Barbaro's Cast Comes Off

Almost six months after Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro suffered a devastating injury to his lower right hind leg during the Preakness, he is making slow but substantial progress, his doctors say. On Monday, his cast was removed.

"His attitude, really, it's good. It's better than mine," Barbaro's surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Dean Richardson, told Early Show veterinary correspondent Dr. Debbye Turner.

When a horse breaks its leg, it is often euthanized, but veterinarians fought to save Barbaro.

In the original injury, the whole bone shattered into many pieces, but now, Dr. Richardson said, the bone is healing and is forming what he called a "good bridging callous."

Dr. Richardson said the focus shifted from Barbaro's right hind leg to the left, which developed a condition called laminitis four months ago, causing his hoof wall to tear away from his foot.

"Had it not been for the (laminitis), Barbaro's cast would have been removed a month ago and he would probably be at home by now," Dr. Richardson said. "I was pretty sure a while ago that we had a very, very good chance of getting the right hind leg healed. The left hind foot, to me, and to everybody who is aware of what's going on in the case, is still the limiting factor in the success."

Dr. Richardson said it could take up to a year to recover from the laminitis. The only way to heal is for the entire hoof to be removed and then grow back completely.

"I think anybody that lost a fingernail realized it doesn't grow back in normal," he said. "His is growing erratically and not as well in some parts as in others. That's a worry but there's literally only so much you can do."

Barbaro is still undergoing treatment and it will be a while before he is cleared to return home.

"It doesn't do you much good to save one leg on a four-legged animal. He has to get all four better," Dr. Richardson said. "That's the only thing that will satisfy anybody here."

For more information on Barbaro's treatment go to University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's Web site.