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This website was created to inform and warn horse owners about the dangers of using Farnam Equitrol®, a feed-through fly control product and products containing Rabon®

On Wednesday, December 18th, 2002 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published an official notice regarding tetrachlorvinphos feed-through products in the Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 243. The notice, OPP-2002-0295; FRL-7279-2, specifically declares that tetrachlorvinphos is a chlolinesterase inhibitor in equines, stating: "EPA has determined that labels for tetrachlorvinphos feed-through products for horses must state that the product is a chlolinesterase inhibitor, describe signs of cholinesterase inhibition in horses, caution against the use with other cholinesterase inhibiting compounds, and direct horse owners to consult a veterinarian before using products containing tetrachlorvinphos on debilitated, aged, breeding, pregnant or nursing animals. [30]

The following is a news release from Cottonwood Ranch who was awarded $1,007,500 for damages caused by Equitrol®. For more information please read EPA Equitrol memo11.pdf and info-EquitrolStudy-4-1-04.pdf (requires Adobe Acrobat reader). Anyone needing Adobe Acrobat Reader can click this link to get version 6.0 free

To read more follow these links

Wrather v. Farnam: the Equitrol® lawsuit

Additional information about organophosphates (OPs)

Federal Register Environmental Documents. Tetrachlorvinphos; Availability of Interim Risk Management Decision Document

Feed Additive Lawsuit, Standardbred Canada, Insider News April 8, 2004

Farm Awarded $1 Million in Feed-Through Fly Product Lawsuit

Equitrol Lawsuit, the Horse.com online news article #1671 April 7, 2004 Sorry this link went dead

Notice of Receipt of Requests to Voluntarily Cancel Certain Pesticide Registrations, Federal Register Environmental Documents

News.Bloodhorse.com Farm Awarded $1 Million in Feed Additive Lawsuit; Appeal Planned Sorry this link went dead

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. JURY AWARDS $1,007,500 IN EQUITROL® LAWSUIT

Topic: General Horse Discussion Subject: MUST READ!! JURY AWARDS $1,007,500 IN EQUITROL® LAWSUIT

From barrelhorseworld.com Subject : Warning! DO NOT feed Farnam Equitrol feed through Fly Control Posted : 2004-03-28 5:48 PM Post #81039 Sorry this link went dead

Tennessee Walking Horse Forum, Equitrol Lawsuit

Ridecamp@Endurance.Net Equitrol Lawsuit

East TN Trail Riders - Horse Owners

Horsecity.com Dr. Eleanor Kellon, DVM, a member of my horse group recently warned us about using Equitrol

FARNAM CO.S, INC. RESPONDS TO EQUITROL® CASE This link is from the internet archive . The original at Farnam was remove from the Farnam website

 

News from

COTTONWOOD RANCH
Contact
CHARLOTTE OR CHRISTOPHER WRATHER, LORI ARAKI
P
.O. BOX 127, LOS ALAMOS, CA 93440
(805) 344-1536, (805) 456-3897
FAX
INFO
@COTTONWOODHORSE.COM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JURY AWARDS $1,007,500 IN EQUITROL® LAWSUIT

Santa Ana, CA, March 25, 2004 -- The jury in Wrather v. Farnam Companies1 returned a verdict of $1,007,500 in favor of plaintiffs Charlotte Wrather, Christopher Wrather and Lori Araki. The jury found that Farnam’s product Equitrol®, a feed-through fly control product, was defectively designed (not safe when used in the intended manner) and that it had caused harm to plaintiffs’ thoroughbred racehorses and thoroughbred and warmblood sport horses. Mr. and Mrs. Wrather are the owners of Cottonwood Ranch in Los Alamos, California, a thoroughbred breeding and training farm. Ms. Araki is manager and trainer at Cottonwood Ranch.

Equitrol® works in the manure to kill fly larvae before they mature. Its active ingredient is the organophosphate insecticide tetrachlorvinphos, a cholinesterase inhibitor and neurotoxin which is also known by the trade name Rabon®. Feed-through fly control products containing Rabon® are widely used in beef and dairy cattle and other livestock industries, as well as in horses.

Farnam has advertised that Equitrol® is designed to pass quickly through the horse’s gastrointestinal tract without being digested, and that it is safe for all horses including pregnant and lactating mares and their foals. The Wrathers and Ms. Araki claimed that they fed Equitrol® as directed, that the organophosphate in it was absorbed into their horses’ systems, and that this caused or exacerbated a variety of health problems in the horses including reproductive problems and birth defects, stunted and retarded growth, hyperexcitability and other neurological dysfunctions, laminitis, immunosuppression evidenced by unusual or unusually severe infections, low thyroid, diarrhea, colic and more.

Testifying as an expert witness for plaintiffs was Dr. John Madigan, D.V.M., professor in the Department of Medicine and Epidemiology and chief of the Equine Section at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Madigan last summer conducted a pilot study of the effects of feeding Equitrol®. In his study (forthcoming in the veterinary literature), the group of test horses fed Equitrol® experienced a sharp drop in their whole blood cholinesterase to levels consistent with organophosphate intoxification. The study also revealed statistically significant differences in behavior while on Equitrol® as compared with the control group. In a series of behavioral tests, the horses fed Equitrol® exhibited heightened or intensified flight response, that is, they were “spookier” or more easily startled or frightened.

Also testifying for the plaintiffs were Drs. Mark Rick, D.V.M. and Greg Parks, D.V.M., both of the well known Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center in Los Olivos, California; Dr. David Jensen, D.V.M., who practices privately as San Marcos Equine Practice in Los Alamos, California; and Dr. Warren Porter, Professor of Environmental Toxicology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

The Wrathers and Ms. Araki had also alleged that Farnam knew at least since 1981 that 10% to 30% of the organophosphate in Equitrol® was absorbed, so that the advertising and marketing for Equitrol® contained negligent and intentional misrepresentations and omissions. The jury did not find that this had been proved by a preponderance of the evidence.

1 Charlotte Wrather et al v. Farnam Companies, Inc., United States District Court for the Central District of California, Santa Ana Civil No. 03-967 JVS (RCx)(March 25, 2004)

 

 

 

 

 

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