Most horse professionals have probably heard at one point or another about the dangers of medications meant for cattle accidentally getting into horse feed. This cross contamination can easily become a fatal mistake. Horses that consume some of these medications often die or are at least left with a severe illness that must be remedied quickly. Another aspect that people may not think about is the risk in breaking rules at competitions when medications get into the horse’s feed. These animals can test positive for drugs that are illegal. We have seen such cases emerge recently.
At Canterbury Park, several horses that won their races had ingested Ractopamine and tested positive on the drug screening. Ractopamine can act as a steroid when ingested by horses. All of the trainers who had horses that tested positive for this purchased feed from the same vendor. This vendor did in fact mix feed that contained Ractopamine for a cattle farmer.
Thankfully this story did not end in the death of these horses. However, it definitely provided enough stress and headache for the trainers and owners involved. So why risk it? There are feed companies, like Excel Equine® , that only manufacture horse feed. Take the extra step in being a responsible horse professional and find an equine only feed manufacturer that will keep you and your horses safe.
