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Apr 23, 2009 10:39 pm US/Central
MN Horse Owners Question Drug Used In Polo Deaths
FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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At the State Fairgrounds on Thursday night, manes were primped, oats were stocked and hearts were heavy with word of the drug mistake that may have cost 21 horses their lives.
CBS
A chemical mixed to help a team of polo horses likely ended up killing 21 of them instead. Franck's Pharmacy in Ocala, Fla., said it messed up and gave the animals too much of a certain ingredient. The horses began crumbling to the ground shortly before the start of Sunday's U.S. Open match.
Horse enthusiasts at the Minnesota Horse Expo wondered why the animals were given the drugs at all.
At the State Fairgrounds on Thursday night, manes were primped, oats were stocked and hearts were heavy with word of the drug mistake that may have cost 21 horses their lives.
"I have just one Fjord and if anything happened to him, I get teary when I think about it. You get really close to them," said horse owner Kristin Lee of Mound, Minn.
There are 300 horses at the Minnesota Horse Expo from all over the Midwest. And the proud owners are like stage parents. They want the very best for their beloved animals. Now there are many questions about whether a horse needs the sort of supplements that were given to the polo horse.
"Vitamins and minerals shouldn't be a problem, unless the mistake was made and it appears that's what happened here," said Veterinarian Dr. Tracy Turner.
Turner said the drug used in Florida was not a performance enhancer but instead was meant to help recovery after a race. Whether racing in Minnesota or elsewhere, performance enhancers are prohibited by race organizations.
"My opinion is I don't think those horses needed the injection and they got a needless injection, and 21 of them died, perhaps from a needless injection," Turner said.
Horses like Markus get vaccinations against West Nile and other diseases. Otherwise the prescription for a strong, healthy horse is much like that of a healthy human: fresh food and water, exercise and lots of TLC.
"If I don't take care of him when I ride him or I drive him he's not going to take care of me. This is a partnership here," said horse owner Linda Syverson-Kerr of Holmen, Wis.
On the eve of opening day at the Horse Expo, Minnesota horse owners hope something can be learned from this drug mistake.
The horses that died in Florida were from Venezuela. They would receive supplements that are commonly used in Europe, but not approved in the U.S. So, the Venezuelans asked the pharmacy to create a similar mixture.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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