The definition of a breed is as simple as “a group or set of animals that are genetically related with inherited characteristics that are passed down generation after generation.”
So, we have the Quarter Horse, the Thoroughbred, the Arabian, the Morgan, the Appaloosa, the Palomino and the Paint as examples of breeds commonly found today. These horses form their respective breed because they have certain characteristics that separate them from other breeds and in some cases these characteristics will overlap with other breeds. This happens because a variety of breeds may have been used to form a given breed. Some breeds (Appaloosa, Palomino, Paint) are further separated through color and/or color patterns, it is the genetics of these color and/or color patterns that separates them into a distinct breed.
Our goal as horseman should be to maintain and improve our chosen breed. We do that through breeding systems like inbreeding, linebreeding or outcrossing to improve the breed. So, we need a base knowledge to understand why we inbreed, linebreed or outcross our bloodlines. This knowledge and understanding of the breeding systems is essential to all those involved as an owner, breeder, trainer or showman and the role these systems play in the buying, selling and breeding of horses.
Here is an example that will help us understand the significance of the breeding systems and why we need to know how they work.
A man called me one time and told me he had found the best horse he had ever seen. He wanted to buy the horse but was afraid because the horse was “inbred” in his pedigree. Our conversation told me that this horse was an outstanding individual. No major holes in this horse. What the man didn’t understand was the inbreeding didn’t matter as the horse was an outstanding individual that had the potential to fulfill his need as a performer. This horse had inherited all the right qualities and that is what mattered and it didn’t matter how those qualities got there. It was the horror stories about inbreeding that scared him. But if he had understood how inbreeding works, he wouldn’t have called me.
The good news was this horse could hold great potential as a breeding horse because he had inherited all the right genes and as an inbred horse he could potentially pass those genes on more consistently to the next generation. That just may have been the icing on the cake for this man and he didn’t understand that as well.
After many years of writing about all the great horses, I decided to start Bloodlines-N-Pedigree as a tool to help people understand the breeding systems to help them make good decisions when buying, selling and breeding horses.
Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees not only covers the “Breeding Systems” but we look at such topics as “Where They Came From” which is a look at the genetic ties between our foundation animals or what makes them a breed. This series got its start with Issue 4 and the goal is to genetically tie many of our foundation animals together and helps us understand how a breed is formed.
Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees looks at what I like to call “The Foundation” of the pedigree or the tail female line. This line takes us to the foundation mare in that line and certain stallions that come along the bottom line of the bracket pedigree giving us the tail female line of the pedigree. Two of The Foundation segments pointed out how in one year the champions of the NCHA, NRHA, NRCHA Futurities as well as the AQHA Super Horse and the AQHA Racing Champion Aged Stallion had a similar pedigree design in the tail female line. This is a pedigree design often found in the tail female line.
With the everchanging knowledge we are gaining from the study of the Horse’s Genome, Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees uses the segment “Genetic News” to cover some of these findings. The Genetic News has covered such topics as the “Speed Gene,” prepotency without inbreeding and the contribution of the Irish Hobby to speed in breeds like the Quarter Horse and the Thoroughbred.
Our goal with “Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees is to help people better understand what they are seeing in the pedigree of a horse. Now we have a new blog for Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees that is going to be a regular feature and we hope that helps as well. Hope you decide to join us!
Here is a look at some of the topics that have been covered.
http://www.bloodlinesnpedigrees.com/
So, we have the Quarter Horse, the Thoroughbred, the Arabian, the Morgan, the Appaloosa, the Palomino and the Paint as examples of breeds commonly found today. These horses form their respective breed because they have certain characteristics that separate them from other breeds and in some cases these characteristics will overlap with other breeds. This happens because a variety of breeds may have been used to form a given breed. Some breeds (Appaloosa, Palomino, Paint) are further separated through color and/or color patterns, it is the genetics of these color and/or color patterns that separates them into a distinct breed.
Our goal as horseman should be to maintain and improve our chosen breed. We do that through breeding systems like inbreeding, linebreeding or outcrossing to improve the breed. So, we need a base knowledge to understand why we inbreed, linebreed or outcross our bloodlines. This knowledge and understanding of the breeding systems is essential to all those involved as an owner, breeder, trainer or showman and the role these systems play in the buying, selling and breeding of horses.
Here is an example that will help us understand the significance of the breeding systems and why we need to know how they work.
A man called me one time and told me he had found the best horse he had ever seen. He wanted to buy the horse but was afraid because the horse was “inbred” in his pedigree. Our conversation told me that this horse was an outstanding individual. No major holes in this horse. What the man didn’t understand was the inbreeding didn’t matter as the horse was an outstanding individual that had the potential to fulfill his need as a performer. This horse had inherited all the right qualities and that is what mattered and it didn’t matter how those qualities got there. It was the horror stories about inbreeding that scared him. But if he had understood how inbreeding works, he wouldn’t have called me.
The good news was this horse could hold great potential as a breeding horse because he had inherited all the right genes and as an inbred horse he could potentially pass those genes on more consistently to the next generation. That just may have been the icing on the cake for this man and he didn’t understand that as well.
After many years of writing about all the great horses, I decided to start Bloodlines-N-Pedigree as a tool to help people understand the breeding systems to help them make good decisions when buying, selling and breeding horses.
Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees not only covers the “Breeding Systems” but we look at such topics as “Where They Came From” which is a look at the genetic ties between our foundation animals or what makes them a breed. This series got its start with Issue 4 and the goal is to genetically tie many of our foundation animals together and helps us understand how a breed is formed.
Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees looks at what I like to call “The Foundation” of the pedigree or the tail female line. This line takes us to the foundation mare in that line and certain stallions that come along the bottom line of the bracket pedigree giving us the tail female line of the pedigree. Two of The Foundation segments pointed out how in one year the champions of the NCHA, NRHA, NRCHA Futurities as well as the AQHA Super Horse and the AQHA Racing Champion Aged Stallion had a similar pedigree design in the tail female line. This is a pedigree design often found in the tail female line.
With the everchanging knowledge we are gaining from the study of the Horse’s Genome, Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees uses the segment “Genetic News” to cover some of these findings. The Genetic News has covered such topics as the “Speed Gene,” prepotency without inbreeding and the contribution of the Irish Hobby to speed in breeds like the Quarter Horse and the Thoroughbred.
Our goal with “Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees is to help people better understand what they are seeing in the pedigree of a horse. Now we have a new blog for Bloodlines-N-Pedigrees that is going to be a regular feature and we hope that helps as well. Hope you decide to join us!
Here is a look at some of the topics that have been covered.
http://www.bloodlinesnpedigrees.com/
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