OMFG. They screwed up the formula? 21 horses died because someone made a mistake? That's going to be one helluva lawsuit.

That's a scary thought, isn't it? What if that had been people?
Horses were bad enough!

And not just any horses, either. I don't know how much polo ponies go for, but they're sure to be high-falutin' expensive.

This doesn't make sense. If these were prescriptive drugs, then who wrote out the prescription? The Polo teams vet is not licensed in the States, which means he would not be able to purchase pharmaceuticals.

I smell a fish.

And I'm sure the insurance company that insured these Polo ponies is going to want more of an investigation. They were valued at $100K a piece, so I guarantee they were insured.

More detail to the story here Polo Ponies

A Florida vet wrote the prescription.

I know when I had my horse insured, the policy had alot of clauses. But I'm sure in this case, since the deaths were caused by the Pharmacy, they may pay. If not, I'm sure the Pharmacy will be sued. Then again, the compound they made which is similiar to another drug, is not approved for use in the US. The vet that wrote the script may be blamed.

I was offered a job with a Polo Stable in Wellington when I graduated from college.

I'm glad the pharmacy owned up to the mistake. I expect they'll settle the case. Each horse can be worth up to $200,000. I would think that is the least they'd offer, $4.2M. But I suppose it's less up to the pharmacy and more up to the pharmacy's malpractice insurance carrier.

This is so very sad. And so very avoidable. Those poor horses...at least it took them quickly.

I will give the pharmacy props for not trying to deny or hide anything. They seem to be as horrified about this as everyone else.

They are now. ;)

From what I understand after reading today's comments on FHOTD, (www.fuglyhorseoftheday.com) the pharmacy was trying to compound a BANNED SUBSTANCE!!!!

They were attempting to "make" Biodyl, which the FDA had banned ages ago.

Of course, the Argentinians don't care about what the silly FDA may have banned, they're gonna do what they've always done.

Too much selenium, it seems...

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Right now we're worried about a BUNCH of starved mustangs. They were put out on sandy land without enough forage, never wormed or supplemented, and of course the stallions ran with all those mares. Flyovers of the property found several pits FULL of starved carcasses. The owner has been charged with a felony, but is already out on bail.

The rescuers are scrambling, and desperately need trailers (open stock trailers would be best) to get the horses OFF that land and to the several rescues who dropped everything to save these horses!

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Hubby was stunned when I pointed out that horses are less expensive to purchase than dogs right now. Scary what the owners are doing when they can't afford what they have....

They should offer at least 4.2M. I mean it's not only the horses they should replace. The whole team's now an international story, and everyone knows "something about an illegal drug". They've got their name to defend as well.

I'm not saying I agree with them giving the horses these drugs, and I'm not saying I don't. I think we just don't know enough to decide on that.

Just because it's not appproved by the FDA doesn't mean it's bad. It might be just a supplement, but still. What a HUGE screw-up.

Where are these Mustangs located?

Nebraska, at the so-called 3 Strikes Mustang 'Ranch'....

Front Range Rescue, Habitat for Horses, and an Arabian Rescue in Colorado. Sadly, the BLM will do NOTHING for these horses except arrange a sale. There is only one group of Mustangs that they wish to preserve; their DNA proves they have a lot of rare Spanish blood, so they get to remain on their ancestral range.....

Several hundred horses have been taken to "the fair grounds" at Bridgeport.

Here:

is a photo journal of the horses being rescued. There is a photobucket shot or two of others that are EXTREMELY emaciated.

Interestingly, the last photo is the scumbag owner of the ranch, with a horse he reported STOLEN, which apparently had just gotten loose and run free with all the others. Of course, his own personal horse is plump, but all the others, who were supposed to be in a "horsie heaven", are at death's door!

Like this VERY VERY GRAPHIC picture:

I still smell a fish. Everyone at the farm where I board my horse agrees. There's something not right about this story.

And here is another photo album of these mustangs:


These are not old horses, and can be trained for any equine discipline. Many mustang rescues do retrain them, and are quite effective. This fellow may have thought he was doing good by letting them run free, as T. Boone Pickett's wife wants to do, but he overbred and overgrazed that land. No winter supplement feeding, then he claims his horses were being poisoned and stolen?

Shameful!

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And back to the polo ponies, those horses are wonderful athletes, and it's horrible that they had to die in this manner! How to fix it? Bring enough banned substances when you travel? Oh, how about not using them when there are better alternatives for your investments!

There are a LOT of conflicting and very incomplete reports right now, to be sure! It's a terrible can of worms, and I don't know that the FDA and whatever world Polo official body wants to open it any further!

It reminds me of all the broodmares in Kentucky that dropped dead back in 2001-2003. Still not sure what caused that horrible thing!

Agree. It's horrible. I don't even want to imagine dying like that...

Not to mention the undeserved black eye it gives to international polo!

The Broodmare epidemic in Kentucky was some kind of natal disease. I remember the story but can't remember what exactly it was. I worked at a Standardbred breeding farm for 2 years. 6 months of the year I was on foaling duty. We didn't do anything fishy, but we had procedures to follow with the pregnant mares and newborn foals.

I'll have to look that story up. There was also the West Nile epidemic that killed ALOT of horses in Florida a few years back.

But the Polo pony story is just disgusting. This was man made. Obviously this drug (at this point I wouldn't call it vitamins) was injected IV. Only way it could drop these horses to their knees in a short amount of time.

Idiots.

I wonder if contacting the Windchill Legacy might help? They set up a rescue foundation after Windchill died. (The horse they found in freezing conditions a little over a year ago.)

They are in Wisconsin, but I know they have traveled farther than that for pick up and delivery of horses.

Might be worth it to contact them. It's possible they know about it already, but maybe not.