Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2012 22:20:54 GMT -5
Terror Smile, champion turf mare, was spotted out of the vet centre at Triple Krown Racing. Hailey Levine had her out in the smallest paddock on the farm. At first, we couldn't believe our eyes but there she was, free in the paddock grazing and at times playing about. She wore a bandage wrap on her left foreleg but no cast. Does this mean that Smiles is close to full recovery? We asked Hailey for a word and she did not object to the interview.[/sup]
Reporter: Back to the beginning, what did your vet tell you about Smiles on the track, right after she broke down?
Hailey Levine: Well, that vet told me to put her down... He thought she had a complete fracture. Aiden convinced me to try and save her before he was taken to the hospital.
Reporter: What is a complete fracture? And what did the vet say once you brought her in for surgery?
Hailey Levine: A complete fracture usually is when the bone shatters... Very complicated to fix, if you can. A different vet conducted the surgery. He x-rayed her before sending her into surgery. He found that her fracture was actually an incomplete hairline fracture in her cannon bone; an easy fix. I don't use the first vet anymore.
Reporter: Well it's a good thing you sent her into surgery! So, how long did you expect her to heal for?
Hailey Levine: Well, I am nor will I be sure until she does heal fully. I was planning on taking it easy the first month but her fracture started healing quicker than expected. We took the cast off a couple of weeks ago and instead switched her to a bandage. Her bone is mended and she hasn't shown any lameness which is good. I'm still not risking anyone riding her for a month or two though. Taking it slow.
Reporter: Interesting! If the vet were to give her the okay to race would you start working her?
Hailey Levine: Yes... He's actually already said she's pretty much healed. He said that she should be able to begin working next month and he would check her before, however. I'm still nervous though... Sort of like when you get bucked off a horse and when you get on again for the first time you can't help being careful. Smiles healed quicker than the majority of any horse with a hairline fracture in their cannon bone; she's lucky. I don't want to ruin that.
Reporter: Thank you... We can't wait to see Smiles on the track!
