Officials blame mineral overdose in horse deaths

Associated Press ^ | April 28, 2009 | BRIAN SKOLOFF

[neverdem]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Florida's top veterinarian on Tuesday blamed the deaths of 21 elite polo horses on an overdose of a common mineral that helps muscles recover from fatigue.

Florida's state veterinarian, Dr. Thomas J. Holt, said toxicology tests on the dead horses showed significantly increased selenium levels.

The horses from the Venezuelan-owned Lechuza Caracas team began collapsing April 19 as they were unloaded from trailers at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington before a championship match. Some died at the scene, others hours later...

[neverdem]

PING

[brytlea]

This has really been a big and sad story down here. I don’t follow polo, but this is a huge blow the this team.

[Jean S]

I owned horses for years in Wisconsin. Selenium is low in our soil so we always used vitamin supplements that included selenium and I have never heard of an overdose or even of any side affects.
Someone messed up, either accidentially or intentionally.

[vetvetdoug]

NE Ms is an area of low Se in the soil. We have to augment Se in the diet or we get white muscle disease in cattle and reproductive and muscular dysfunction in horses. I have heard of Se toxicity but it is quite rare..this had to be some kind of major screw up in the mathematics department of the pharmacy.