Rachel Alexandra’s condition remains serious at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital Friday, Feb. 15 following surgery to repair a section of her small colon injured when she foaled a filly Feb. 13, but the 2009 Horse of the Year has shown some signs of progress.

The attending veterinarians on her case, Bonnie Barr, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, and Brett Woodie, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, are pleased with her progress. Barr calls her a "strong mare." Her vital signs remain normal and she was brighter, more alert, and demonstrating an improved attitude on Friday afternoon.

"She looks better today," said owner Barbara Banke. "Rachel is a determined fighter. It makes me feel better that she was happy to have a mint. I want to thank all her fans for their incredible devotion to Rachel. Your thoughts mean so much right now."

Stonestreet Farms sent a photo out via Twitter Friday of Banke feeding the 2009 Horse of the Year a mint

Create a free account with TheHorse.com to view this content.

TheHorse.com is home to thousands of free articles about horse health care. In order to access some of our exclusive free content, you must be signed into TheHorse.com.

Start your free account today!

Already have an account?
and continue reading.