 |
RE: [RC] With appreciation to the generous response on club-footed information - heidiIf there is a hereditary pattern to it, I get the impression from
geneticists that it is something that has not been defined. I
don't have any "stats" but my impression clinically is that it is
primarily a husbandry issue rather than a genetic issue. The
"lines" that seem to get it most are also the lines that are primarily
managed as show horses--hence the mares are fed like show horses even
when pregnant, and the horses tend to be housed in small areas.
And nutrition and confinement seem to be the two biggies in terms of
risk factors. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that the
problem is seen in BLM mustangs that are raised in holding pens, even
though there is no evidence of it in feral herds--but when fed "better"
and confined, cases are seen.
My gut feeling is that the problem is not genetic per se--but that it
can be greatly exacerbated by some things that ARE genetic, primarily
the gawdawful long cannons and pasterns that have become "popular" in
the breed of late as the craze to breed Arabians outside their normal
height range has gone into high gear. (My advice to folks
who have the psychological "need" to ride taller horses
is to get a partbred....) One DOES see the problem more
frequently with the out-of-proportion long cannons, and that makes
sense, since it changes the dynamics of how the tendons and ligaments
exert forces on the coffin bone.
It would also appear that deficiencies/imbalances in minerals could
also play a role.
So, as a recipe for how to "get" high-low (or actual club feet),
start with modern show-body-style horses (of ANY bloodline), feed them
like fat stock to achieve rapid growth, and keep them up in small
pens. And sometimes any one of those aspects will suffice.
Just my nickel's worth from what I've seen of it.
Heidi
|