The problem with breeding Arab Horses.
So you want to breed an Arab horse? Why not, they are in the top 10 most popular breeds. These horses have speed, endurance and intelligence. They do however have their own genetic problems that you need to be wary of. One example is an inherited autosomal recessive disease that renders a foal without a functioning immune system, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID).
The immune system includes T-lymphocytes, the cells that produce antibodies, and B-lymphocytes which are involved in cell mediated immunity. These cells are not produced by foals that have this disease. Although it is a recessive disease, it has been estimated that 25% of Arabian horses are carriers and if two of these heterozygotes are mated, there is a 25% chance of a foal being born with the disease.
Prior to 1997 the only way to know if a horse was a carrier for the disease was if it produced a SCID foal and the only way to test for the disease in the foal was through blood analysis at 4 weeks of age or post-mortem. The expected life span of these SCID foals is between one and five months. It has since been discovered that the one mutation (a loss of 6 nucleotides) on the DNA-dependent kinase, catalytic subunit gene results in a lack of B and T-lymphocytes. There is now a PCR test that can detect this shorter DNA length.
So if you’re going to breed your Arab, make sure you test for SCID.
Primary Resource:
Animal Health Trusthttp://www.aht.org.uk/clinics_equ_disord_scidm.html
Secondary Resource:
International Veterinary Information Service
Posted By: Renae Wood (41393648)
