Ash Fork, Arizona Horse Deaths

February 11, 1999 Ash Fork, Arizona - Over the past six months since August 1998, thirteen horses and a mule have died in Ash Fork, Arizona. Ash Fork is a farm community about a mile above sea level west of Flagstaff in the Prescott National Forest region.

On August first, a gelding on the Susan and Harley Cox ranch became weak. Other symptoms included: tongue hanging out, sweating, having a hard time moving or standing up, eventually he went into seizures. So the Coxes had him put to sleep. Then in November, three more horses weakened, heads drooping, tongues hanging out, sweating, unable to get up and also had to be put to sleep. Their remaining four horses seemed OK. Susan told me, "We thought we were finally out of the hell hole in November."