spent training and fitting up, with perhaps a race or two, and a 3 yr oldcampaign of around a dozen races in most cases.  Most TBs are physically mature and strong enough to endure this program, and it is the training that they get at an early age that makes them strong enough to race without sustaining injury.  Some racing careers can last 8 or 10 years.  After the racing career is over, the horse is available for other disciplines. 

Racing training does not necessarily make a horse "hot" or "crazy", it sharpens his instinctive competitiveness, and this must be re-learned and toned down for most secondary careers, but usually this is possible to do by trainers with experience in this area.  If a horse has a "hot" nature, or is crazy before he enters race training, racing him will not make him any saner or quieter.  Such a horse may have difficulty making a change in career, and may not be suitable for other disciplines.     

So keep in mind that horse racing is another dimension of horse ownership, in which horses provide enjoyment and participation for their owners, much like any other type of horse ownership.  If a person is interested in trying this option, beware, it can be addictive.  The Queen Mother once said in an interview about her horse racing experiences, "It's about 80% disappointment, I think".  Yet we continue to try.

Cordova Farm- Performance Thoroughbreds and Half Thoroughbreds, Racehorses, Hunters and Jumpers.  www.cordovafarm.visit.ws

Nancy McMinn 2004 (c)

A Magnificent Articles About Barbaro-Racing History and LOVE:Centre Daily Times

Barbaro's fight following the breakdown capturing the nation:

On a July night 31 years ago, a nation of horse racing fans fell asleep praying for something divine to happen.

In 1975, hope's last stand didn't even last until dawn.

Ruffian, the filly who showcased perfection unlike any animal before or since, only made it a few hours into what would have been an unprecedented injury repair.

The failure of such a heartfelt effort to save her has haunted a lot of people for a very long time.

When Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro flailed to a halt in the opening yards of last Saturday's Preakness Stakes, the saliency of Ruffian's horrific ordeal resurfaced.

Not since the filly's breakdown three decades ago has there been such widespread attention to the plight of a race horse.

Barbaro and Ruffian, two very different horses from very different eras, have been instantly bound in catastrophe. Saturday night, it was hard not to imagine that the colt's story would end just like the filly's, with a sorrowful pink cocktail in Sunday's predawn hours.

But it didn't.

Somehow, in defiance of every sad reality that racing fans have had to grow up accepting, Barbaro and his human guardians have given us something miraculous to embrace every morning for the past week.

There have been in this sport's history occasional snubs of inevitability, from Your Host to Nureyev to Root Boy -- a few such stories have been unearthed as antihistamine to the sting of Barbaro's misstep and the subsequent rehashing of miseries past. But none were quite like this.

While the early stages of Barbaro's debacle shadowed Ruffian's, what's happened since he emerged from anesthesia Sunday evening has been without historical parallel.

It's not just what's been done for him; it's how it's been done.

Everyone -- from proudly sentimental horse lovers to usually impassive national news outfits -- has been riveted to Barbaro's battle.

The attention is almost perplexing, albeit touching: Why, when our sport usually gets pre-empted by Little League telecasts, when most of America has never even stood near a horse, do so many people suddenly understand how important this animal is?

There isn't really a broad explanation for all the affection and faith poured into Barbaro's recovery -- there are a lot of reasons, different for each of us, that we need this horse to live.

On the simplest level, it's because horses are an enigmatically brilliant species -- no where else can one find such a graceful coexistence of power and innocence. For all their free-spiritedness, they trust us unequivocally, and because of that, we feel responsible for their safekeeping.

But even for people who don't understand that, Barbaro's cause still has draw.

Because he's beautiful, because he's pure, because none of this was his -- or anyone else's -- fault.

Because you can feel the anguish in Roy and Gretchen Jackson's voices whenever they speak, and you can believe without question in their sincerity.

Because Edgar Prado, when he could have let down and bailed out, instead thrust his heels forward and committed every ounce of his 115 pounds to muscling a creature 10 times his weight to a halt.

Because three weeks ago this horse lifted Prado's soul when the jockey was still grieving the loss of his mother to cancer, and no man deserves to have his heart broken twice over.

Because Michael Matz, whose altruism 17 years ago delivered salvation to three terrified children, now needs a miracle of his own.

Because veterinary surgeon Dean Richardson, who makes a scrubsuit look like shining armor, spent six hours Sunday turning osseous rubble into a viable limb -- and afterward still had the poise to address the horse's desperate followers with honesty and tact.

Because of all the folks who have invested sentiment in Barbaro, from Pimlico's emergency crew to the New Bolton Center staff to the thousands of remote well-wishers who have spent the last week clutching good luck charms and pleading with fate.

Because we all need sometimes to believe in the revival of something once thought unsalvageable.

Thirty-one years ago, a lot of people needed to wake up on July 7 and find that Ruffian had bought at least one more day to author a miracle. Instead, they awoke to find that their heroine's chance had slipped away in a padded room, pilfering with it whatever faith they had left.

Nothing can bring back the equine masterpiece that was lost in 1975. But maybe, in a strange way, what Barbaro has endured and thwarted is creating a reason to trust fate again.

For every day that we can wake up and find Barbaro still fighting -- whether it's for one more day, for 20 days, for six months or for 25 years -- a piece of what died beside Ruffian has been restored.

However this ends, Barbaro has brought out in us a spirit that's been absent for a very long time.

Cecily Cairns is a sports writer for the Centre Daily Times. She can be reached at 231-4632 or ccairns@centredaily.com.

Barbaro enjoying quiet holiday weekend

‘There is nothing to report, and that’s good news,’ hospital official says

From The MSNBC Website:

Updated: 2:30 p.m. ET May 28, 2006
  

In this photo provided by the University of Pennsylvania, veterinary resident Dr. Steven Zedler stands in the stall with Barbaro after the Kentucky Derby winner underwent more than five hours of surgery Sunday, May 21, 2006, to repair three broken bones in his right rear leg at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.
 

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. - Barbaro is enjoying a quiet Memorial Day weekend, good news for the Kentucky Derby winner who is a week removed from surgery for a life-threatening injury.

“Barbaro is doing very well and seems perfectly content spending his holiday weekend at New Bolton Center receiving abundant carrots, apples and veterinary attention,” said Corinne Sweeney, executive director at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center.

Barbaro broke down May 20 shortly after leaving the starting gate at Pimlico Race Course, shattering bones in his right hind leg. The bay colt was rushed from Baltimore to the New Bolton Center and underwent six hours of surgery the next day.

He remains in the intensive care unit, and doctors have said it could be months before they know if the colt can survive what have been termed catastrophic injuries that leave him vulnerable to infection and other life-threatening complications.The former Triple Crown contender had an uneventful week, and that’s a good thing, Sweeney said.“There is nothing to report, and that’s good news,” Sweeney said. “It’s sort of business as usual, a regular day in ICU.”

Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby by 6½ lengths and was expected to make a Triple Crown bid before a sudden misstep early in the Preakness ended his racing career. Depending on his recovery, he might still have a career as a stud.

SEE RELATED PHOTOS:

An Excellent Update Site

This is a really wonderful update site to check on the latest news. I will be trying to keep this journal current, but if I miss a few days, old news is just that...old news. But this is a site that will have the most recent progresses. Please visit it at:

TimWooleyRacing.com

Their Photo Gallery:

 

A Hauntingly Beautiful Video -Tribute to Barbaro

I "accidentally" found  this incredible video today. It moved me deeply. It captures the spirit, the courage and the beauty of this wonderful horse. My congratulations go to the person who created this video,GhostMoth, on his Video Blog.

Please visit this TRIBUTE TO BARBARO

Jo

Recent Updates For Barbaro's Progress

Photo by Sabina Louise Pierce/University of Pennsylvania.

RECENT UPDATE 5/25- Prado Shares his feelings!
Most Recent Update 5/24

Barbaro Off To A Good Start on The Road to Recovery

Jacksons Looking For Recovery- Not Big Bucks

Barbaro press conference transcript: May 23, 2006

New Bolton Information: Excellent Resources

Penn Veterinary Medicine- New Bolton Center- News

Dr. Richardson feeding carrots to Barbaro!
Photo by Sabina Louise Pierce/University of Pennsylvania.

See pictures of Barbaro's care at New Bolton Center

On Any Given Day At New Bolton Center-
Produced by The University Of Pennsylvania-November 24th, 2003.
Excellent Video of The Equine Center

Send and Read The Fantastic Get Well Messages For Barbaro

NTRA: Tuesday Update: Barbaro "doing very well" fund established

Further Update(s) On Barbaro's progress. Thanks to ESPN.com

See More Recent Updates at the end of this entry. I will continue to post them until we no longer get the feeds. So far today, Barbaro is doing well, is eating and is apparently not in pain. Let's continue our prayers and send our glow to this magnificent horse and his keepers.

Jo

Updated: May 22, 2006, 4:09 PM ET
Barbaro improving, still faces long recovery

Associated Press

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. -- Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was "bright and appropriately frisky" Monday after surgery from his broken hind leg, even showing an interest in mares, but the colt still faces a long and perilous road to recovery.


AP Photo
Barbaro is lifted out of a special swimming pool following hours of surgery to repair his badly-injured right ind leg.

Dr. Dean Richardson, who performed the intricate five-hour operation, was satisfied with the result, but was blunt about the future for a horse who put together an unbeaten record until he broke down in the Preakness Stakes.

Richardson, who operated on Barbaro at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center for Large Animals on Sunday, said the horse's chances for survival were still 50-50. Barbaro was standing in his stall at the center's intensive care unit and showed interest in several mares in the vicinity.

Michael Matz, who trained the 3-year-old colt to six straight wins before the grotesque injury ended its unbeaten run Saturday, paid the horse a visit Monday and was encouraged by what he saw.

"He looked pretty bright just now," Matz said. "You can't ask for anything more. He was very alert and seemed fine."

Barbaro, fitted with a fiberglass cast, was standing in his stall at the center's intensive care unit earlier Monday and showed interest in several mares in the vicinity.

"He got through the night very well, day one and into day two is going as well as expected," Corinne Sweeney, a veterinarian and the hospital's executive director, said Monday. "He is standing on the leg, and with the appropriate amount of weight on it.

"He also showed appropriate interest in the mares, which means he's acting like a young colt should."

After his afternoon visit Monday, Matz smiled often -- an improvement over the evident fatigue of the night before.

"We've got the first step accomplished," he said. "He seemed fine. It's a new thing for him also to have this big thing on his leg and hopefully he's adjusting to it very well."

Sweeney said there are two major concerns in the first days of recovery, the possibility of infection from the surgery and laminitis, a potentially fatal disease sometimes brought on by uneven weight balance.

"He's doing exactly what the doctor wants, but he's got a long road ahead," Sweeney added. "A lot of possible problems that could occur have not."

Earlier Monday, Richardson emphasized that the horse had a long road ahead, and would never race again.


"Realistically, it's going to be months before we know if he's going to make it," Richardson told CBS' "The Early Show." "We're salvaging him as a breeding animal."

Barbaro's surgery to repair three bones shattered in his right rear leg at the Preakness went about as well as Richardson and Matz hoped. It wasn't long after surgery when Barbaro began to show signs he might make it after all.

After a dip into a large swimming pool before he was awakened -- part of New Bolton's renowned recovery system that minimizes injury risk -- Barbaro was brought back to his stall, where he should have been calmly rested on all four legs.

Barbaro had other ideas.

"He decided to jump up and down a few times," Richardson said, smiling. "But he didn't hurt anything. That's the only thing that really matters. It had Michael worried."

That's not much to worry about after the agony of the previous 24 hours. Barbaro sustained "life-threatening injuries" Saturday when he broke bones above and below his right rear ankle at the start of the Preakness Stakes.

AP Photo/Joseph Kaczmarek

Barbaro had 23 screws inserted into his leg during Sunday's six-plus hour surgery.


Barbaro sustained a broken cannon bone above the ankle, a broken sesamoid bone behind the ankle and a broken long pastern bone below the ankle. The fetlock joint -- the ankle -- was dislocated.

Richardson said the pastern bone was shattered in "20-plus pieces."

The bones were put in place to fuse the joint by inserting a plate and 23 screws to repair damage so severe that most horses would not be able to survive it.

Horses are often euthanized after serious leg injuries because circulation problems and deadly disease can arise if they are unable to distribute weight on all fours.

Barbaro's injury came a year after Afleet Alex's brush with catastrophe at the Preakness. Turning for home, the horse was bumped by another and nearly knocked to his knees before gathering himself and going on to win.


Update May 23rd: See Video there too. This is a continuing update!

See Barbaro's Sire  Dynaformer

Update On Barbaro! Prayers Continue

Barbaro Surgery Complete; Standing in Intensive Care Unit

Date Posted: 5/21/2006 8:57:21 PM

Last Updated: 5/21/2006 9:28:58 PM

Surgeons reported that Barbaro's seven-plus-hour surgery has ended, and the classic winner who was severely injured in Saturday's Preakness Stakes (gr. I) is in the intensive care unit at the New Bolton Center and standing. 

Dr. Dean Richardson, who led the surgical team, said the son of Dynaformer was in surgery for about seven hours. He said one reason the procedure took so long was the amount of time to prepare the colt for surgery and the recovery time to allow the anesthesia to wear off. 

"It was long recovery because he was under anesthesia for so long. The surgery was very difficult," said Richardson, noting that the surgery is only the first step toward Barbaro being able to survive his injuries. "The severity of the fracture was very severe. The long pastern bone was in 20-plus pieces. It was not a simple fracture. The skin did not break. He is very very badly bruised. We were able to put the appropriate implants in the leg." 

Richardson also said a procedure to fusion the fetlock joint – the ankle – was successful. 

"He got up from anesthesia without any injuries," Richardson said. 

He said horses with injuries such as Barbaro's are susceptible to other problems, including infection and laminitis. 

"These are all major concerns we have. At this moment he is very comfortable in his leg. Things right now are good." 

Richardson said one of his major concerns, that the blood flow in the areas of the injury had been cut off, quickly dismissed when the doctors determined "he had good pulse in his feet. When we did the procedure he had good blood supply throughout." 

Richardson said Barbaro sustained a broken cannon bone above the ankle, a broken sesamoid bone behind the ankle and a broken long pastern bone below the ankle. The fetlock joint - the ankle - was dislocated. 

"The aspects of the surgery will be dictated slightly by what we find," Richardson said. "But the bottom line is we will attempt to perform a fusion of that joint and to stabilize it and make it comfortable enough for him to walk on."

Read more about Barbaro's progress:

Prayers Requested For Barbaro- A Magnificent Race Horse

Prayers For Barbaro

the song is exquisite!

Barbaro, the Kentucky Derby winner, and hopeful to end  the drought of the Triple Crown, is going through the most difficult race of his short life.... the race to save his life.

This magnificent dark bay Thoroughbred athlete was born on April 29th, 2003. His talent, his disposition and his beauty has touched so many of us who love horses.

We pray that his surgery will be successful and that his ultimate recovery will be also be completely positive so that he will be able to sire many champions of the future.

Our hearts and prayers go out to his trainer, Michael Matz, his breeder and owner, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Jackson, and his jockey, Edgar Prado.

The update about Barbaro's condition is:

"Poise on the track may save horse's life"

By Doug Donovan and Bradley Olson "Sun" reporters

Originally published May 21, 2006

By all accounts, Barbaro has been as good a patient as he was a racehorse - and his poise is what may ultimately save his life, medical experts said.

"Without having that type of disposition, he wouldn't have made it this far," said Dr. James M. Casey, a Laurel veterinarian.

The 3-year-old colt faces surgery today at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa. From the moment jockey Edgar Prado heard a snap seconds after the Preakness Stakes started to the arrival of Barbaro at the hospital, doctors said the horse's grace helped it from compounding a catastrophic and rare injury.

According to Dr. Nicholas L. Meittinis, a veterinarian who treated Barbaro at Pimlico, the horse broke two bones in his right hind leg - the 4-inch-long pastern bone, below the ankle, and the 12-inch cannon bone above the ankle. The diameters of both bones are no bigger than the size of a tennis ball, he said.

All experts agree that Barbaro's racing days are over. But if he survives the recovery from surgery, he could go on as a stud.

It's the recovery, not the surgery, that they say is most dangerous.

The operation, which could last up to four hours, will proceed much like a human's surgery. Barbaro will be placed on a surgical bed, and general anesthesia willbe administered through a tube placed down his throat.

The broken bones will be repaired with pins and plates, Casey said. As Barbaro awakens from his haze of anesthesia, he will likely find himself suspended by a sling in a pool to prevent him from thrashing about, Meittinis said.

To keep Barbaro from injuring himself during recovery, the colt will spend most of his time - for up to six months - tethered to a wall. He will be able to reach his water and food and hay, but Barbaro will have to sleep standing up.

"I haven't seen this exact injury before where they break both" bones, said Meittinis, a veterinarian since 1989. "This is an unusual injury."

So rare that one report by a California doctor stated that the "prevalence of deaths due to catastrophic, fatal injuries in racehorses is less than 2 per 1,000 race starts."

With bodies weighing upward of 1,300 pounds, medical experts said, breeding, training and genetics are what keep those spindly ankles from buckling under more often.

A horse's instinct, even after an injury, is to keep running, causing greater damage.

"Lesser skilled jockeys would have broken Barbaro's leg on the track, and he would have had to have been put down on the spot," Casey said. "You're only one step away from something like this."

Shortly after Barbaro's missteps, medical staff affixed a splint and moved the horse in an ambulance to Barn E, Stall 40, the Kentucky Derby winner's reserved space. There Meittinis and his associate Dr. Dan Dreyfuss sedated Barbaro, took digital X-rays and wrapped the injury in a pressure bandage.

Dr. Larry Bramlage, a veterinarian who attended to Barbaro at Pimlico, said blood circulation is one of the most life-threatening concerns with broken bones in horses.

"There's significant danger to the blood supply to the lower limb," Bramlage said.

As Meittinis described it, "The fracture can act like a knife and sever the blood supply to the limb below."

He said Barbaro's "thready" pulse at Pimlico indicated blood flow blockage and mild shock.

"It's not always apparent right away because there is swelling and you can't assess the [blood] circulation for a day or two," he added. "This horse had a tremendous amount of poise. He never tried to kick anyone. He was all business."

Barbaro was loaded into an ambulance and transported last night tothe New Bolton Center, one of the nation's premier surgical centersfor horses. Once there he was placed on analgesics and pain medication, and was suspended in a sling to avoid standing.

He was scheduled to be given fluids all evening, and six to 10 nurses and veterinary residents will monitor Barbaro all evening.

"There are some horses that just don't make it for some very strange reasons," said Dr. David Nunamaker, chairman of New Bolton's Department of Clinical Studies. "If the horse is a good patient, that helps. If he fights you and is contrary to what you want to do," it makes it hard for the animal to recover.

"There are lots of hurdles - recovering from anesthesia, and healing his fracture, which may take some period of time, he said. "This horse is a good patient."

Please join with us in sending your loving prayers to this wonderful young horse.

Jo
 
 

Memorial For Toby and Bandit-And The Angel Garden... For RUSTYSGOLDENSONG

"My Brave Soldier"

I write this to the music of "Josh Groban," as I can't find the words that are in my heart. I am 45 years old. As a child, I was abused, so all I had in my life was a dog!! One that you could tell your most inner deep secrets to, and not be scared that you would be punished for telling.

When Toby and his brother, Bandit came into my life it was to help my sweet Rusty, as my vet had told me to get another as we had just lost Duke, of 9 years, and Rusty was in a deep depression.

So came along at the age of 8 weeks was these bundle of bouncing fun of pups.
Time went on and I lost Rusty, a "Golden," at the age of 15. Time was good to you both, then on August, 9th, 2004, Bandit gets sick, with no warning.

I was coming off of the news from my vet, that my dog,"Joey" had mass cell cancer,
On August,19th, 2004 I lost my sweet Bandit to cancer. Time went on, and your ashes came home.

In Feb, 2005 I saw something on Toby's body,  that just didn't look like it belonged. Appointment was made and the vet took some of it and sent it off. The call came that it was a form of skin Cancer. that because of his age, now 13, it wouldn't be OK to put him (through surgery ), and the cost of $5,000 with NO banking that he would be cancer free.

On April 12, Toby turned 14..Three days later he didn't look OK and wasn't eating. I Called the vet as the weekend was coming and I didn't want to be facing a weekend when the vet wouldn't be able to be reached. On Friday the appointment was made for 2:20-pm. At 9-35 am, Toby went into a seizure, and I rushed him to the vet, driving 60+mph to get him there with my emergency flashers on. People did move over for me.
X-rays were taken. Dr. Hayes came in, told me that the cancer had gone into his chest, the silence then was one that I knew the answer to, that my sweet Toby was dying and I had to make that decision.. had to let him go.

As they gave me time, I took the holy water I had and I blessed him. I told him to not fight, to see his brother..to see Jesus..to let go.

As I finish this, I do so to the song "You're Still You," as a young pup. Hewould sit here next to me and listen to it as he loved that song and the other one that he loves is "To Where You Are."

He cried out as his heart stopped. He just as his brother, died in my arms, and now he too has come home as I got his ashes this week.

I was his mama on earth, and I had to release him to Jesus' mama, to be there for him.
I know that he and his brother are the puppies they once were and that they will be at the Rainbow Bridge when I, too, will go home to Jesus.

I have no friends, just my fur babies. I long to see and hold them again....for they are "Still You"....
 
Jessy

Photo of Toby two days before he died.

And My Angel Bandit:

Note for Jessy: To Toby and Bandit- From Jo

Rest sweetly at the Rainbow Bridge darling angel dogs! Go in Peace and find loads of love and friendship till your mom rejoins you when it is time!

Jessy has created a beautiful memorial garden for her Angels. I wanted to share this amazing picture with everyone. Memorial Gardens are an exceptionally loving area to create to memorialize angel pets. This one is extraordinary. Thank you Jessy.

Jo

Normal Grief Responses: By terraoceana.com

Grief can be painful and often seems overwhelming - it frightens us. Many people worry if they are grieving in the "right way" and wonder if their feelings are normal. The grief responses listed here are all natural, normal and appropriate. These feelings are consistent with personal and spiritual growth.

 

Most people who suffer a loss experience one or more of the following:

. Feeling of tightness in the throat, heaviness in the chest and shortness of breath.
. An empty feeling in the stomach and loss of appetite.
. A desire for sweets, carbohydrates, or wanting to eat when not really hungry.
. Feeling of guilt or anger and not knowing why or at whom.
. Feeling of restlessness and looking for activity, but finding it hard to concentrate.
. Feeling as though the loss is not real, as if it did not actually happen.
. Feelings of panic, the desire to run away or having self-destructive thoughts.
. Sensing the loved one's presence; expecting the person/animal to walk in the door at   the usual
   time, hearing the loved one's voice, bark or meow or seeing their face.
. Wandering around and forgetting about or not finishing things that you started.
. Difficulty sleeping and frequently dreaming of the loved one.
. Intense preoccupation with the life of the loved one.
. Assuming mannerisms and traits of the loved one.
. Guilt or anger over things that happened or didn't happen in the relationship.
. Anger with the loved one for leaving.
. Loss of warmth in relationships with others and a tendency to respond irritably and with anger.
. The need to take care of other people who seem uncomfortable by politely not talking about
  feelings of loss or grief.
. The need to recall, tell and remember things about the loved one and the experience of his/her death.
. Guilt about being alive.
. Mood changes.
. Crying at the most unexpected things and times.
. Feeling as though nothing seems to make sense anymore.
. Feeling as if nothing is important anymore.
. Wanting to be left alone, yet feeling intensely lonely.
. Feelings of indecisiveness.

What We Need During Grief

Time
Time alone, and time with others whom you trust and will listen when you need to talk. Perhaps months or years of time to feel and understand the feelings that accompany loss.

Rest
Relaxation, Exercise, Meditation. You may need extra amounts of these things. Hot baths, afternoon naps, a walk, a trip, a "cause", helping others. Any of these may give you a lift. Grief is an emotionally exhausting process. You need to replenish yourself in creative ways. Follow what feels healing and what connects you to the people, animals and other things that you love.

Security
Try to reduce, or find help for financial or other stresses in your life. Allow yourself to be close to those you trust. Getting back into routine helps. You may need to allow yourself and give yourself permission to do things at your own pace and in your own way.

Hope
You may find hope and comfort from those who have experienced a similar loss. Knowing some things that helped them, and realizing that they have recovered, will kindle hope in you. Becoming aware "that time really does heal", will give hope that in the future your grief will be less raw and painful.

Caring
Allow yourself to accept the expressions of caring from others, even though they may be awkward and uneasy. Helping a friend, relative or stranger, also suffering the same loss, may bring a feeling of closeness with that person, as well as a deeper understanding of the process and purpose of healing.

Goals
For a while it will seem that much of life is without purpose or meaning. At times like these, small goals are helpful. Something to look forward to like going out to lunch or dinner with a friend next week, a movie tomorrow night, a trip next month, all of these help you to get through the time in the immediate future. At first, don't be surprised if your enjoyment of those things isn't the same as before. As time passes, you may need to work on some longer range goals to give some structure and direction to your life. You may wish to seek guidance or counseling if you are unable to begin establishing these long term life plans.

Small Pleasures
Do not underestimate the healing effects of small pleasures. Sunrises and sunsets, a walk in the early morning or cool of the evening, to be thankful and say a prayer, enjoy a favorite food, appreciate a flower, the song of a bird, a child's laughter - these are all small steps toward regaining some pleasure in life.

Permission to "Fail"
Sometimes after a period of feeling good, you may find yourself experiencing old feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, despair or anger. This is often the nature of grief- up and down - and itmay happen over and over for a period of time. This happens because, as humans, we cannot take in all of the pain, nor the full meaning of death all at once. So, we let in a little at a time. This is a gift.

Affirmation:
I have permission to grieve. I am free to talk about my person/animal, to miss and treasure their things, clothes, pictures and their memories. I have permission to cry one moment and smile the next as I recall our life together. Most of all, I know it is very OK to have these feelings and to take care of myself by expressing these feelings. These choices are mine. There is no schedule to keep.

Please visit their website at Terraoceana.com  for excellent support information.