Feed Contamination Leads to Death of 70 Horses at Beutler Ranch

ELK CITY, OK — A tragic incident has devastated the Beutler Ranch in Elk City, Oklahoma, where 70 horses have died due to feed contamination.

The Beutler Ranch, a 95-year-old family dynasty renowned for its bucking horse breeding program, is facing one of its most severe losses.

The cause of death has been identified as a horse feed mix contaminated with monensin, a compound used in cattle feed that is highly toxic to horses. Dr. Gregg VeneKlasen, the veterinarian entrusted by the Beutler family, confirmed that the contamination likely occurred due to a human error at the feed mill. The contaminated feed was delivered to the Beutler Ranch and caused the death of every horse that consumed it.

“This was a tragic case of human error somewhere along the line, because tiny amounts of monensin are poison to horses,” VeneKlasen stated.

Ronnie Castlebury, Ph.D., president of Livestock Nutrition Center, the company that delivered the feed, expressed deep regret over the incident. Preliminary tests showed that a combination of a failed cleanout procedure and a sensor malfunction led to the contamination. Castlebury confirmed that the incident was isolated to a single load of feed from a single facility.

The incident has prompted immediate responses from industry experts to prevent similar occurrences. Rachel Mottet, Ph.D., an equine nutritionist, urged horse owners to ensure that their feed is free from ionophores, the toxic compound involved in this situation. Mottet highlighted the importance of checking the safety protocols of feed mills and suggested that owners use mills that produce only equine feed to avoid cross-contamination.

Despite the overwhelming loss, there was a small glimpse of hope when the lone survivor of the tragedy, a bucking mare named Black Kat, won a major event at the Elk City Rodeo of Champions on Sept. 1, 2024. 

As investigations continue, the Beutler family and industry experts are working closely with state and federal agencies to determine the root cause of the contamination and to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again.