Re: RC: genes from dam

[Dochterman <dokada@voyager.net>]

>Momma244@aol.com asked
>"is it true that a foal gets 70% of genes from the dam?"

Not exactly.  The mare supplies 50% of the genes for the foal and the
stallion supplies the other 50%.  However, the mare has more influence
on the foal's phenotype (what he looks like and acts like) than the
stallion.  The mare supplies the foal's entire pre-natal environment
plus a large portion of its environment at least up to weaning.  This is
why a foal born to a pony mare and a horse stallion will almost always
be smaller than a foal born to a horse mare and a pony stallion.  This
is also why the foal's disposition often more closely matches that of
the mare than the stallion.  Therefore, it is probably fair to say the
mare supplies 70% of the *inheritance* of the foal even though she
supplies only 50% of the foal's genes.

Donna Dochterman
Dokada Arabians


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