Cruel & Unusual Personified

After 254 days, Barbaro has finally been put out of his misery. And in my opinion, it was about time.

The horse gripped the national imagination when he rocketed to a stunning multi-furlong victory in the 2006 Kentucky Derby. His margin of victory was the largest at that race in 60 years and a buzz started about a potential Triple Crown run. Barely a week and 200 yards later, the dream died when Barbaro shattered several bones in his right hind leg at the outset of the Preakness Derby. The video of the poor animal desperately trying to keep its balance while not using the damaged leg was heartbreaking and those who weren't previously engaged in the Barbaro story now found themselves deeply enmeshed. Throughout his recovery, there has been a fascinating outpouring of support from the public toward Barbaro and the bonds that have developed between even non-racing fans and the horse have taken on a unique life of their own.

For the last eight months, Barbaro has undergone multiple surgeries and endured a variety of complications and infections. His owners, trainers and doctors did everything possible to save the horse and maintain a semblance of quality of life. Despite some criticism, they maintained that their objectives were purely out of love for the horse and not driven by economics. And while I have no specific evidence to dispute those claims, I can't help but think that this poor animal should have been euthanized long ago. It seemed clear to me (as a non-veternarian) throughout the saga, that this story would ultimately have an unhappy ending and that the journey would be a painful one.

Were the Jacksons acting out of love for the horse or were they secretly thinking about stud fees? Were the doctors realistic or did they get caught up in the tidal wave of public interest in an attempt to draw attention to their work? We may never know the answer to these questions, but in the end, Barbaro's fate was probably sealed that day in Baltimore and his eight months of pain, agony, surgery, complications, slings, etc seem to me to be cruel and unecessary.