5 Horses Die at Black Fence Farm, Owner Blames Western Milling Horse Feed

Black Fence Farm in Clovis, Calif. is a boarding and riding lesson facility that houses nearly 50 horses. Owner Katie Flanigan cares for them, which includes feeding them. In less than a month, five horses have died. Flanigan blames Western Blend Horse Feed.

“It smelled exactly the same as the old feed, it looked exactly the same,” Flanigan told KSEE, adding that a private investigator with the Department of Food and Agriculture said it contained 112 grams of monensin per ton of feed. “I had already done research; I knew what that meant.”

Black Fence Farm boards nearly 50 horses in central California. Screenshot via KSEE/KGPE

Monensin is very toxic to horses, often causing serious ailments, including death. Flanigan reported that the feed came from Western Milling in Goshen, Calif. The company has since issued a voluntary recall of the product.

Unfortunately, every horse boarded at Black Fence Farm was given the contaminated feed, putting them all at potential risk. Flanigan told KSEE that she has no idea what the future holds, though she’s thankful for the support she’s received so far.