Toxic horse feed

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This tragedy is occurring the last few days in Oklahoma. I cannot even imagine...

https://www.facebook.com/kendrasant...uzh7VwCEDPLrtoC1acQ5c4qMoXOTpK&__tn__=<,P-y-R

Kendra Santos

1d ·
The level of catastrophic loss that’s still unfolding at the Beutler Ranch in Elk City, Oklahoma right now is beyond comprehension. The horror of so many dead horses—the death toll is now approaching 70 and counting, I’m told—is devastating a family-dynasty breeding program that’s a 95-year-old cowboy empire. What Elra, Jake and Lynn Beutler started in 1929, and Elra’s grandson Bennie and his son Rhett built onto with Beutler & Son Rodeo Company today can’t be replicated or replaced.
I have intentionally sat quiet on this story, knowing the Beutlers can’t even breathe right now. They have no words, or tears left. They also have their hometown rodeo to produce this weekend, and with so much of their horse herd and generations-deep legacy wiped out without warning.
I’ve had many off-the-record conversations with cowboy people about this tragic turn of events in the last few days. I just had my first one on the record with the friend and veterinarian the Beutlers have entrusted with their four-legged family, Dr. Gregg VeneKlasen. Because of what may lie ahead legally, we will stick to only the facts that can be appropriately shared publicly at this time. More to come later, when the time is right for the Beutler family.
Early reporting that many of the Beutlers’ horses were accidentally fed cattle feed is false, according to VeneKlasen.
“What these horses got was actually a horse feed mix with a huge amount of the cattle drug monensin (brand name Rumensin) in it,” VeneKlasen said. “This was a tragic case of human error somewhere along the line, because tiny amounts of monensin is poison to horses. It kills them. Monensin is used in some cattle feed, but this amount in this horse feed delivered to the Beutlers would have killed cattle, too.
“Much is known about what has happened here that cannot yet be told. But the bottom line on this story is that it’s an important one to tell, so this never happens to anyone else. I will say this: Never buy horse feed from a mill that makes cattle feed. Period. Please quote me on that. Every horse that ate this feed is dead. The only bucking mare still alive is (NFR bucker) Black Kat, because she was at my place (Timber Creek Veterinary Hospital in Canyon, Texas; that’s her in this picture) when this feed was delivered. The only Killer Bee baby that is still alive refused to eat the feed.
“I cried. We all cried. These bloodlines were five generations in the making. Many of the stars of this breeding program are gone. To see what’s happened here to these horses will make you puke.”
I stopped using the word “tragedy” a long time ago for situations that did not warrant it. “It’s not a tragedy if nobody died” has become a famous line of mine when perspective is lost and drama is overblown. This, my friends, is a tragedy in our rodeo family.
The one silver lining I’ve seen so far is the heartwarming generosity of other stock contractors stepping up and offering their stock to the Beutlers. That’s how our rodeo family rolls in the toughest of times, and it’s something special to behold and be very proud of.
This story continues to unfold. More when we can. Until then, God Bless every horse who has died. And prayers for the Beutler family as they try to find a path forward with so many family members missing.
 
I know we all want to support local when we can, but this sort of thing is one reason to buy from reputable companies that have ionophore-free facilities for horse feed production. [Purina and Triple Crown are milled in Ionophore-free facilities, as are quite a few other brands.]
[This whole story has not unfolded yet, but it does sounds like a local mill, not a national company.]
 
From what I can see it was Livestock nutrition center, which is a huge company with 18 locations over 5 states. This is so horrible to read. I can't even imagine how the owners must feel.
 
From what I can see it was Livestock nutrition center, which is a huge company with 18 locations over 5 states. This is so horrible to read. I can't even imagine how the owners must feel.
From my understanding LNC primarily mills livestock feed (so cattle, hogs, chickens, etc), I saw nothing of horse feed on their website. There will probably be so much we never know; but it sounds like a sensor malfunctioned and they gave another reason I do not recall.
 
Kendra Santos has researched all the companies that supply horse feed, to see if any are possible sources of toxic feed. It was interesting to read the list. If you search her name, on FB I think, you can find the list.
 
The latest is they couldn't decide whether to just give up the rodeo business, or "cowboy up" and keep going. They decided to keep going. They bought some more horses. The issue is still under investigation by State authorities.
The most shocking to me was the owners kept finding dead horses on their 2400 acre ranch for several days.
 
This was an absolutely devastating story. I read your first post at the end of August and just had no words, but did keep an eye out for news articles and updates.

Hoping the family finds peace of mind and heart as they continue on.
 
The latest is they couldn't decide whether to just give up the rodeo business, or "cowboy up" and keep going. They decided to keep going. They bought some more horses. The issue is still under investigation by State authorities.
The most shocking to me was the owners kept finding dead horses on their 2400 acre ranch for several days.
one report I read said they had like 300 or 350 horses to start with, a breeding program I'm sure, and lost 75-80 to the incident, plus those lost that took a bit to find. I can understand taking time to find all that were lost, 2400 acres is a significant amount of land to cover, that's around 4 sections, a section is 1 square mile and 640 acres; if it's hilly or rough country, it's not going to be easy to find all the animals quickly, some they may never find if there are predators that go through that do clean up.
 
@chandab do you know if the toxin is transferrable? Or are scavengers not likely to be effected by feeding off the carcasses?
Good question for the vets. Maybe it would depend on the amount of the toxin. A blister bug can kill a horse, but I doubt a scavenger would be affected.
 
I'm sure that would be dependent on if the animal is affected by ionophores, I do not know the half-life of it in the body nor how fast it might degrade.
I understand the quantity in the feed was sufficient to kill a cow, so a major level regardless. For horses, doesn't it cause cardiac lesions? I thought I'd read that years and years ago. Regardless, quite a tragedy. I'm glad to see the feed company stepping up and being accountable.
 
I understand the quantity in the feed was sufficient to kill a cow, so a major level regardless. For horses, doesn't it cause cardiac lesions? I thought I'd read that years and years ago. Regardless, quite a tragedy. I'm glad to see the feed company stepping up and being accountable.
They did say the level was too high for a cow, but it seems like I read that chickens have an extremely high tolerance for it, so if birds of prey or scavenger birds got to the horses, it might not cause ill effects. So many variables to consider, and just a tragedy all around.
 

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