This message is from: "ruth bushnell" <fjo...@frontiernet.net>
Iâve misplaced the original post but it said something about the evaluation system being only a tool.. and went on to say it may be useful in identifying lines of horses or individuals with better or poorer than average characteristics. I agree that it is an effective way to choose particular bloodlines-- but therein lies the detriment for the breed as a whole in the long term. Consistently selecting the same bloodlines for their phenotype will eventually screw up their genotype, to put it simply. This is what has happened to many purebred dog breeds, via the show circuit. Choosing a particular specimen type consistently, eventually narrows the gene pool down to only that desirably inbred portion. Such a tool will unwittingly set apart a minor portion of the breed, allowing the major portion to naturally diminish through the sorting process. The more effective the culling tool, the more gene diversity dwindles. Systematic processes of selection will incrementally chip away at the full complement of original bloodline genetic material-- resulting in serious genetic drift which leads to problems in temperament, reproduction, immunity, etc. Some other smaller horse breeds have already discovered the dynamics of an over-selection process and are taking steps to change their mode of operation. I believe we would do well as a breed to cast off conventional avenues of marketing assortment and focus instead on the genetic health of the breed, whereby we can retain health and vigor. Ruth Bushnell, nw mt us Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw FH_L Shirts: http://tinyurl.com/8yky94l
