This One Made Me Speechless

I will admit I have been holding on to this one for a while. It was originally sent to me and I have since lost the name of the person that sent it, so whomever you were, thank you again. 


I think its about time to bring this one out, as a good friend of mine sent me a link to a 'marestare' foaling camera feed from True Colors Farms. So guess what I've been doing all night long tonight instead of looking for the next juicy ad for you all :P. 


At any rate, I'm don't want to discuss the unusual colors of the Thoroughbreds they are breeding. Love it or hate it, lets save that for another day. I just found the feed absolutely fascinating - and watching this mare on the feed who is very close to delivering (if not tonight then most likely in the next few days) made me think of this ad, and figured why not. 


So, on with the show (as I flip back and forth between this page and the camera feed :D). 


Foaling Stupidity!


I think I'm going to add my commentary as you read the ad. This one just begs for it. 


Ad Text: Experience Foaling in 3-4 months (Weeping Water)I have some really nice broodmares that I am going to let go (sale). IT'S SELL! NOT SALE~ GRRR THIS DRIVES ME INSANE WHEN I SEE IT!


I have all colors and super pedigrees. These mares produce some awsome babies. They are in foal to a gray stallion we own. I have several of their foals that you can see, pretty much a 90% chance will all foal gray colts. Hmm, what a surprise, wanna bet its a back yard breeder with a no-name stallion who's done... *gasp* nothing!? Breeds of the mares and stud aren't even listed! Are they registered? Apparently its not important! Also, it seems this person has a magkical glass krystal ball that she can divine the future in...she knows what color the foals will be and what gender they'll be! (Oh, I KNOW gray horses tend to produce graying out foals. Its those darn genes. I'm still not cutting them any slack here.)


Some mares are broke to ride, so you don't have to re-breed them, (OH WOW NEW CONCEPT! RIDING your broodmares that you don't breed back for a few years!) you can ride a mare with a colt by her side down the road or trail and they do great! UM NO, what will happen when baby decides to run hell bent for leather into the wilds of whatever area you are in, and mom decides she's following.... at top speed? Sounds like a great ride to me! Seriously, NOBODY should ever EVER allow a foal to run loose at mom's side while out riding trails. This is one of the stupidest lines I've ever seen used to "SALE" a horse. The possibilities are endless for that baby to get hurt, tied up somewhere, fall off a cliff, get attacked by other animals/dogs/horses/cows/coyotes/PEOPLE. 


You would just love having the experience of having a mare to foal a newborn in about 3-4 months. Yes, these people actually wrote this. Eye-Bleeding, Mind-Numbing, Makes you want to PUKE and smack them upside the head, I know!


They usually come right up to you to nuzzle the very first day they are born, (has anyone ever had this happen?) and would rather follow you, than their mother. Theres a book called "Horses for Dummies". I would gladly mail them a copy if they would stop advertising this shit. 


Kids love these colts, it is a great experience for the whole family. They will never forget this experience , compared to all of the other sports activities. Sports activities at least don't involve LIVE ANIMALS that turn into 1000 pound eating machines that rear, strike, kick, bite, and otherwise figure out how to intimidate those they perceive as lower on the totem pole as them!


The experience of watching an living being being born is unforgettable. Watching a foal being delivered is nothing short of miraculous. That is something all horse lovers, and animal lovers really, will agree on. Birth, while messy, violent, bloody, exhausting, heart wrenching, and just AMAZING, is a part of life, and should be introduced into to a child as part of the 'life experience'. I know my first foaling will never be forgotten - an Arabian mare that delivered just fine, but the colt didn't break the sac on his own. I was there just to quietly watch and learn, and as a responsible 16 year old I understood that I was to stay out of the way, keep Quiet, and just watch. 


But advertising your foals that aren't even here yet as some side show circus that your family can enjoy while eating popcorn and sitting in lawn chairs is way more than most of us reasonable people can handle. 


I'm sure that most of you reading this blog have been around horses, and are familiar enough with the whole horse birthing process to know that there are way too many things that can go wrong so fast. This ad is targeting families that have little to no knowledge of what can happen, what should/shouldn't happen, and what they need to do once the foal is born... these families will be suckered into a situation that will quickly get out of control when they suddenly realize that they have 2! horses and while cute, foals are a real pain in the butt to handle! What happens if the foal is breech? What happens if its still born? What happens if its born with a birth defect? It happens to the best of breeders. Its not controllable, and if these people that placed the ad think they are selling some sort of romantic fantasy with the pregnant mare... well to borrow a well known phrase "the bitch slap bus is a-comin' to town!"


This is how we end up with 2 year old stallions still in the pasture with their dams, with owners that don't have a clue about what to do with them. They don't believe that the son will actually breed his mom! Then... WOOPS! We have 3 horses! Do they think that the new foal is as inbred as they get? NOPE. Suddenly we can't afford to feed 3 horses, and around the merry-go-round we go. List them on craigslist, and if that doesn't work we try the local auction and we all know how that can end up. Or, if the horses are 'lucky', they don't get sent to the auction, but rather just starve a slow death in the pasture full of dead grass and weeds cause the owners don't even know they don't know that its not enough. 


As for the pictures with the ad, they did post 4, however the screenshot I had saved only had the top two in it. 





Yea, nothing spectacular there. But, none of you are surprised about that, I'm sure. Hmm, think the dam of that 'white' foal was tested for the Lethal White gene? I'd lay pretty damn good odds that she wasn't!


I see the mare on the cam has moved around quite a lot while I was writing this, but she's currently sleeping :). While its 1am for me, its 4 am for them. I'm half tempted to stay up a bit longer and see if she does anything as dawn approaches - but then again its been a long day and I'm quite tired myself. 


You know, these camera feeds should be advertised more often online for the same families that would be interested in buying one of the mares above just to watch the delivery. Its free, there's no financial responsibility involved, the kids can make popcorn too, and if you have a big enough tv, heck, even the neighbors can come over and watch! What a perfect solution :D. Oh, she's up and bumping around in the stall. Doesn't look like the mare is going to do much of anything except wait for breakfast, oh well. 


She'll be fun to follow this week.... I think I'll do a daily update on her :).

"Sloppy" Selling, and a Pricey Buckskin

I'm a huge Jay Leno fan. If I could catch his 'Jaywalking' segments I considered myself lucky. Not only were the segments downright hilarious with the stupid answers, it was also a huge eye opener for how horribly uneducated some people really are. 


Unfortunately though, being stupid by choice seems to be a popular thing lately. I see it in the schools the kids in my direct and extended family attend. Its especially prevalent in the high schools... where being stupid gets you popularity points. I know that the nerds have traditionally never been popular, but nowadays, it goes farther and deeper than that. Its actually cool to not have a clue about 'things'! Its cool not to know how to write and talk proper English! 


I bring this up because of the ad below. I've seen bad grammar, bad spelling, and atrocious or simply missing punctuation. This one however caught my attention in particular. 


The poster didn't attach any pictures of the horse he's selling though. So after a moments thought, I emailed him for the pictures. Sure enough, about an hour later, I get two. 


He at that point, made the blog.




Ad Text: hey i have a morgan/qh guilding, he is a good horse, but due to my dads health and my going away to college i must sell him or trade him for a gaming horse for my little cousins that is fast. i am open to offers on him. but please dont hesitate to email me rockingcountry-boi@xxxx.com or call me 360-978-xxxx or 360-628-xxxx Sarge is ridable, just needs more time under saddle, and ianything. He has been to one s willing to do gaming show. if you email me i will send a picture 


This kid graduated high school! How the hell did he manage to make it through four years of english classes and come out writing and spelling like that? I forgive typos... we are all guilty of those. But... "guilding" for gelding? Did he not even read what he wrote before he hit the submit button? 


As bad as the text is, I wasn't sure if I wanted to post it just off of the text alone. 


The pictures that he sent though?  I was lucky I wasn't drinking anything when I opened up my email to see if he responded. My keyboard will live to see another day, dry and functioning. 










Now, I have absolutely no issues with the kid's weight. The horse is certainly large enough to handle him - to a point. 


Its the mud! OMG! Its not even .... well I guess there's not really a thing as 'good mud' but its total slop! The standing puddles in the second picture... one bad step on the horse's part and down they BOTH go - twisted legs and broken backs here we come!


Then, I looked past the mud into the background of the picture. And shuddered. Shuddered again when I looked at the geldings face. Head wayyyyy up in the air. Is that a tipped over bicycle in front of a trailer in the background? 


I just don't get this. He puts the horse's tail up, braided and covered...yet rides in the slop 'arena' with the horrible junky background? These are the pictures he's using to sell his $200 'guilding'. 


Do I even need to say; Get the horse out of that arena, get him so his head isn't nose to the clouds, and get a decent conformation shot of just him, and send THOSE out to people?


This is our future folks. He's going to college cause some how he managed to get through High School. Lets all hope that he meets an English Professor that introduces him to something called a DICTIONARY and proper grammar.


_____________________________________________________________________________


I also have to ask this question. This is another ad I came across tonight, and while it is a great example of doing all the right things to sell your horse, I kept thinking about it. 


See, in the next few months (though hopefully sooner) I will be looking to either lease or purchase a gelding somewhat similar to this guy. I'm not interested in the color, rather his build, age, training, and overall personality. 


My question for you all....is he outrageously overpriced? Just slightly? Or is he priced 'right' even in this down market? I actually spent some time looking for geldings similar to him in training, age, and personality, and they seem to average between $2500 and $3500. Seller hasn't listed any sort of show record, so that is unknown. 


Geldings like this can be hot commodities if marketed right. There are a large number of people looking to purchase trail ready, sound, and level headed geldings like this one. 





Ad Text: Offered for sale is a Register AQHA True Buttermilk buckskin gelding. (NOT A DUN) He is a Buckskin. VERY SOUND AND HEALTHY! A wonderful horse great for all around trails anything that you want to do. 
He is located in Penngrove , Ca. Has been started in reining training. Supper gentle kind sweet heart.
He has a video.
(edited to list video link further down)

More pictures are available serious buyers only please no kids calls 









I am definitely interested in what everyone has to say about his $10,000 price tag. Especially since the video has him priced at $12,000! 


Here's the link to his video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSK9pvJU-W4 

Friday Featured Fugly Stallion x 2!

Got a two for one deal for you today! Two! by the same seller! Scary part is... this time its my own 'backyard'. The only thing I can say thats good...is at least neither of them are being offered for stud services... yet!





So this ad says: Appy stud is broke to ride. Easy going, loads and trailers easy. I'm asking $1,000 obo. Negotiable to the right home. He is registed with papers. Saddles easy, rides good. Very slow walker, would be great to geld and use for beginners! Please call 623-xxx-2xx8 


Ok, sounds iffy, yet ... they at least mentioned the possibility of gelding him. Why they haven't done it yet, I actually HAVE an idea... (stupid cheap laziness comes to mind...)


Just 2 measly days later, here we go again. 


 

AS if the first ad wasn't stellar enough: Need to sell really nice REGISTERED Appy Stud. Broke to ride very well, trailers, ties, does well with feet, He is very quiet with children on his back! He is still thin from when I bought him. He has already packed on about 300lbs, but still needs more! I am cutting his price in half for a quick sale. I need hay so I am asking a firm price of $500.00. 623-xx-2xx8


So in two days your hay situation got worse, you have horses you can't afford to feed, and you have a thin pretty big stallion that still needs weight. 








Ready to see him?






















Pretty typical appy. Long back, ugly head, just not that eye-appealing. 


So while I was contemplating the blog possibilities of this particular stallion, I found another ad by the same seller. Which then sealed the deal. 





Read it and weep: Greenbroke stud colt, quick learner, being trained by a ten yr old. Does not like trailers. Saddles easy, trims. Easy to be around. Great with kids. By the way this was my daughter's first horse, and first experience with training her own horse. He is NOT Registered We are asking for best offer. Would like to get $300 and are willing to accept trades. Please email. or call 623-xxx-2xx8 


The ignorance is everywhere, I swear. We have another 10 year old kid that is 'training' a 'green broke stud colt'. As her first horse. 


This is where my blood pressure goes through the roof. I know a lot of you have been 10 year old girls, and have also taught ten year old girls. 


I don't know of a single 10 year old girl that can do right by a horse training it. The ad even says the horse has issues with trailers. That should be something the 'trainer' should have worked on, yet the 'trainer' is a ten year old girl!


Kid gentle or not, a horse this young is going to have those days where they just don't want to listen, when all they want to do is run, buck, fart, and play on the lunge line... even well broke 10 year old geldings still get stupid and have those moments where they are feeling so good they just gotta go NOW! 


(I broke the middle finger of my right hand with one such gelding nearly 4 years ago when we were inside the gate of the turn out area. Never would have expected him to take off like he did, had never done it before, was just feeling really good that day. He didn't wait for the halter to come off, and my finger got caught in the buckle, and when he took off with it still looped around his nose... well you get the idea.) 


This horse isn't even a gelding! Its a stallion! I don't care how 'kid gentle' or 'safe around kids' the stallion is! Wanna bet she has been out with these two stallions all by herself working with them? Wanna bet she doesn't wear a helmet!? Wanna bet that she took a year or two of lessons, then either mom or her (or maybe both) decided they 'knew it all' and who needs instructors!


*OH scarier thought* Even more horrible is that there might be an instructor out in Wittmann that is helping her along! 


The point is here that a 10 year old girl should not be 'training' her 'first horse' ever. She should be learning how to ride, bettering her balance, gaining experience, and learning from an adult professional. No 10 year old is going to be experienced enough to know how to really train a horse! And its not even just the training... its the management side of things as well. Its knowing what 'tricks' you learned over the years will work on a horse that won't go into a trailer! I just can't see this 10 year old being able to fix that problem... because she's just not strong or big enough to do it. Granted its not hard to teach a horse to go in and out of a trailer calmly, but if they freak out cause you rushed things, or didn't lay enough groundwork on them, a person that small is going to get hurt, in the way, smashed, knocked over...







Thats her 'first horse'. And yes, he's a stallion. he's also the other horse in the 2nd picture above. Can we say wormy much? 


And mom reduced the big appy up above by $500 because she 'needs hay'. I am wondering if the hay in the picture was dinner for both horses, or just for the pictures.


*hands out the asprin*.


Happy Easter everybody! Be safe, don't eat rotten eggs, and may the Easter Bunny grace everyone with lots of chocolate bunnies :). 

Horse Of A Different Color

I feel the need once again to slightly deviate from my usual ad today because once again I have come across something that has absolutely captured my attention. I also have a million and one things to do and unfortunately, laundry and dishes at the moment are pressing. Also, honestly, after my 'verbal outburst' yesterday, I need a bit of a day off from screaming. 


Watch this video, and tell me what you think. I'll post a regular ad tomorrow.

WTF Wed; Its Not Your Pictures That Suck!

In all of the ads I read - I really do read a BUNCH - I especially enjoy finding those little gems of ads that, as you are reading along, everything seems fairly 'normal' - and then *WHAM* hit you with a last line or two that you just never saw coming. These ads I just LOVE for the WTF Wednesday specials. 


The gem of an ad today was just one of those that seemed fine, then had that whammo last line or two - but the Whammo didn't hit till you looked at the pictures they included. 


This is an ad for a OTTB that the owners state "TB Needs to go". It starts out wonderful, doesn't it.





Ad Text: lob is a 8y.r old layed back very kind and willing of the track TB he good 4-H prospect comes with papers. He could go back to the track but would rather be a dressage or kids horse. thanks would trade for broke TW 300 obo only vice her does crib but is controlled. 300 obo please call Marty xxx-xxxx


Ok, I'm going to stop here... there IS one more line... but I can't help myself. Ignoring the absolutely atrocious grammar and spelling mistakes I just have to ask why this horse could go back to the track? That just sounds shady to me... I keep thinking if this horse goes back to the track at 8 years old, 1st off... he's too old to run. 2nd...unless they use him as a track pony (doubtful as most ex-race horses wouldn't be able to get near a track without wanting to run)... I just keep seeing "auction, KB, dump the horse" when I read that line. I hope that wouldn't be the case, maybe this horse does have an ex-owner/trainer that would take him back and find him a better home, but I just doubt that. 


I guess that would tie in with the title "TB needs to go". 


If you were to give any horse a chance to go back to a life full of stress, no turn out, and 24 hour stall life vs. a new life as a 4-H horse where he gets to have some fun? Well DUH he'd rather be a 4-H horse! LOL. 


But thats not why this ad is the WTF Wed ad. 


The last line of the ad, "pics suck sorry". 


So... here are the pics... 








NO YOUR PICTURES DO NOT SUCK BECAUSE THEY ARE CRAPPY PICTURES... THEY SUCK BECAUSE OF THE DISGUSTING FILTHY STALL YOUR HORSE IS STANDING IN! GET THE F**K OUT TO THE BARN WITH A HOSE, A RAKE, AND A FEW HOURS AND CLEAN THE DAMN STALL! AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE ... YOUR BARN/STALL WOULDN'T LOOK LIKE A FRIGGING PIGSTY! BTW, a hose to the horse wouldn't hurt, either!


This poor horse is living in filth! I will excuse the dirt on the horse. That is at least normal. I WOULD hope that one would make the horse look his best for a sale ad... but if that were always the case then I wouldn't be writing this blog! Looking past the horse though (I know hard to do, his eyes are just is screaming out for help), to the barn walls... and the floor... Looks like the horse might have stall mats, but the material on the mats/floor is weeks old, filthy, and theres manure that hasn't been picked up. 


Something else I just noticed... some black spots on the metal back wall in the first picture. That looks suspiciously to me like when a horse has been kicking at the same spot and the paint on the metal has been scraped off...its right about hind kick level too... *hmm* think maybe this horse is a stall kicker? That might be one of the reasons "TB needs to go"?


Bottom Line: Was this owner so lazy that simply taking the horse outside and tying him to a fence or a tree for the picture was that difficult!? They REALLY just had to take the pictures of the horse in the conditions he's living in? Then try to excuse their lack of barn care by throwing out the excuse "sorry pictures suck"? 


If you are selling your horse on Craigslist, you aren't paying for the ad. That means waiting until the morning isn't going to cost you any money. Would waiting until the next morning really made a difference? Seeing this poor guy in the conditions he's in now is truly heartbreaking. If I were this horse... I think I'd crib too, just for the mental escape.

Cause and Effect

Two ads today to make up for the lack of an ad yesterday :). That article was just so darn thought provoking I had to post it. 


On to todays Ads!


#1. Lets start out with... something beyond irritating, yet not quite blow your lid horrible. 










Ad Text: 10 month old Stud Colt Very Flash! $750 or make offer. He is very sweet and has been handled alot. Call David              or email Robin 


And this is why those of us that feel the need to scream bloody murder from the rafters about the current condition of the horse industry ARE SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER in the first place! 


So poor little baby Tonto here has to suffer the indignities of having some ignorant ass**** pretend hes a big all-growed-up horse and be SADDLED. You wanna bet me 5 bucks he's been RIDDEN TOO? Whats to stop the owners from merely being satisfied with saddling up a 10 MONTH OLD BABY!? At least they have the small tiny amount of sense to put the baby up for sale and hopefully someone will have already snatched that guy up and done right by him a little. A gelding surgery at that age is simple and easy, and relatively inexpensive - barring any issues like Cryptorchidism. Then for gods sakes, just let the baby grow up!


In just 2 months, this is the third ad I have found that shows a horse under the age of 12 months either just saddled, or saddled and being ridden. This is just... I don't have the words to explain how much I think people are really ignorant sometimes. 


What would happen if this little stud colt were to be purchased by the wrong people? Say ... idk... Parents of a horse crazy little girl?


#2. Perfect scenario of Bad Parental Judgement when it comes to horses.

I KNOW this one is going to make you all want to scream, throw things, and otherwise have a mental break down. So don't say I didn't warn you!

(no pictures on this one though I'm sure any picture they would post would be just SPECTACULAR!)

Ad Text: Free Horse to good home. Rilie is a two year old stud..Hes in great shape..We got him for an 11 year old girl last year..He is too much for her to handle and has been running with a mare..He does rear up and bites..He needs someone who is EXPERIENCED. Rather than getting him fixed, we chose to get a broke horse for our daughter. He was really gentle until he started feeling his wild oats!!! If interested..I will e-mail photo's..Only contact me if you are serious and really care about animals......Thanks for looking.....

*SCREAMS IN FRUSTRATION*

*takes deep breath.*

Now. Shall I dissect that or not? Hmm, I think the ad speaks for itself. Really horribly. 

Ah, what the hell. Why not!

I really believe that the parents of this 11 year old girl need to be given one HELL of a wake up smack in the face. Baseball bats come to mind...I'm not a violent person nor do I condone violence, but OMG, these parents. 

This is what happens when the horse ignorant people of the world decide that it would be just so much FUN to have their child 'grow up' with an animal. Dogs, while not generally advised to pair young children with puppies...would still be a MUCH better choice than what these parents chose! BETTER YET... why not a nice safe Hamster or Gerbil? Something that can't REAR UP AND STOMP THE 11 YEAR OLD GIRL TO DEATH!

Why the HELL do people think its ok to buy an UNBROKE (I don't give a damn what the ad says here, any horse that is that out of control is unbroke) 2 year old STALLION for their daughter? This is not "The Black Stallion" here folks. That was a FICTIONAL STORY. IT NEVER HAPPENED. And even if, in some weird twist of the universe, something like it has happened... poor Eric Alec (Edit: typo - sorry!) would have been slammed to the ground, and smashed with hooves. 

Expecting an 11 year old girl to be able to handle a untrained, unbroke 2 year old stallion is ASKING for your daughter to end up in a wooden box 6 feet under. 


Said 2 year old stallion is 'feeling his wild oats' while 'running with a mare'. This just gets better and better. These idiots are going to be so surprised when their mare starts to get really FAT for "no reason at all"! Then they'll be stuck with another baby... 50% chance another colt...and in a few years, we'll be in the same situation with instead, a 13 year old that most likely still wouldn't be able to handle the demands of a 2 year old stallion. 


Today is such a perfect example of cause and effect. If you don't know what the hell you are doing, don't breed horses beCAUSE you might just have the EFFECT of putting a child into the ground. 

Intersex Horses?

I had an ad all picked out that I had planned on posting this morning. Then two things happened.

One, something is wrong with my Google Chrome Browser program. I've been using it for nearly a year and have not had ONE PROBLEM with it, until this last weekend. It crashes immediately upon opening. It crashes within 5 minutes. IT CRASHES every time I want to do anything!

So, while the boyfriend and I attempt to correct whatever problem Its having, I am forced to use Internet Explorer, which I absolutely can't stand. Now, because I don't use IE for much of anything, save one other program that requires IE to run, my homepage for IE is Facebook.

I went to open IE, and just had to look at my news feed for Facebook to see what everyone is doing.

And, came across one HECK of a mind bending article.

Article on Horse that is BOTH Genders!?

Story is about a Paint mare in Canada, that during her training started acting a bit odd. She would urinate on other horses manure piles, mount the mares in the pasture, and act well... like a stud. Owner stated that one day under saddle she'd be fine, the next she'd be completely wild and super aggressive.

So she had the mare checked out by her local vet. USUALLY super aggressiveness in mares is caused by problems with their reproductive system - most commonly with cysts on their ovaries that cause large amounts of Testosterone to be released. This isn't "Moody Mare" Syndrome where a mare in heat becomes super hard to handle. This is aggressiveness that is unrelated to any cycle the mare has.

Well.... the vet didn't find cysts during an ultrasound. Instead, he found a pair of internal Testicles! Hidden inside where her uterus should be! A trip to the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College confirmed the discovery.

The mare's 2 sisters on the maternal side ALL had the same issue. No Cervix, no Uterus, outwardly a "she", but inwardly a "he". They have so far traced it back to the dam of all the affected mares. She has a mutated x chromosone that causes this defect in her daughters. This is where the genetics becomes both confusing and facinating.

This is my rudimentery understanding of genetics at work here.

Mare has X+X-. (I'm using the + and - here to illustrate the good and mutated genes for simplicity sake.)
Dam carries the mutated x gene, but is not expressing it. Thus she must be X-X+. When bred, the mare contributes the "bad" X- chromosome, the stallion gives one "good" X+ chromosome, and the resulting filly is again X+X-.

They cleared the stallions/sires genetically, so we know their X chromosomes are basically clean.

But in the filly, the symptoms with the mutated X chromosone become apparent from puberty on. So what makes the filly's X- chromosome different from her Dam's X- chromosome? I can't answer this but it sure is interesting to think about.

The article goes on to say that the ramifications for this discovery could be huge in the horse racing world, and goes on to mention 2 Standardbred Trotting mares that were found to have super high levels of Testosterone during the post-race pee test. Track officials thought that both mares had been doped up with "T", but with this discovery, that may or may not be the case.

I bring this up here, not just because I had NEVER heard of this before, but quite frankly, who needs another thing to worry about when you are condidering breeding your horses?

Intersex animals happen more often than you think. Dogs, goats, and yes, humans, all have instances where an indivudual is born outwardly one sex, but inwardly are the opposite.

The mare featured in the article underwent surgery to remove the testies, and the owner says the mare is now a completely different horse... she's the mare she should have been all along. Without any internal female reproductive equipment on any of three related mares, at least they can't reproduce and pass the gene on. However their dam still obviously can, and the University researchers are in the process to see if a test can be developed to single out the defective gene and identify it.

All I can say is wow. More defective genes in horses. More genes that cause mutated foals to be born. And once discovered in a horse, do you really think that horse will NO LONGER be bred? Sound Familiar? Lethal White Overo (OWLS), SCIDs, HyPP, HERDA... shall I go on?

How many more of these genes must we find before we realise we are destroying our horses gene pool? If the owners of these horses that carry these mutated genes would just stop breeding them, we could wipe the genes out and have a healthy gene pool once again.

AT least with this particular mutated gene, on the first breeding of the mutated gene passing on, and once symptoms show outwardly, one surgery to remove the testies 'cures' the problems, and the problem stops. The question is then, how many of our mares are carriers of this gene, and how many mares are suffering from the symptoms and their owners never ever get them checked out? How many mares that end up being sold as 'aggressive', or 'mean' are suffering from this very issue?

I'd like to hope not very many. But when HyPP first started to infect the gene pool, there were only a handful of Impressives direct offspring that carried it. Its a lot easier to stop breeding say, 10 horses than it is 1,000,000 horses.

Food for thought as we go about our day, for sure.