Feed Company Takes Responsibility for Dozens of Horse Deaths

The internet has been consumed by the recent devastation to the Beutler and Son stock contracting company. Now, someone has publicly taken responsibility.

Hillary Maybery for Rodeo on SI

The rodeo industry has been devastated at the recent loss of dozens of horses owned by the Beutler and Son Rodeo Company. Generations of talented bucking stock died after ingesting what was reportedly tainted feed.

Initial reports speculated that the horses had all been poisoned with an ingredient called monensin. Research shows that the industry knows, without question, that this is a fatal ingredient to horses in a very small dose.

In a social media post the company, Livestock Nutrition Center has taken responsibility for the travesty. The open letter was signed by Ronnie Castlebury, Ph.D., President of Livestock Nutrition Center.

A letter from Livestock Nutrition Center / Livestock Nutrition Center Facebook

Livestock Nutrition Center has multiple locations across the United States. The reports have stated that the tainted feed came from a location in Kansas. The company has mills in Garden City and Overland Park, Kansas.

In an interview with KFOR-TV, Rhett Beutler, the co-owner of the Beutler and Son Rodeo Company, expressed his very deep sorrow over the loss.

"All them horses are kind of like my kids; I've raised them from time they were born," Beutler told KOKH-TV, "Once you lose one, that's one too many."

“We’ve got world champions that are dead, we’ve got horses that would potentially be the next world champions that are dead,” said Beutler.

At the time of the interview, Rhett confirmed that between 50 and 70 horses had died.

"We didn't know what was going on, we just got the feed and started feeding it like always," Beutler told KFOR-TV. "Then all of a sudden looked up and there was horses just falling over, dying."

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Foresty has opened an investigation into the situation.

The press release from the ODAFF is below.

The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry is aware of the tragic loss of horses at Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. in Elk City.

ODAFF received word from a veterinarian last Friday, August 23, of a potential issue with horses relating to a single bulk feed order for Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. As the state regulator of animal feed, an inspector visited the Beutler and Son site on behalf of the department on Monday, August 26, and learned that the feed originated in Kansas. The ODAFF inspector collected a feed sample which is being analyzed in two state-certified laboratories.

ODAFF has informed the Kansas Department of Agriculture of the inspector’s site visit and continues to work in coordination with KDA. ODAFF has assisted Beutler and Son Rodeo Co. with carcass disposal to ensure all state regulations were adhered to.

State Veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall encourages all livestock and pet owners to be judicious in reviewing labels on feed provided to animals in their care and contact a veterinarian with whom they have a strong veterinary-client-patient relationship if they have questions about the safety of their feed or ingredients about the safety of their feed or ingredients.

The truly unimaginable loss that Bennie Beutler and his son Rhett, along with everyone involved in the family business, are experiencing is something that can never be quantified. Generations of genetics have been lost.

The recent letter from the feed company along with the statement from the ODAFF, underlines the importance of the difference between "safe" and "free" when researching feed mills. Rodeo on Si delved into this exact situation and will be releasing the article later today.

Rodeo on SI wishes to again extend our very deep condolences to the Beutler family on this tragedy. There is no doubt both sides of this situation are experiencing deep pain and sorrow. Moving forward, the healing will be long and we can hope that the industry becomes better and more diligent as a lesson from this catastrophe.