not to lessen barbaro's life - he was an amazing horse - or his owners' grief - it's obvious they loved him and did all they could to save him (and spent a major amount of $$ for his care, i’m sure, although if he had been saved it would have been recouped 10 fold in stud fees) - and not to hijack this thread or be too cynical but...
i think it's completely absurd that a horse can be euthanized in this country after one night of "...clear distress. He wasn't comfortable laying down or standing up. You could see he was a different horse. You could see he was upset"... and it's legal, allowing his owners to receive their insurance money, but a
human being can suffer for decades in debilitating pain and bed-ridden misery andif they want to end
their own life, they lose the insurance money that would go to their family to help with bills, funerals, and time to grieve (not to mention the social and religious shame of suicide.) and if they ask a doctor or anyone else to help them die then that person is a murderer.
i’m sorry barbaro. your death should not be a path to my soap box, but being the wonderful, brave horse you were, somehow i think you might have agreed with me. rest in peace, big guy. and peace to his family, too.