By Kayla Miller, Powhatan, VA.

Note: Kayla wrote this story for an extra credit project in 7^th grade at Powhatan Junior High School, 2007.  Her mom is Angela Miller who is employed at Hertzler Farm and Feed.)

     Looking down from heaven now I see everybody who loved me and I wonder if I would have been everything they wanted me to be. Well, don’t let me get ahead of myself.

My name is Barbaro. I was born on Springmint Farm on April 29, 2003. It was a happy place where everybody loved me and cared for me extremely well. I remember when I was just born my mama told me I would love it here. She sure was right. Everyday since I was old enough I would run around the paddock acting like I was in a big race and trying to be like my daddy. I always wanted to be like him and make him proud.

Everyday when I woke up it was always the same routine; get fed at about 6:30, then morning workouts, and after that a cool down. If it was hot enough I would get a hose off too. I loved the cool water sloshing down on my face. After that I would get a good grooming and put out to pasture for a while. Later in the day I would come in and eat dinner and settle in for the night. Everyday there was the best. I liked it very much and I miss it a lot.

When it was time for my training I did very well. It was easy and I progressed very quickly. Soon it was time for my first race. I won my first race at Delaware Park in October 2005. It was a great victory. Everyone patted me and gave me treats.

Let’s skip ahead shall we? I was racing at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Derby. I won and I was very surprised. I felt darn right peppy because every racehorse knows that if you win at least one leg of the Triple Crown you are a pretty good racehorse. Anyways, a few more weeks flew by and the Preakness was at my door. I was psyched and ready. When we got there we were a few days early so I got a stall and got settled. The next day I got a workout and relaxed. For the next couple days it was the same old thing. But on the day of the Preakness I was wired. I was so excited I was jumping out of my skin. They gave me an extra special grooming and took me to the saddling paddock. After that I was taken to the pre-race parade. I was looking like a champ. When they loaded me into the starting gate I was ready to spring out. And spring out I did. The bell sounded and took off like a rocket. But I banged my right hind leg really hard on the gate door. I kept running though. My jockey could sense something was wrong. He tried to pull me up but it didn’t work. I was not going down without a fight. He leapt off and tried to steady me. At that point I realized that my fight was over. He had won. I slowed down and pulled up my leg. By this time it hurt like the dickens. They calmed me down and loaded me into the horse trailer. I was very nervous. When we got to the veterinarian clinic they unloaded me and took me to see the doctor. They took some x-rays and the truth poured out. It turned out I had shattered three bones in my right hind leg so they decided to operate. It took more than five hours, but they finally saved me. When they were done and the anesthesia wore off I practically pranced back to my stall. I was feeling great but a little drowsy. Then a few days later they put a three part glue-on horse shoe on my foot to reduce the risk of laminitis. By then I knew the road to recovery would be a long and boring one.

Now lets fast forward to a few months later. Well, actually only one month later. They were able to change my cast for the first time. I was so glad because the thing was getting very itchy. But in July I developed some serious complications. More operations!! My word this was getting annoying. A few days later they discovered that I had developed laminitis and they had to removed 80 percent of my hoof. (I needed that! But now that I’m in heaven I have my whole hoof back. Thank goodness.) The days slowly dragged by until I got so much better I was able to go outside and graze like a normal horse. But little did I know I would never be normal again. I began to improve slowly and in October I got a new cast and my left leg was beginning to improve slowly but surely.

NEW YEAR!!!! Yeah baby! Things were starting to look up. I was getting better and feeling like a normal horse again. The vets managed to remove the damaged tissue from my right leg and I felt loads better. Little did I know I as in for a bad surprise. The next day I had a series of horrible setbacks. My owners decided to put me t o sleep. It was a decision that was hard to make. When the time finally came everyone was crying. I knew these were the last few minutes of my life. I held on to them for dear life. My owners gave me hugs and kisses and the vet administered the shot. A few seconds went by and I stopped breathing. They knew it was the end.

This story is dedicated to Barbaro who was truly a hero in the end.