More Genetics!
And more exclamation points apparently. I must be in a very exciting mood.
So, I have been reading up on the genetics behind gaited horses. Fascinating stuff almost as fun as color genetics. I do spend large portions of my days sitting on the couch and I might as well spend it reading something educational. The problem is that the time I spend sitting here is constantly interrupted by the very reason I am sitting here in the first place. I am always loosing my train of thought, started the first couple of sentences yesterday adding some more today. It’s one thing when I am saying oh look my kids are so cute another when I am trying to make sense of the genetics behind gait in horses.
Those cool sweeds, I guess along with some others and lead by a guy named Lief Anderson a name I can remember because every time I read it I think he was the guy that discovered America then I remember no that was Lief Erickson, anyway they discovered a gene mutation that is responsible for ALL gaiting in horses. So we have a starting piont. But how does it pass?
I have been theorizing that it must be recessive because of the way it can pop up in families of non-gaited horses like the way red pops up among black cattle. But, the way I am interpreting this at least, it looks like it’s dominant. If you don’t read the whole article this is what it says in part:
“The DMRT3 gene variant we have identified is permissive for alternative gaits in horses. Traditional three-gaited horses such as most dressage and show jumping horses, draft horses and Thoroughbreds are homozygous for the C-variant (CC). Horses that can perform alternative gaits have the A-variant. Most Icelandic Horses with two copies of the A variant (AA) can perform both pace and the ambling gait tölt while horses with one copy (CA) can only perform tölt.”
I am taking all this to mean that the gait is either there or not and can’t be lurking in the background. Like grey it can’t be hidden, non grey horses can not have a grey baby. I remember when we bought Onna and Grace, another mare same age by the same stud and definitely not gaited, nothing on the place was gaited. Of course I don’t remember any of them being broke to ride either. Is it possible that both of her parents carried one of the gaiting gene and preferred to trot, no one paid enough attention to them running out in the pasture to ever notice if the occasionally moved funny? I did find one article that touched on this a little. It said:
One thing that bothers me about all the discussion on this subject is that almost every article says it has been eliminated in the wild because it produces a lack of coordination and is a hindrance to survival. Huh? Seriously? I have always been under the impression that there were many gaited mustangs? I have no personal experience in this area it was just one of those things I thought I knew. In her heyday Jerry was a pretty good cow horse. When boxing or cutting a cow I distinctly remember her gaiting along beside the calf until she buried her butt in the ground and spun around to turn with them. She was and is an extremely quick and agile horse that is not at all deterred by her gaiting.
Unfortunately I have not been able to find any information other this one study. Apparently nobody else breeds non gaited horses hoping for gait so there isn’t much information about it. After all of that I really don’t have anymore answers than I did before. I will keep looking and maybe find enough for another post that only my mom and I will find to be of any interest.
As for the idea. That the gate. Is a hindrance. To survival. That is coming. From non godly ore biblical. Background. God did not make us to survive. But to live life and be unique. Each. To its own. Design. Gated. Horses were purpes. Bult to do soo it is to complicated. To just evolve. And why would the gate exest. If not useful.
And as far as lack of survival. Shuldent. Wails. Breath under water. or people. For that mater are very week. And would have died off. Long ago. thay are mixing. Evaluation. With fact it doesn\’t. Work
I read your blog and needed a little time to think before commenting. Did not really care for the article you referenced, although they are the smart informed ones and I am not. How could gaiting be dominant? And what about the fact that spanish horses, brought over with the first conquerors, and then lost or turned loose were mainly gaited as that was the jennet, preferred mount of the day. If there were no other horses here, wouldn\’t most mustangs be gaited? I did find one article about spanish mustangs now a days that have gait in their herd. I don\’t know if that means all the rest died and then english horses came and became the mustangs we have now or what. Possibly that proves the articles point on gaited horses being unable to live in the wild. How about the different gaited breeds that work cows? And all the breed claims that some breeds started because they are so sure footed- the Rocky Mountain and Kentucky Mountain horse for one (or two). This is a little rambling, I know. If it is dominant that would mean what? How did Onna end up gaited and why does the gaited Morgan club think it pops up in certain families, wouldn\’t there have to be one gaited parent? It seems to me that this article just enforces prejudices against gaited horses. We know they can gallop, I have watched them do so with no apparent trouble both with Onna and stallions at Liberty at the horse fair. Since the article is the one with all the facts and I am just defending something I like, I am going to have to stop and just accept what ever you find out. Hope it contradicts their findings!
One more thing. The gaited horses don\’t make it in the wild cause they are slow? Well they walk and gait faster than any ordinary horse can walk or trot so it will be way in the front when the cougars attack.
I was going to reply to this but I think it is going to wind up being a whole post so give me a little bit.