Doctors have removed the cast supporting the repaired right leg of Barbaro, the racehorse whose bid for the Triple Crown ended with a life-threatening injury at the Preakness Stakes.
Melissa Block talks with Dr. Dean Richardson, chief of surgery and professor of equine surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center.
Dr. Richardson operated on the Kentucky Derby-winning horse after his May 20 accident. The original surgery included the insertion of dozens of metal pins to hold Barbaro's leg together.
The horse, who had many fans before his ordeal began, has become a sensation even in his career-ending injury. His doctors say Barbaro has shown character and patience as he recovers.
But that recovery still has a way to go: Barbaro's life is still threatened by laminitis, the debilitating condition that caused 80 percent of his left hoof to be removed.
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