Proving again that the truth is stranger than fiction...
I’ll be picking out a specific case out of the hundreds
I’ve worked on in the past years and give you a brief
rendition of the facts and outcome. And, I may cover pertinent equine related topics.
Taking advantage of situations that have occurred to others may lead
you to say things to yourself like, “Boy I’m glad
that didn’t happen to me!” Anyway, for sheer entertainment
value, you’ll like them.
After reading the Blog, please
feel free to call or e-mail with any questions or comments. Although I will not be taking comments on this blog, your feedback is welcomed. Archived Blogs available at this link.
NAES BLOG - July 2018...
In the past several months I have been asked to evaluate several hundred horses who’ve been exposed to Monensin, a cattle additive which controls parasites by destroying levels of mitochondria in cells. Monensin does not cause problems in cattle because they have a high tolerance, however, horses are extremely sensitive to monensin and it is toxic to them.
I cannot emphasize enough the importance of keeping very good records of exactly what you or your stabling barn, are feeding your horses. It is so sad to see that so often the failure to keep track of what your horses are being fed, can make it difficult if not impossible to collect damages in the event your horses become ill or die from ingesting tainted feed.
From my old days in high school biology class, we learned about cellular respiration, called the Krebs cycle. Mitochondria, is part of the cell whichaids in energy production. Monensin controls parasites by causing oxidative damage to the cell’s mitochondria, and while cattle can tolerate certain higher levels of Monensin, horses can’t.
Since the horse’s cardiac muscle contains large amounts of mitochondria, symptoms of heart damage are often first as an indication that the horse has ingested feed containing monensin. Such symptoms often show up weeks or months later as a result of myocardial necrosis. Monensin can also damage the spinal cord resulting in ataxia, where the horse is very unsteady in his gaits.
In several toxic feed cases, even though the feed company assures the consumer purchaser that the processing equipment is thoroughly cleaned before being used to process horse feed, there must be totally separate equipment used since even the teeniest speck of monensin can make a horse very sick.
I hate to be a pain in the neck, (or worse), but you must always check with your horse feed supplier just to make yourself feel better about your horse. Believe me, seeing a horse suffer from the toxic symptoms of monensin poisoning are truly horrible.
Archived Blogs - at this link
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NAES is the leader in multiple breed equine appraisals. We can give you the most accurate and professional qualified appraisal in the industry. more...
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| David D. Johnson operates North American Equine Services,
LLC as its President and CEO. The company, based in Phoenix,
Arizona specializes in litigation consulting, related activities
and horse appraisals for the legal and insurance communities
and has been doing so for the past 30 years throughout North
America. more... |
| As the premier financial appraisers and evaluators of the equestrian sport in the United States and North America and because we operate in the public spotlight, we are expected to conduct our affairs in a manner consistent with the great trust that has been placed in us. more... |
As a licensed official with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), Mr. Johnson fully supports and promotes the organization’s efforts with the safety and welfare of horses and riders. The USEF has instituted a Safe Sport Policy available at this link.
Questions and answers regarding the USEF Policy are available as FAQ’s at this link. NAES has had similar policies in place since its inception.
NAES clients expect absolute confidentiality in their dealings with our firm. more... |
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July 2018
One of the often overlooked rule stipulations in the AQHA is that the Association any registered horse over 25 years of age is probably deceased.
Obviously if your prize winning horse is older than 25 years, it sure would be a good idea to let Amarillo know. |
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NAES, while not giving legal advise of any kind, provides a full range of services to horse owners, and the legal and insurance communities. Check our Legal Services page for more.
- FREE phone discussion for however long it takes to discuss anything horse-related.
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- We also provide expert witness testimony for settlement conferences, arbitrations, mediations and at trial. |
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