Re: RC: breeder ethics

[kmhicks1@juno.com]

<<When we were at Los Alamitos, I believe it was about 5 years ago, there
was a very heated debate about DNA testing, and no it had nothing to do
with establishing criteria for parentage---blood typing handles that
very nicely. >>

Actually, no, blood typing does not handle it "very nicely".  Blood
typing cannot tell you if a stallion or his son is the sire of a
particular foal, much less full siblings, but DNA testing can distinguish
between any two sires, except for twins.  This comes from experience in
human DNA testing.  Same basic test.  Oh, and I do blood typing on humans
for transfusion and believe me there is a world of difference in the
technology involved between blood typing and DNA testing!

Karen H.

PS.  I was thinking of those two (Victoria's Secret and Unchained
Melody), too.  But the reality of it is even worse when you consider the
horses that have proven non-arab blood.  If every horse was eliminated
that was definitely not pure then the Half-Arab ranks would swell to say
the least.  Personally, I couldn't care less.  I like to research
pedigrees to know what to expect of my horses based on the ancestor's
abilities and quirks, but I don't really care what % Arab they are.  The
individual is far more important to me unless I plan to breed.  And the
reality of it for me is that the Arab part will usually outweigh the
other part in 3/4 - 5/8 or higher because of the prepotency of the Arab.
Of course that depends on far too many factors to mention here!  (I also
really wish I could get hold of a list of positive SCID horses and
compare bloodlines!)

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