Sitka – The Pony I’ll Never Forget
Let me tell you about another wonderful pony – and this time, I can mention her by name. Sitka stayed with us until she turned 20. Sadly, when she became very ill, we had to let her go.
I had received four ponies from Denmark – each one sweeter and nicer than the last. They were all sold fairly quickly, and Sitka was the last to leave. Secretly, she was my favorite. She had everything I loved in a pony. A full-up C-pony, eight years old – in the prime of her life. Anyone could ride her, she was kind and steady, jumped nicely, and was a dream to ride out.
One day, a riding school called and wanted to buy her. Since they were located far away, they didn’t want to travel to see her – they preferred to buy unseen. However, they were cautious and wanted to know who I was and if I could be trusted. They contacted my insurance agent, who in turn reached out to my farrier. He confirmed without hesitation that I was 100% trustworthy and often had lovely ponies and horses for sale.
We agreed on a price, and I received 25,000 SEK for Sitka. She left with the transporter, and I must admit – I had a tear in my eye as she drove away. I was truly fond of her. As always, I called the buyer to check that she had arrived safely and to hear if they were as thrilled with her as I had been.
The woman I spoke to said she was “fine, but a bit thin.” Sitka had been in good condition, so I was confused – and slightly offended. It wasn’t just what she said, but how she said it. I didn’t feel at ease with her at all.
Three or four months passed. In early December, the riding school called again. I was delighted – I thought they wanted to share how happy they were with Sitka. But the news was anything but good. Sitka had gone lame, and they had taken her to a clinic. There, the vet diagnosed her with patellar luxation – a congenital defect. According to them, she was in such poor condition that she was “ready for slaughter.” The vet even said she should have been put down as a foal.
I was shocked. Sitka had never shown any signs of lameness while with me. She had passed a vet inspection, had been ridden and jumped – all without issues. The school insisted that she must have been resting before I got her, and now that they’d started using her, the problem had resurfaced. I couldn’t make sense of it.
I asked how she was doing. “She just stands there,” they said. They suggested it would be most humane to euthanize her. I wanted desperately to get her home and see her with my own eyes. But I didn’t have the money to refund the full amount. I offered them another pony instead, but they had lost trust in me – assuming that all Danish ponies must be faulty.
I started researching what patellar luxation actually was. My regular vet barely knew anything. A vet friend of mine explained a bit more, but finally, I called my clinic and got in touch with Dan – a vet who clearly knew what he was talking about. He asked what breed the pony was (I didn’t know – this was before horses were required to have passports), her size, age, and whether she’d been ridden. When I told him what I knew, he said it was impossible she had patellar luxation. If she had, she wouldn’t have been rideable at all. He explained that it mostly affected Shetland ponies, and they were usually put down as foals since they couldn’t be used. He encouraged me to bring her in so he could examine her.
It took some time, and I had many conversations with the riding school. I also didn’t know how I was going to afford it. I asked if they would consider a second opinion from another clinic. They might – but only if I paid for the transportation, the vet’s time, and the entire inspection.
I even called the vet who had given the original diagnosis. She told me she had never said Sitka was “ready for slaughter,” only that she wasn’t suitable as a riding school pony. She added that patellar luxation was extremely rare in horses, but – funnily enough – she had seen another case just the week before… in a warmblood. I began to feel skeptical.
Eventually, the head of the riding school called and threatened to sue me if I didn’t take the pony back. She was extremely rude. That’s when I decided: I had to bring Sitka home and see her with my own eyes.
I managed to scrape together 15,000 SEK and agreed to pay the remaining amount later. When Sitka arrived, she walked off the trailer calmly and went into the stable without any signs of pain. What a relief to see her again. But when I walked past her stall, she lashed out at me with fury in her eyes – I had never seen a horse look at someone like that. I truly felt for her. She must not have been treated kindly.
A few days later, I took her to the clinic. Three veterinarians examined her, X-rayed her, flexed her legs – everything. There was absolutely no sign of patellar luxation. What she did have was inflammation in the fetlock joints of three legs. No wonder she had been in pain when they tried to ride her. I suspect she had been overused because she was so kind and willing.
She was treated three times and fully recovered. My youngest son, Aron, joined me on many walks as we gently exercised her. Soon, she stopped threatening us and started whinnying happily when we came to the stable.
Spring came, and as she shed her winter coat, I noticed she had a brand mark. Knowing she came from Denmark, I began digging into her background. I found out she was sired by a palomino stallion – quite the surprise for a chestnut pony, but somehow I had felt it. Aron fell just as much in love with her as I had.
As I mentioned, Sitka stayed with us until she turned 20. Sadly, we had to say goodbye when she became very ill. One year, she even had a foal – a little palomino colt, who grew up to become a talented dressage pony.
The riding school never received the last 10,000 SEK. As Dan, the vet, said – they really shouldn’t have gotten any money back at all, considering how they treated her and contributed to her condition.
Every morning, Sitka greeted me with a joyful whinny. I still miss her deeply. And to think – if I had given in and let them euthanize her, she would’ve been lost forever. There are many so-called “experienced” vets out there – but never trust them blindly.
