Deinhard B Passed Away

Dressage

German Dressage News

Semmieke Rothenberger's 2014 European Pony Champion Deinhard B has passed away. The 16-year old German Riding Pony licensed stallion did not survive a severe colic attack despite making it through surgery.

In the morning of 13 October 2015 Deinhard's groom Steffi found the pony colicking in his stall at Gestut Erlenhof in Bad Homburg, Germany. The vet was immediately called to the scene. The pony got slightly better in the afternoon but did not regain an appetite. The palomino showed little improvement the next day and was transported to the Hattersheim equine clinic where his symptoms initially indicated a stomach ulcer.

Unfortunately on Sunday 18 October Deinhard's condition deteriorated rapidly. The pony was in pain but still no real cause was found. The pony was not eating. On Thursday 22 October Deinhard returned home and improved in his normal environment but one day later he had to return to the clinic and was operated after midnight for a severe colic attack due to an impaction in the caecum.

During the operation it became clear that Deinhard also had lesions at the entrance to his caecum, which were numbing the nerves responsible for movement of that part of the bowel. These lesions build over a period of months or even years without noticing symptoms and their cause is unclear.

The following days Deinhard showed little signs of improvement after recovering from the anaesthetics. On Tuesday 27 October the pony again suffered from an impacted caecum as the intestines had failed to start working again. In agreement from veterinarian Dr. Franzen the pony was transported back to his home at Gestut Erlenhof, where they euthanized Deinhard in his pasture.

Deinhard B was by Dornik B x Golden Dancer. He was the 2005 European Pony Champion under Anna von Negri, the 2008 European Pony Champion under Sönke Rothenberger, and the 2013 European reserve pony champion and 2014 European Champion under Semmieke Rothenberger.