Horsemen like Bob McIntosh don't reach the pinnacle of the training game by sitting around. That is why it didn't come as a shock when Trot Insider was told that the Hall of Fame conditioner was up and mobile just one day after surgery to stabilize his injured pelvis
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The decorated Windsor-based trainer was injured February 1 while jogging a young horse at his farm.
"He was jogging a young horse that was fooling around a bit, but nothing out of the ordinary," Bob's wife, Patty, told Trot Insider. "The horse kicked and got his leg up over the shaft and ended up dumping Bob from the cart. He landed on his left leg and the impact drove his femur up into his pelvis, which shattered the socket.
"He's been down many times in his 40 years in racing, but this has been his worst injury."
McIntosh, 59, underwent over four hours of surgery during the early-morning hours of Thursday, February 9 at the Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital in Windsor.
"They put in two plates and some screws to stabilize his pelvis," Patty explained. "The pain is better now that they have been able to get everything stabilized."
Patty was gracious enough to give Trot Insider an update on behalf of her husband, who was just a tad busy during a physio-therapy session at the time.
"He's up and getting around in a walker right now," Patty explained. "They have told us that if his physio goes well in the coming days that he could be released next Wednesday (February 15). He will eventually be on crutches before he is able to get right back into the swing of things.
"Right now he's learning how to not put any weight on the leg whatsoever, but they have said that if everything goes well he could be back in the jog cart by the end of April, which would be just in time for him to finish off the colts."
Bob's seasoned staff is handling the trainer's stable in his absence, although, in typical McIntosh fashion, the veteran conditioner won't be far from the action.
"He'll have the ability to keep an eye on all of his horses at the farm from trackside, which will definitely make the healing process a little easier."
Please join Standardbred Canada in wishing Bob a quick and full recovery from his injury.