Coloured mare to bay stallion

P

Penniless

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 June 2007
Messages
1,155
Location
Nr Newmarket
Visit site
Hope some of you can help. I'm asking for your advice on behalf of a friend. She has a coloured mare (skewbald with not much white but definite markings) and is wanting to use a dark bay stallion. What is the likelihood of it throwing a coloured foal? She only wants a coloured foal and being as we have no idea about "coloureds" I'd said I'd ask you lot when I logged on. She reckons there is a test she can have, but does that get done on her mare or the stallion or what? Her mare is out of a piebald cob but she doesn't know who or what the sire was - it was a case of "buy one, get one free"?
 
I beleive it depeends if the coloured gene is dominent. My advice would be go buy a foal if she wants a coloured cause you cannot guarantee colour. The other thing she needs to consider is if it all goes wrong she could end up with a dead foal and mare.
 
She has a 50% chance of getting a coloured foal from that combination unless the mare is homozygous for the coloured gene and that can be tested for and its not that expensive, if the mare is homozygous for the coloured gene then she will only get a coloured foal, although the foal will be hetrozygous.
I personally don't think you should breed for colour alone, there are many other factors to consider, the conformation of both parents etc etc...
 
It would be homozygous gene testing.

I echo what the others have said - If you want a coloured foal, buy a coloured foal that is already alive. Don't breed a foal that could very easily be surplus to requirements solely because of it's coat. It sounds like your friend wants a coloured foal...oh and look, already has the coloured mare - easy! Is she suitable breeding stock?

Trying to breed for a specific colour can be a dangerous game to play in regard to genetics, it's the fable of a little knowledge can be dangerous (research "Lethal White" genes - as an example of breeding colour genetics going wrong)
 
Don't worry - although she really does only want a coloured horse, she's had the mare for 10 years, is a very big County and Coloured winner so the conformation, etc, is near enough perfect for her to breed from. She knows the risks involved but isn't the type to get rid of the foal if it wasn't coloured. Like you all, she loves her mare and just wants to breed a foal from her own mare for future, it's not intended to be sold on. As for the test, does the vet do this? And how much?
 
Hi if you go to http://www.avianbiotech.co.uk/ this will tell you all you need to know. You need to send them about 30 mane or tail hairs (with root) in a zip seal bag, with the form you get off the website. It costs £20 so well worth doing. If your friend only wants a coloured foal and the mare isnt homozygous she should use a homozygous stallion as this will be the only way to gaurentee colour. Good luck
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi if you go to http://www.avianbiotech.co.uk/ this will tell you all you need to know. You need to send them about 30 mane or tail hairs (with root) in a zip seal bag, with the form you get off the website. It costs £20 so well worth doing. If your friend only wants a coloured foal and the mare isnt homozygous she should use a homozygous stallion as this will be the only way to gaurentee colour. Good luck

[/ QUOTE ] Thanks so much for this information, I have just phoned her to tell her what you've said and she's asked me to pass on her thanks. She'll definitely give that a go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top