09/18/2024
A few weeks ago, up to 70 horses' lives were lost due to contaminated feed in Oklahoma. These horses from Beutler and Son Rodeo Company consumed feed that was contaminated with monensin. Monensin is an antibiotic used in cattle feed, and this substance is highly toxic to horses. The feed company suspects the contamination occurred due to the combination of a sensor malfunction and a failed cleanout procedure of the mill pipes between milling cattle feed and this batch of horse feed. To avoid buying feed that may be dangerous for your horse, it is important to select high quality feeds made in mills that are classified as ionophore-free or ionophore-safe. Ionophore-free means that a feed mill would not have any monensin or other medications on the premises, and that they would only make horse feed. Ionophore-safe means that a feed mill may have monensin on the premises and they may make livestock feed in addition to horse feed, but they take measures to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. When in doubt, reach out to your feed company to find out what facilities their feed is made in. For more great information on monensin contamination in horse feed, check out the article linked below!
https://thehorse.com/1130687/how-to-avoid-monensin-contamination-in-horse-feed/
