Tainted Hay In Wisconsin Kills Horses

With all the rain and flooding we had last year, we sometimes forget the effects that has on farmers and ranches. I recall driving into work every day and wondering when some of the fields would clear up so the farmers could get out their and harvest their crops. Sometimes, it's the unexpected consequences of rain and flooding that we don't realize.

Hay. With all that rain and flooding, many hay fields were left unusable forcing ranches to buy hay from elsewhere. Such is the case for one ranch in Wisconsin. Red Ridge Riding Stable decided to purchase six semi loads of hay and alfalfa from farms in South Dakota and Wyoming according to News 9. The problem is, those loads of hay were tainted with the blister beetle.

If you're not familiar with the blister beetle, that's ok, neither was I. Apparently after some research, it turns out that these beetles release a toxin when crushed. That toxin can be very harmful and is the reason why 14 horses have died and over 100 are sick.

Thankfully, there are no other reports of horses death elsewhere related to the tainted hay, but I would suggest keeping an eye out on both the hay and the horses to make sure both are fine.