Cloned Colt to stand at stud

Fairynuff

Fairynuff

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this year! A 2 year old colt (Feb 2005) is standing at stud in Lyon, France. He was cloned from the twice world champion (endurance) Pieraz. What do you think his pedigree and his offsprings will look like? Dont know if I agree with this malarky! Mairi.
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Its a little bit strange i think. What are we to end up with thousands of genetically similar horses? Where is the fun in that? Who gets a kick from producing a horse who was genetically almost certain to be brilliant? Its one thing breeding a horse from good lines, but getting it so its even less of an art producing a good horse? I think it gives people with lots of $ an unfair advantage.

That said I know upbringing and their conditioning largely dictates the way a horse will turn out, but it just feels a bit like cheating...?

Jury is still out with me, as it is with most things!
 
I heard of another one who was cloned from a champion barrel racer in the states. His owner spent £150,000 dollers to have him cloned from her champion gelding and has stated that she has no intention of breeding from him-he will be gelded and used as a happy hacker! More money than sense if you ask me. I hope it doesnt become the norm, it would take all the fun out of breeding. M.
 
Big thing over here with cutting horses (all QHs that I've read/heard about) is having a champion mare treated with hormones to force super-ovulation prior to breeding (thus producing multiple fetuses). The fetuses are then flushed and implanted in surrogate mares. Given the prevalence of some genetic diseases (HYPP immediately comes to mind and now there is another one that's name escapes me) in certain popular championship lines, it seems like an awfully hazardous practice.

Genetic diversity is important -- perhaps even vital to any population's collective health and survival. That's one of the reasons why I always grow some "heritage" non-hybrid vegetables in my garden, try to buy brown eggs, and support wild horse protection.

This kind of genetic tinkering might be smart -- but the jury is still out on whether or not it's wise.
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I heard about this when i was in France this year. they are paying humoungous money for some of these clones - to be recouped in stud fees. I think it is playing round far too much with nature. Only being done for greed.
 
The other thing that made me wonder about the endurance clone, is his age! Why would anyone want to breed in such a hurry by using an immature 2 year old that has done nothing and still has his mums milk on his chim. Could it be that they want to make as much out of him before possible problems set in? Dolly the sheep had to be destroyed at 4 years old due to arthritis so what can these clones look forward to? Poor souls
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. Mairi.
 
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Could it be that they want to make as much out of him before possible problems set in?

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I doubt that is the reason to be honest. More likely, he is of breeding age and is capable, therefore why wait.
 
Fair enough but whos to say hes capable of mirroring his father/himself
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. They're getting the big bucks in as soon as pos which I think is sad and will probably be a disillusion for many mare owners. Thanks for the link, I think youve mentioned it in the past (Impressive line), will have a look. M.
 
He is unproven as yet. I am sure they want him proved as soon as possible otherwise it is another year to have to deal with a stallion who is not making any money towards his expensive keep.

Yes the HYPP thing is very interesting - unbelievable that it wasn't stamped out though. I still can't understand why AQHA took so long to do anything about it.
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What is the new hideous disease turning up in some cutting horse lnes, Tia? It has something to do with insufficient connective tissue holding the horse's hide to it's body -- horrible painful disabling condition. I've heard that in some cases the horse dies from what would ordinarily a very minor superficial injury. Sadly (and again it may just me being overly paranoid) it may well be that some breeders are reticent to report (first step in elimination) because this condition is found in some pretty high dollar breeding lines. I am going to see what info I can find -- at least the condition's name -- seems there was even some controversy about that early on.
 
Again -- THANK YOU, Wiki! Here it is:

#2 Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia (HERDA), also known as hyperelastosis cutis (HC). This is caused by a recessive gene, and thus, unlike HYPP, HERDA can only be transmitted if both parents carry the gene. When a horse has this disease, there is a collagen defect that results in the layers of skin not being held firmly together. Thus, when the horse is ridden under saddle or suffers trauma to the skin, the outer layer often splits or separates from the deeper layer, or it can tear off completely. It rarely heals without disfiguring scars. Sunburn can also be a concern. In dramatic cases, the skin can split along the back and even roll down the sides, with the horse literally being skinned alive. Most horses with HERDA are euthanized for humane reasons between the age of two and four years. The very hotly debated and controversial theory, put forth by researchers at Cornell University and Mississippi State University is that the sire line of the great foundation stallion Poco Bueno is implicated as the origin of the disease. There currently is no DNA test for HERDA, but active research is ongoing to try to pinpoint the gene.[10] In 2006, researchers at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine were able to localize a gene that may be responsible for HERDA, though a test has yet to be developed. [11]
 
I don't like it at all, I've always joked I could have made a fortune if I cloned mine as so many of the kids would love to have her as she was fantastic doing PC eventing etc.

Now much as I love her to bits, I bred her and she's been my baby since the second she was concieved - I was holding her and delivered her myself - I COULDN'T clone her. Because it wouldn't BE her. I'd rather value her and her quirks for what they are, and breed a foal off her hopefully similar in nature but a complete individual.

I'm getting worried as to where all this cloning will go. How long before the cloned line starts to "infect" other breeding lines and how on earth would you necessarily know?

Its all bad!
 
Oh my God! My toes are still curling just thinking about it
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. Strange they havent genetically manipulated it into chickens; would take the hassle out of plucking them! Mairi.
 
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