Polo horses in to have random drug tests after deaths of Fla. horses

WELLINGTON, Fla. — The U.S. Polo Association has quietly moved to start randomly drug testing horses, months after 21 prized ponies dropped dead in South Florida.

The horses, belonging to a Venezuelan team, died in April as they stepped off trailers before a championship match. The state veterinarian has blamed it on an overdose of a common mineral that helps muscles recover from fatigue. Before the match, they were given a concoction of vitamin supplements mixed by a local pharmacy.

A pilot testing program for mandatory blood and urine testing was expected to start in January, when 700 horses and hundreds of polo players are expected to return to South Florida for the start of their season. Sport officials approved the change last month.