21 Venezuelan Polo Team Horses Suddenly Die in Florida Tournament

[Gratiot]

WELLINGTON - When the horses began to falter, collapse and suffer, dozens of people came to their aid. And as the horses died around the polo field, strangers from the stands shared in the animals' last moments.

Few love their horses like they do in this small Florida village.

Even fewer have watched 21 prized polo horses, worth more than $2 million, mysteriously die in such a short period of time.

"I've been in the sport for 50 years and never been around something as tragic as this," said Peter Rizzo, Wellington resident and executive director of the United States Polo Association. "It's a bond that is close to marriage – it's different than a dog – it's an amazing thing and these horses were some of the best in the world."

SunSentinel.com

[Gratiot]

  Absolutely horrible, and unfortunately the culprit of their passing is still unknown.

[Chris]

Wow, that's tragic.  Those poor horses.

More than a dozen local vets and vet technicians dropped everything and came to the field. They administered intensive therapy, including IV lines and fluids, and treated the horses for shock. The animals showed signs of pulmonary edema, which means fluid accumulated in their lungs, and cardiogenic shock, said Dr. Scott Swerdlin, a veterinarian with the Palm Beach Equine Clinic.

[Crazy Horse]

Bio weapon trial run

[Lord Undies]

Probably a performance enhancers gone bad.  All the horses were on the same team from a country with a communist dictator in charge.   I guess I'm just a cynic.

[Hawkgirl]

My guess, they were poisoned...the stables are not too far from where my parents live...the american horses are very well taken care of...but these poor horses came from Venezuela...I suspect they're not taken care of as well. 
Then again, I hear even american race horses are euthanized if they do poorly in a race.....it's all about money...and if the horses don't produce, they're expendable....it's SICK and a tragedy.

[Attero Dominatus]

My guess, they were poisoned...the stables are not too far from where my parents live...the american horses are very well taken care of...but these poor horses came from Venezuela...I suspect they're not taken care of as well. 
Then again, I hear even american race horses are euthanized if they do poorly in a race.....it's all about money...and if the horses don't produce, they're expendable....it's SICK and a tragedy.

It is sick, I agree. It is even more telling that the animal 'rights' groups like PETA are silent about what happens to horses who do not perform well.

As for this case, I agree. Likely poisoned.

[Chris]

Probably a performance enhancers gone bad.  All the horses were on the same team from a country with a communist dictator in charge.   I guess I'm just a cynic.

Sounds like you and me are riding on the same bus.  Maybe I watched Rocky IV too many times.

[Chris_]

It is sick, I agree. It is even more telling that the animal 'rights' groups like PETA are silent about what happens to horses who do not perform well.

As for this case, I agree. Likely poisoned.

PETA is deafeningly silent of what happens to 95% of the dogs and cats that enter their own "Animal Shelters".  What the hell makes you think that they'd find a voice for 21 horses that AREN'T on the Endangered Species List, AREN'T being deep fat fried by slave laborers for Colonel Sanders and his eeeeeeevil Corporate villians, and AREN'T having their carcasses skinned, turned into expensive clothing and sold in the finest habidashers.  If they can't throw red paint on it, ruin some family's meal with it, or go out in the woods and sit in the trees with it, the PETA 'tards aren't interested.

[djones520]

My guess, they were poisoned...the stables are not too far from where my parents live...the american horses are very well taken care of...but these poor horses came from Venezuela...I suspect they're not taken care of as well. 
Then again, I hear even american race horses are euthanized if they do poorly in a race.....it's all about money...and if the horses don't produce, they're expendable....it's SICK and a tragedy.

I don't think it's that easy though.  I dated a girl who was into competition horsemanship.  She told me that the stables and stuff for horses like these are kept under pretty tight control, because you get these environuts who thinks it's better that these animals are dead then in human service.

My thoughts are kinda inline with Undies on this one.  For all the horses from that team to die like this, it had to have been something from home.

[ironhorsedriver]

I wonder how long before the little paratrooper blames the US.

[AprilRazz]

Then again, I hear even american race horses are euthanized if they do poorly in a race.....it's all about money...and if the horses don't produce, they're expendable....it's SICK and a tragedy.

Where did you get this info from?
I have worked with horses for over 25 years with some of that time spent on the track. I have never seen a horse put down because it did not perform well.

[asdf2231]

My wife watched some video of this on the news and pointed out that the vets were smearing burn cream on the downed horses nose blaze, which looked incredably burned.

There are any number of plants that will cause sun sensitivity that leads to extreme sunburn on white portions of animals and may cause the other symptoms.  Sheep that get into Saint Johns Wort will literally cook their skin off in dirsct sunlight afterwards.

Might have been really bad fodder or faulty vitamin suppliments in feed.

[Lord Undies]

Where did you get this info from?
I have worked with horses for over 25 years with some of that time spent on the track. I have never seen a horse put down because it did not perform well.

I don't know of any owner who would put down a horse who failed to win.  I use to have a quarterhorse we raced at Ruidoso.  I've been around throughbred and quarterhorse owners for years.  I've never known one who didn't have an emotional connection with their stable.   

[Wineslob]

Hugo Chavez won't allow anyone to talk......

[jinxmchue]

Probably a performance enhancers gone bad.  All the horses were on the same team from a country with a communist dictator in charge.   I guess I'm just a cynic.

That or poisoning.

[The Village Idiot]

this was upon arrival??

heat stroke from being in those stalls all the way over??

[AprilRazz]

My wife watched some video of this on the news and pointed out that the vets were smearing burn cream on the downed horses nose blaze, which looked incredably burned.

There are any number of plants that will cause sun sensitivity that leads to extreme sunburn on white portions of animals and may cause the other symptoms.  Sheep that get into Saint Johns Wort will literally cook their skin off in dirsct sunlight afterwards.

Might have been really bad fodder or faulty vitamin suppliments in feed.

Horses with white markings on their nose get sunburned just like humans do. Chances are it was zinc oxide. The same stuff you would put on your nose.

[PatriotGame]

Probably a performance enhancers gone bad.  All the horses were on the same team from a country with a communist dictator in charge.   I guess I'm just a cynic.

I'm taking it one step further - I say Bush did it.

[Hawkgirl]

Where did you get this info from?
I have worked with horses for over 25 years with some of that time spent on the track. I have never seen a horse put down because it did not perform well.

It was on one of those Special Report News channels a few years back...Can't recall the source specifically...but I do HOPE you are right.

[AprilRazz]

It was on one of those Special Report News channels a few years back...Can't recall the source specifically...but I do HOPE you are right.

I am. Most go on to careers outside of racing or to the breeding shed. I have had the pleasure of working with ex-racers from the TB and standardbred tracks. Some of those polo ponies may have been to slow for the track but showed an aptitude on the polo field.
Touch of Class was ridden to the individual gold in the LA Olympics on 1984 was a former race horse that found her calling elsewhere.

[asdf2231]

On further perusal my wife's medical opinion is that it was contaminated feed.  FWIW.

[jinxmchue]

I'm taking it one step further - I say Bush did it.

MIHOP!!!