Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - According to information from the city, the death of a horse in a rifle parade on Düsseldorf's Königsallee is due to a non-obvious previous illness. In addition to injuries caused by the collapse and the horse's attempts to get up, the examination revealed significant changes in the heart, the city said on Friday.
According to the pathologist, the previous damage to the heart muscle in connection with increased physical demands led to the collapse of the animal. This previous damage could not be recognized during the veterinary check before the start of the event. No sedatives were given to the horse immediately before or during the event.
The horse died in the rifle parade two weeks ago. According to the information at the time, the rider was still able to jump off when the animal collapsed. The St. Sebastianus rifle club insists that horses take part in the rifle parade. That will be the case again next year, said a spokesman for the club on Friday when asked.
