Re: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-12 Thread ssfarms
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

"Why would you breed any mare or stallion that could carry the LW gene 
> without doing the blood test first? It only cost $25 to find out if your 
> horse is a carrier."

Because this was in 1980---I believe this was before the test had been 
developed.  
Barb





Re: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-12 Thread Reena Giola
This message is from: "Reena Giola" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

My girlfriend's mare had the lethal white.   Most gorgeous colt we had ever
seen..and he had to be put down.  was so extremely sad.   at the time
(this was in early'97) I don't think it was talked about much in the paint
horse circle.  My friend had been into paints for awhile, but she had never
heard about it.   Her partner in the breedings is/was a paint breeder and it
was never ever mentioned.   She had bred her mare three times previous to
that.That year, right before the birth of the colt, the APHA journal had
an article in it about Letal Whites and it was the first she had ever heard
about it.  According to the article, she had gotten the exact percentages that
the APHA says you can get on OVERO/OVERO matings (color wisebreeding
stock/colored/lethal white--think the colored ones are 50% and the other two
at 25% each) and that is unfortunately what she got that year.

Please don't quote me on this, it's been many years since this all
happened.all I know was it was a sad year at the barn.  And I don't think
they had a blood test then?!

By the way, not sure how many of you blanket your horses, but I have a Rambo
heavy winter blanket, size 72, that has never been used.  Got it for Gustav
when we moved from CA to MI thinking with him being older and not used to the
COLD weather, he might need it.   Well, he didn't.   If anyone is interested
in drop me an email.We don't need it in AZ now! LOL

Reena

  This message is from: "Lisa Wiley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>


  Why would you breed any mare or stallion that could carry the LW gene
  without doing the blood test first?  It only cost $25 to find out if your
  horse is a carrier.





Re: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-12 Thread Lisa Wiley

This message is from: "Lisa Wiley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Barb,

Why would you breed any mare or stallion that could carry the LW gene 
without doing the blood test first?  It only cost $25 to find out if your 
horse is a carrier.  No mare should have to go through carrying a foal to be 
put down.  No foal should be born a lethal white.  It is a very painful 
condition and they must be put down as soon as possible.

Lisa Wiley
Turnabout Portuguese Water Dogs
Connecticut State Director Ponies With Purpose
Corresponding Secretary FASTeam
http://www.myturnabout.com 






RE: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-12 Thread ssfarms
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Jean Ernest wrote:  The Lethal white 
> occurs in paints,,I forget which,Overo, I think. breeding two with a lot 
> of white may produce an lethal whit..Many don't even survive to be born. 

Jean, You are right about it being Overo that produces the lethal white.   
Howerver, it can happen to any that carry the overo gene.  A friend had a crop 
out mare (QH who had too much for the QH registry at that time) woh had only 
one white spot on her belly.  She had a lethal white when bred to an overo 
stallion.  When I bred my breeding stock mare to an overo stallion I kept my 
fingers crossed!  I lucked out! 
Barb Lynch





RE: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-11 Thread Jean Ernest
This message is from: Jean Ernest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

You can see the picture of the Kvit on the NFHR website, gallery, 
colors.  He has pink skin, would be white if he were clean, probably blue 
eyes. light hooves.  I bet he is a beautiful horse.  The Lethal white 
occurs in paints,,I forget which,Overo, I think.  breeding two with a lot 
of white may produce an lethal whit..Many don't even survive to be born.

It is hard to believe that two greys could produce a Kvit..I'll have to 
study Sponenberg's latest book and his article on the NFHR website.

I have a white mare who looks like she might be a yellow..Pale yellow on 
her face and legs.  BUT she has a sprinkling of black hairs in her 
mane..enough now it looks like a pale grey stripe..(thought it was dirt 
until I did a real good shampoo job!) She also has a bunch of black hairs 
in her predominately white tail.  Gold eyes, dark skin and hooves, black 
eye liner.   She is Anvil's Adel, dam is Anvil's Stina, sire Leidjo. She 
has full siblings that are White duns, and several like her (or 
yellows?)  She is beautiful when she is clean!  But seems to always be the 
dirtiest of them all (Miss Piggy!)

My 30 year old gelding, Bjarne C23,   has the same Grandsire on both sides, 
Stolman-C1. he was bred when there were few stallions available. ...Stolman 
was the first registered in the CFHA It appears, looking at the CLRC 
records, that Anne Notnes imported 6 FJords form Denmark..5 mares and one 
stallion.  starting with #7, they are descendants of these first 6 up 
through # 30.  It would be interesting to read the history of Fjords in 
Canada in the CFHA!

Jean in Fairbanks, Alaska, record heat yesterday and today but the smoke 
has rolled in from wildfires.  82 degrees.  was 88 here yesterday!

.>Anyhow I thought it would be a plus such that if someone
>wanted to breed their grey stallion to my grey mare's, but I learned
>that this could possibly produce a undesirable KVIT.  Still don't know
>what that is all about,  I have heard about a "lethal white" but not
>sure if that is a KVIT or not?  Still learning and need to learn more on
>this.  If two greys could produce a KVIT,  why couldn't two Browns?
>Could two of the same of any color?  And what is so bad about a KVIT
>anyhow? Is it just a color gene thing, or something else that will
>handicap the horse?  I need details in plain English.  That's how I
>learn best.





RE: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-11 Thread Skeels, Mark A \(GE Healthcare\)
This message is from: "Skeels, Mark A \(GE Healthcare\)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

It may be that the Fjord breeders forum  would be a more ideal place to
hash these things out, verses the general fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com
forum.  Maybe where this whole thread about genetic pool depletion,
yada, yada, yada should have started to begin with.

Personally I see maybe 20-30 years ago our stallion/ breeding pool may
have been more genetically limited, and concern for this sort of thing
may have been more valid back then.  But I also see us going the right
direction,  More blood lines, more diversity,  and the family tree going
horizontal verses vertical.  10 years ago I occasionally saw
father/daughter  Mother/son breeding, but not much then,  more common
though was some Grandparent/Grandchild breeding. And I think that was
because of the lack of either genetic variance in breeding stock,
geographic location, or just people that didn't want to pay $1000
breeding fee, but wanted to make a buck or have a cute little baby.
Unfortunately the people I saw doing it were the then big time breeders
and not the 2 horse shows. They had 8 mares, and they were gonna have 8
foals to sell. Now I rarely hear of it and the guidelines to stay
registered prohibit this sort of thing today, if it is enforced.  Any
how, a good direction here in the USofA, a true positive trend.

I think education is the key, especially for new horse owners/breeders.
Showing them how to read the registration papers/ family tree etc,  and
the NFHR guidelines regarding breeding.  I think most people want to do
right by genetics, as well as get a good quality, sound, mentally stable
horse when they breed. Others just look at the bucks. 

Also remember education is a on going process and we must all continue
this path thru life.  I'm not to proud to say I still learn things,
every day.  Just like reading these forums.  I figured it was sorta nice
to have my brown stallion and mares always produce greys.  Well at least
6 so far.  Anyhow I thought it would be a plus such that if someone
wanted to breed their grey stallion to my grey mare's, but I learned
that this could possibly produce a undesirable KVIT.  Still don't know
what that is all about,  I have heard about a "lethal white" but not
sure if that is a KVIT or not?  Still learning and need to learn more on
this.  If two greys could produce a KVIT,  why couldn't two Browns?
Could two of the same of any color?  And what is so bad about a KVIT
anyhow? Is it just a color gene thing, or something else that will
handicap the horse?  I need details in plain English.  That's how I
learn best. 

Maybe, as a source of education, the breeders group could come up with a
couple pages on good breeding guidelines, which would be given or sent
to each new owner of a registered breeding capable Fjord, either as the
seller or as paperwork that would come with registration papers when you
register a new horse under your name.

Just my 2cents, and that may be all it's worth.

Mark in sunny, somewhat dry, but the rain's a comin, Helena Montana


-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 12:33 PM
To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com
Subject: Re: Research on behalf of Fjords

This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Some really constructive ideas here.  What about the possibilities of
getting some of the  breeders to participate in roundtables or
presentations which could then be distributed via all the wonderful
electronic media which we have. 

Comments? 





Re: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-11 Thread spiekath
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Some really constructive ideas here.  What about the possibilities of 
getting some of the  breeders to participate in roundtables or 
presentations which could then be distributed via all the wonderful 
electronic media which we have.  Not everyone is going to have the 
time or the resources to go halfway across the continent to talk to a 
breeder who seems to have it right, or to talk to multiple breeders 
which would be even better. Lets take advantage of this wonderful age 
of electronics to share information, but share it in a way that 
personal feelings do not get trampled on. No-one has all the answers, 
but some of the breeders seem to have developed systems and 
perspectives that result in a consistency of quality product which is 
enviable. Lets take advantage of that expertise and respect the 
differences. How about a breeders symposium?
 I am in the category of someone very interested in breeding and the 
amount of information to dig through is enormous and not always 
readily available, or more specifically, organized into a form that 
makes the distillation of process and principle from a pile of facts 
and figures easy. For weeks my kitchen table has been covered with 
little lines and squiggles and horse names trying to piece together 
the relationships of our horses.  A couple of hours with a 
knowlegable,  proven breeder, in the presence of the horses she was 
talking about  was worth more than months of trying to piece things 
together on my own, and I am used to research, and have training and 
experience in genetics. I am a shameless opportunist and would like to 
take the best from the best and incorporate it in my program. 
  To avoid partisan comments from others on the list I will not tell 
who it was but she knows and I cannot thank her enough for the time 
she took with me on a recent vistit to her facility.   If everyone 
interested in breeding had access to this kind of discussion in the 
presence of actual examples,  I think that we might find that we have 
fewer differences than we think.  

Comments? 





Re: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-10 Thread Warren Stockwell
This message is from: "Warren Stockwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

I think for the most part we have pretty savvy breeders here in NA. My
concern is for the "back yard breeders" which most were at some point, not
having enough knowledge. Some one mentioned a volunteer mentoring program
which I for one would jump at. Education is key to doing anything with the
quality it should be done in. I would bet that most of you started some
place in the horse industry wide eyed and high hoped as did I. When it came
down to having it all on your own farm it's a different story. I myself got
the " now what did I get my self into " feeling. No matter how much I knew I
wasn't aware how much I didn't. The horses taught me that: ))

With out people wanting to continue breeding this wonderful breed where
would it be?? So I guess my next question would than be why not educate new
Fjord owners. Mentor them so we can have some quality education and basic
knowledge so we might be able to head off the haphazard breeding and the
keeping of poor quality studs or the handling of studs by folks that are
either afraid of them, or not knowledgeable. Why would anyone have a stud
with out having the skill to handle one is beyond me. Not to mention the
legal issues that can crop.

I take some offence to the term back yard breeder since that's where most
breeders come from unless they were born on a breeding ranch and than it was
there parents that started in the back yard.

I don't know that the evaluation system is the complete answer. It is to
difficult for most of us when we run farms to take time away. I for one had
to drop out due to hay down. Gotta make hay when the sun shines : )) For
those of us can't get to them maybe to run a taping and do video sales of
evals. Have a mentor go through them with the newbies.

There's a lot more thoughts in here SCARY : )) But I gotta take care of a
sick kid.

Roberta




- Original Message - 
From: "Lori Albrough" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 12:32 PM
Subject: Re: Research on behalf of Fjords


> This message is from: Lori Albrough <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> I was just wondering what the technical definition of stallion
> "over-selection" is? Isn't stallion selection a natural phenomenon, in
> the wild that is?  Not every male horse will grow up to breed, only the
> fastest, strongest, most macho ones. The rest live in bachelor bands. So
> if stallion selection is a natural phenomenon, what exactly is stallion
> over-selection? There must be a technical definition, like a stallion
> who is breeding so many percentage of the population of mares, or so and
> so much inbreeding coefficient existing in the general population.
>
> I also wondered what likelihood we have of the phenomenon occuring here
> in North America, where a "much-used" stallion breeds perhaps 10 mares.
> I remember the year after Julie imported Flotren he was the most-used
> stallion in NA and bred almost 20 mares. I wonder what that would be in
> proportion to the population of breedable mares that year? And what
> would be the average number of mares the average Fjord stallion breeds
> in NA each year - 3 mares per year (Mike?)
>
> Clearly selecting for a specific trait, like breeding tall to tall to
> try to get taller, is bad - but selecting for overall quality and
> performance, and trying to make the most intelligent match of stallion
> and mare, is good breeding sense. And whoever said breeding is a
> crapshoot was right on the money. Horses have many ways to keep us humble.
>
> Lori Albrough





Re: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-10 Thread Lori Albrough

This message is from: Lori Albrough <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

I was just wondering what the technical definition of stallion 
"over-selection" is? Isn't stallion selection a natural phenomenon, in 
the wild that is?  Not every male horse will grow up to breed, only the 
fastest, strongest, most macho ones. The rest live in bachelor bands. So 
if stallion selection is a natural phenomenon, what exactly is stallion 
over-selection? There must be a technical definition, like a stallion 
who is breeding so many percentage of the population of mares, or so and 
so much inbreeding coefficient existing in the general population.


I also wondered what likelihood we have of the phenomenon occuring here 
in North America, where a "much-used" stallion breeds perhaps 10 mares. 
I remember the year after Julie imported Flotren he was the most-used 
stallion in NA and bred almost 20 mares. I wonder what that would be in 
proportion to the population of breedable mares that year? And what 
would be the average number of mares the average Fjord stallion breeds 
in NA each year - 3 mares per year (Mike?)


Clearly selecting for a specific trait, like breeding tall to tall to 
try to get taller, is bad - but selecting for overall quality and 
performance, and trying to make the most intelligent match of stallion 
and mare, is good breeding sense. And whoever said breeding is a 
crapshoot was right on the money. Horses have many ways to keep us humble.


Lori Albrough





Re: Research on behalf of Fjords

2005-08-01 Thread Lisa Wiley

This message is from: "Lisa Wiley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Ruthie,

I would have to agree with you.  I breed Portuguese water dogs.  About 
fifteen years ago a recessive genetic disease was discovered and a gene 
marker test was developed to identify carriers.  The club recommended 
spaying and neutering all carriers.  It was considered bad breeding to breed 
a carrier even if breeding to a non-carrier where the disease would not 
occur.   Several years later a new problem pops up.  Come to find out it was 
not carried by the lines that carried the first disease.  Most of the dogs 
in those lines were spayed and neutered.  The problem did not show up until 
that line was taken out of the gene pool.  We now have a DNA test for the 
second disease and breeding carriers to non-carriers is not even considered 
a problem.  Unfortunately most of one line was almost destroyed.  Portuguese 
water dogs go back to two major lines.  By trying to limit the gene pool the 
club nearly destroyed the breed diversity.



Lisa Wiley
Turnabout Portuguese Water Dogs
Connecticut State Director Ponies With Purpose
Corresponding Secretary FASTeam
http://www.myturnabout.com