The Business of Breeding

Breeding in the horse world breaks down into a few categories: field breeding (where the horses just do what comes naturally) live cover in a breeding shed, and artificial insemination. The tools of the trade range from very basic to high-tech

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Glycogen-Branching Enzyme Deficiency (AAEP 2006)

Glycogen-branching enzyme deficiency, a genetic mutation affecting a particular glycogen-storage enzyme, is traced back to Quarter Horse sire King or his sire, Zantanon. Up to 8% of Quarter Horses and Paint horses carry the GBED defect.

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Breeding and Reproduction Tips

People are always looking for tips on how to do things better–particularly horse breeders looking for ways to get healthier foals. Benjamin Espy, DVM, Dipl. ACT, a practitioner from San Antonio, offered insight on many areas of equine reproduction

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Reinforcing Reinforcement Breeding

It’s common practice at some breeding farms–collecting the drippings from a stallion’s penis after he breeds and dismounts a mare, evaluating the sample to confirm that ejaculation did occur, then placing the sample in the mare. Reinforcement

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Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis: 14 Years Later

Sharon Spier, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, PhD, associate professor at the University of California, Davis, has pioneered much of the research on HYPP. She presented updated information gleaned over the past 14 years on this disease at the 2006 AAEP

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The Genetics of Champagne Coloring


The champagne gene is a dominant dilution gene, first documented in 1996 by Philip Sponenberg, DVM, PhD, of Virginia Tech and Ann Bowling, PhD, of UC Davis. Prior to this the champagne gene was often misidentified. Many champagnes were

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Let Nature Work it Out (Shy Stud Colt)

I desperately need some advice about my new colt. He is a 2?-year-old Gypsy Cob named Geordie. He was raised in a herd, then separated as a yearling colt, and ran with a colt herd until I imported him to Australia. He is naturally gentle and not

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Choosing to Breed During Foal Heat

If a barn full of people were asked their opinion about breeding a mare during foal heat, a barn full of opinions would result. This topic has been controversial for a long time. There is debate about whether it is harmful to a mare’s health,

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