OregonBR - 2018-01-03 3:57 PM

I was just reading a thread today on the PSSM page. The scientists have found up to 4 more genes that might have something to do with triggering the symptoms of a horse with one of the known genes which why some are symptomatic and some are not.

cheryl makofka - 2018-01-04 8:13 AM


All the new testing that Paul is doing has not been published in a scholarly journal. When I asked about this, I was told it would be published by the end of 2017, I am still awaiting the published results, as his sampling method is bias which could skew the results.
I have also read on the forum there has been one confirmed incorrect result, I wonder how many others were told they were positive or negative when they were actually negative.

The only reason the one was picked up as the individual tested the sire/dam/foal, the sire and dam were n across the board and the foal wasn't. This is a huge red flag on the testing methods as he says all DNA is tested twice.

As for the lines that you mentioned all are suspect, none have been confirmed positive. I honestly would take an easy jet horse any day of the week

madredepeanut - 2018-01-04 11:55 AM


I was also struggling with trying to condense a long reply into something short and sweet.

When the industry puts a huge focus and monetary value on horses that are started at two and performing at three, four and five- there’s definitely going to be an increase of horses needing maintenance, and that doesn’t always mean it’s a bad thing. I have terrible allergies and need daily medication and weekly shots, are you saying I shouldn’t reproduce because I need maintenance? I understand “survival of the fittest” and I do think we should not be perpetuating the cycle of breeding 5 panel positive horses, but I think you’re throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Just because a mare is started young, competes and doesn’t end up lasting three years in that career field, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t breed her. There are plenty of mares that have lackluster careers, but go on to outproduce themselves, just like many stallions that have their careers cut short from injury and become million dollar sires.

Additionally, while certain things or confirmations can predispose horses to injury, not every injury is caused by those predispositions. Therefore, just because a horse may have become injured and cut their career short, that doesn’t mean the horse shouldn’t be breeding stock. What if a futurity winning mare has great conformation, but runs through a fence during a thunderstorm and has a career ending injury? Or a stakes winning racehorse develops a tooth and sinus infection that keeps her from ever running on the track again?

Every situation and breeding decision has to be taken on an individual basis.

ThreeCorners - 2018-01-05 7:02 AM

  I am waiting for the testing for PSSM2 to come out commercially. Does anyone know if UC Davis is working on it?

Easy Rider - 2018-01-05 8:10 AM


That is one they muscle biopsy right?
Whats the difference in the PSSM 1 and 2?

madredepeanut - 2018-01-05 11:02 AM

HA! You know what? I think he is N/N for allergies! I’m over here stuffed up one minute, breaking out in hives the next and sneezing up a storm, all while he is calm, cool and not a darn issue! I’d say he is prime breeding stock

I definitely think there are people quick to say “well, let’s just breed them.” But a lot more goes into the process for me, and I can understand where Hannah was coming from with the temperament, physical and emotional abilities. I wouldn’t want to breed a nutcase of a mare just because she is built well, nor would I breed some knock kneed conformationally unsound mare with amazing papers, but I do think everyone’s goals are different and having a breeding business is just that, a business. Horses are some people’s family members, whereas to other people they’re livestock, so it’s definitely not just a black and white answer.

As far as the P question, from what I understand, if the horse is n/P or P/n, they are the same thing. I haven’t been able to find any research saying one meant something different. The horse is still affected, whether they ever show symptoms or not. The P/n means they carry one copy of the gene (heterozygous), whereas the P/P means they carry both (homozygous).