Bad Vitamin Killed Polo Horses: Team Captain

A tainted vitamin supplement killed the 21 horses that collapsed before a polo match in Florida last weekend, the captain of the Venezuelan team claims. He notes that five horses not given the drug are fine. The French drug, called Biodyl, is commonly administered in Europe but not approved for use or sale in the US, the Miami Herald reports.

“It’s dangerous,” say one veterinarian. “Ordering it from France isn’t an easy task.” Biodyl can be obtained in the US by submitting a prescription for its ingredients, which include Vitamin B and other nutrients. “It could have been an imitation,” he suggests. Selenium, one of the main ingredients, “can be toxic when administered at too high a level,” notes another vet. (More horse stories.)