04.24.09 Polo Ponies Die Due to Pharmaceutical Error

In following a prescription from a veterinarian, a pharmacy company incorrectly prepared a supplement mixture that was given to 21 of the 26 polo ponies in Florida last weekend ultimately causing their deaths.

The Venezuelan team of horses were in Florida to compete in the U.S. Open Polo Championships when a few of their horses became ill. While tending to the first group, more horses began displaying symptoms. By Monday morning, 21 of their 26 horses were dead.

Speculation into poisoning, infection, sabotage were all considered, but no one really had a clue as to what would cause the almost instantaneous death of so many horses and specifically only to the Venezuelan team. An investigation was launched and doctors worked frantically to complete the necropsies on the horses which without the results of the blood tests, were proving fruitless. The blood tests will take a couple weeks for the results.

After the incident occurred, the pharmacy company responsible for preparing a supplement under prescription from a veterinarian and similar to Biodyl (a supplement popular in Europe, but banned in the United States), conducted an internal investigation within their company. They discovered that one of the ingredients used in the mixture was added at the wrong dosage, inadvertently causing the deaths of the Polo Ponies. The pharmacy company is working with local authorities. At this time, it is unclear as to whether the pharmacy will be charged for their part in this. Legalities as to patents and negligence are only part of what they could be facing.

The Tragic Death of 21 Polo Ponies in Florida - Why?
As many of you probably know, Sunday marked the tragic and unexpected death of 21 polo ponies from Lechuza Caracas. The Venezuelan-based team was in Palm Beach for the United States Open Polo Championship when a few of their horses collapsed. While those were being looked after more of the horses became disoriented and collapsed as well. By the end of Sunday evening, 15 horses had died with another 6 dying over night.

Most in the equine industry are quite shocked at the deaths, but more concern as well as shock is in the fact that the cause is still unknown at this point. Many are speculating poison of some sort as whatever caused these horses death only affected the horses in one barn and all belonging to the Lechuza team.

Veterinarians have pretty much ruled out infectious disease and are now working on the theory of toxins, but will not have any answers until the results of the necropsies are in. Today, preliminary results showed some bleeding, however no cause can be determined. Further answers will be received when the results of the blood tests are in. Unfortunately the blood tests can take weeks for answers.

In the meantime, local authorities have launched a criminal investigation into this horrific incident. They are not sure there is a criminal aspect to the case as of yet, but they won't know until they investigate further. The Luchuza team, the event committee and all involved are cooperating fully with the investigation.

Further information will be provided on this story as we get it.