SubscribeGift a Sub
Enable cache 100
Check Out Our Coverage of the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event!
Categories: Horse News


The owners of the horses
who died as a result of the tainted feed are devastated over their loss. Screengrab via Inside Edition


Last September five horses died at Black Fence Farms in Clovis, Calif. after consuming Monensin, a toxin to horses that was reportedly found in Western Milling’s Western Blend Horse Feed. The product has since been voluntarily recalled. Unfortunately, the recall did not come soon enough, and the death count is now up to 13 horses.



As a result, Katie Flanagan, owner of Black Fence Farm, has filed a lawsuit against Western Milling, KMJ NOW reports. It was filed on Feb. 25 in the Fresno County Superior Court.



“We watched our horses die, not only for the first 48 hours, horrifically die, seizures, crashing through fences, falling down on top of buildings, the most horrific things you could ever imagine witnessing, horses were dying so violently we couldn’t even get them euthanized because the vets couldn’t even get next to them,” Katie Flanagan told KMJ NOW.

Inside Edition released a video of footage of the horses’ deaths, as well as footage of various horse owners’ thoughts and feelings about the loss and potential loss they have experienced. Warning: the video, shown below, is graphic and disturbing. Watch with caution.

According to KMJ NOW, attorney Sean Simpson said that the feed contained toxic levels of Monensin. “They could do it right, if they didn’t put profits over safety, if they had necessary safety precautions we wouldn’t be here.”

Simpson told KMJ NOW that the lawsuit is asking for a multimillion-dollar figure. Flanagan said that she wants Western Milling to “pay for the loss of her horses, the new horses she has had to purchase and pay for the care of the horses that still have lived but have been damaged and may still die from the poison.”

“The main reason we’re here is so that these people who have lost horses to either illness or death, can be treated fairly and given reasonable compensation what they’ve lost,” Simpson added.

 

Cari Jorgensen

Cari Jorgensen is a web content specialist who is also an adjunct professor of English at Santa Ana College.

Recent Posts

An Overview of Working Equitation

Many equestrian sports trace their origins to horses’ practical uses. The need for fast horses as transportation led to racing.…

8 hours ago

Selling My Heart Horse

We’ve all seen—and laughed at—the equestrians memes that poke fun at our lack of money. Our horse goes to the…

1 day ago

ASPCA Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week: Twix

Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…

2 days ago

How to Start Training a Horse for Liberty

Working a horse at liberty is one of the most fun and rewarding ways to train them. When a horse…

3 days ago

Barn Banter – Episode 33

Welcome to Barn Banter, the official podcast of Horse Illustrated. In Barn Banter episode 33, hosts Susan Friedland and Horse Illustrated…

1 week ago

Proper Hydration Maximizes Your Horse’s Nutrient Intake

Horses require a precise balance of nutrients to maintain health and performance, but the one that’s often easiest to access—water—is…

1 week ago