The German dressage magazine St. Georg is reporting that a date has been set to announce the verdict in a lawsuit regarding the death of World Champion dressage mare Poetin in France.
Poetin was sold at auction and foundered soon afterwards. St Georg is reporting that the mare was injected with Celestovet, a cortisone-based steroid, on the day of the sale. According to a statement from the mare's purchasers, the horse was unable to walk normally off the van that delivered her from the sale. The mare sloughed both front feet and was euthanized 90 days after the sale.
Laminitis caused by steroid reaction is a controversial subject and it is expected that arguments are being, or have been, presented from both sides of the courtroom.
At the time of her sale, Poetin was allegedly owned by the Dutch bank ING ("the orange bank"), as part of a debt settlement. ING had refused to turn over the mare's medical files to the court.
