​Duman Bazarbayev
Racehorse breeding specialist
17 February 2025
 
METHODS OF BREEDING HORSES FOR LONG-DISTANCE RACING
    The discussion will focus on a distance much longer than classic horse races, with an average length of 25,000 meters. Such a distance is rarely encountered. However, it is very common in Central Asia, especially in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. These nations have a traditional sport—horse racing over distances ranging from 8,000 meters to 35,000 meters. Among the Kazakh people, this race is called Baige. This chapter will specifically discuss Baige, with a focus on the selective breeding of horses for this type of race. In this region, almost ninety percent of horse races are held over such long distances. While this type of race differs from the classic horse racing known worldwide, the horses competing on these tracks are mostly descendants of horses bred for traditional racing distances.
     If when selecting horses for breeding in classic racing, where the maximum distance reaches up to 4,000 meters, the main desired criterion is speed, then for long-distance races, endurance is also required—that is, the ability to gallop for 20-25 minutes without reducing the necessary pace. In the world of horse racing, there is a vast amount of material on breeding horses for short or classic distances, but almost none on racing 20,000-25,000 meters at a gallop. That is why we decided to shed some light on this topic, hoping it will be of interest to readers. So how do you find the right balance between speed and endurance? How do you correctly select breeding pairs?
     If tall and moderately large horses are better suited for sprint racing, then for baige, less massive horses should be chosen. Excess body mass during a fast gallop over 25-35 minutes does not bring any advantages. For long-distance racing, horses should be relatively small with a lean build. This is where we see the first differences between "classic" racehorses and "baige" horses. The back should not be concave at all. While this may not negatively impact performance over short distances, it becomes a significant disadvantage in long-distance races, leading to rapid fatigue. A good example is the backs of Arabian horses, specifically the Koheilan and Hadban types. Their shape and structure provide an ideal combination for racing, even over several hours.

 
    Throughout the history of thoroughbred breeding, the pedigree of stayers (long-distance runners) always includes good sprinters. This leads to an important rule: in order to maintain victory, the bloodline of an endurance horse must occasionally be infused with the blood of the best sprinters.
    If the pedigree, including the fifth generation (the first 62 ancestors), consists only of endurance horses and lacks good sprinters, you can be sure that this horse will not win serious races at any distance. To produce an outstanding baige horse, it is essential that among the first 62 ancestors, there are winners of classic races over 1800-2400 meters. Only from sprinters can a horse inherit the ability for bursts of energy. It is important to remember that endurance is speed maintained over a long period, but endurance never means speed over a short period of time.
    Therefore, on the prize-winning places in the Baige horse races, over distances of 20,000 to 35,000 meters, you can find horses brought from the United States and Europe. On Kazakh tracks, you can see the grandsons of Secretariat, A.P. Indy, Nashua, Nijinsky, and many others. In recent years, the import of racehorses from the United States has increased. We have also seen descendants of Galileo, Danzig, Seattle Slew, and California Chrome arrive and conquer the Baige racetrack.
     Imports of racehorses for Baige from the United States are growing every year.
​

    This leads to an important rule in stallion sire for long-distance races: to ensure the necessary athletic abilities in stallions for producing offspring for long distances, it is essential to test them several times over distances of 1800-2400 meters. Unfortunately, horses born in Kazakhstan, most of which only participate in Baige, do not have the opportunity to test themselves over classic distances. Therefore, by the end of their racing careers, I recommend selecting stallions for breeding only after they have been tested using the aforementioned method.
    ​

Catherine Kirschenmann
Breeder and Professional Rider/Trainer
 
​When I decided I wanted to not only have a career in Equine Reproduction, but go farther and have grand dreams of being known for breeding high quality athletes I was barely 20.  All I knew, at the time, was the horse competition world (I had competed in several disciplines at almost all levels across the US). I knew how to spot talent in a 6 year old and up, how to show and ride, how to take care of the horse, and I was well versed in the vet side more than most for that age.  I was in college when I came to this career revelation…my whole life I, of course classically, had wanted to be a vet.  So instead I directed all my credits towards anything that would get me into post-graduate school for equine reproduction. 
 
What I didn’t know was that I cared more about the everyday farm reproductive aspects and decided that sitting in a lab beyond just collecting and cooling or freezing semen was not what my heart desired.
 
So I began my journey to be a breeding farm manager after college and learn everything I could about the stallion and mare side, needless to say, I still don’t know much in comparison to the well versed breeders, vets, and managers who are probably reading this blog… but I am still on the road to knowledge!
 
Which is what brings me to the point of this unintentionally long story…
 
As I achieved the coveted Breeding Manager positions I so sought after, I realized I knew the medical side and training side, but not the Registry side.  Even worse, I didn’t know how to promote a young horse beyond just the pedigree and snapping some nice photos. 
 
I naturally had shown at Devon, I followed stallion licensing in most registries across the world, and at my last job I was privy to seeing the inner workings of the foaling/registry inspections for Hanoverian and Oldenburg NA.  Slowly I started to see the talents of the foals that I, ten years earlier, could only see in developed horses going under saddle.  I also started to appreciate certain crosses of pedigrees, the breeders themselves, and even the handlers. 
 
But what about after those registry inspections?  This is where I started to see quite the gap, from doing a foal inspection to (maybe) doing a mare inspection test to then waiting until the horse was 4 or older for under saddle classes in their respective disciplines. This created a predicament for me for several reasons.  One was that the horse got no exposure unless you wanted to have it tag along at shows to hang out in the show atmosphere and enjoy the trailer ride.  Two if the horse didn’t sell as a foal, then most buyers rather see it later (after 4 years old) and buy it already working under saddle and usually showing as well.  Third is that I am what most would call a “slow” trainer. I start them late and do a lot of groundwork and longlining with them, lots of trail rides and just learning to have natural balance and confidence until about their 6 y/o year, especially if they are jumpers.  That is a long time for a horse for sale to be tucked away hidden on the farm.  This also created an issue because my 4-5-6 y/o horses were not able to compete in their respective age classes under saddle at regular USEF competitions considering my training program was structured so much differently in comparison to most.
 
Luckily at that time I was doing solely dressage, and the USDF was promoting yearling and 2 y/o in hand classes at several big shows across the nation.  This was the only kind of in-hand competition I was able to get access to, and still it was pertaining to one discipline only.  Then USDF started to delete a lot of these classes, or the show coordinators themselves; I suspect because of lack of numbers and interest.  This led to just the biggest shows, such as Devon, to offer these kind of young horse classes.
 
So I was stumped again at what was best for my young horses, and comparatively what was best for my name as a breeder, seller, and trainer. 
 
In 2019, just as I was about to give up hope on being able to show any young horse I produced prior to being under saddle and well schooled, I happened to find myself on the avid search for a new personal competition and breeding horse to start my own farm with. I wanted to buy directly from the breeder, for the first time, and along this venture I met countless new colleagues across the world.  I ended up finding two horses, a three and four years old, and AGAIN I was presented with this problem of where to get them experience in a supportive and age appropriate competition atmosphere?
 
Those new colleagues I had just secured came through with the answer… all over my Facebook feed my new breeding friends started posting about The Young Horse Show, particularly since the 2019 Finals was along the horizon! I started to inquire with my new friends to hear personally what all the hype was about, and enough great things could not be said about the competition series.  From management, to the quality of horses, age-appropriate classes and judging, involving several disciplines in one show, great venues, to just being a downright fun and supportive show for breeders and young horses owners. 
 
Needless to say I was smitten immediately with the thought… and started to look at the calendar for 2020.  I picked the GA 2020 show to take my new four y/o mare to so she could strut her jumping pedigree through some jump chute action against her fellow peers.  I had no idea what to expect, even though I had been showing the last 25 years. All I knew was that I was about to have a weekend to hang out with other like-minded people hopefully, be around high quality young horses, enjoy a relaxed and positive environment for my new horse at her first show, and potentially come away with some bragging rights. 
 
The venue was glorious and luckily, for being in the summer in Georgia, the weather wasn’t miserably hot. I entered my mare, Lady Ada Bloom, into the 4 y/o jump chute class for her entry, but when I arrived I was able to see how things worked and decided to also add her last minute to the in hand flat class as well. 
 
The show could not have gone better for Ada or me! The entire show was relaxed, the people were truly supportive of each other, and I instantly felt as if I had found “my group”.  It was a little odd just getting her ready and escorting her off to other handlers, but at the same time it was so fun to truly act like an owner.  I got to give her away ringside, knowing the handlers were professionals, and just watch her go! By the end of the show I was hooked, and it was a perk that her placings ended up almost paying for her entry fee… prize money is always a win! Beyond her placings, her individual scores qualified her for Nationals and the judges seemed incredibly pleased with her. I could not have been prouder of her or more enthralled with my first show at the Young Horse Show.
 
As my life progressed, and I know most everyone’s changed drastically as well, in 2020 I made sure to keep my eye on YHS Finals at Tryon in November.  At times I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it, but as the date drew nearer, I realized that going to YHS Finals with my qualified mare was just as much for me as it was for her.  I wanted that comradery again and to be in the presence of everything I love about breeding talented horses. 
 
Therefore, I made it happen and we set off to Tryon the first week of November. Since my mare had already qualified and I was short on time I was forced to only go for the weekend, but oh man was it worth every minute.  Of course Tryon is a world class venue, and with Covid spiking it was also like a ghost town… YHS competitors were the only ones there and so we essentially got the whole venue to ourselves.  I know this is not the norm, but it created an even more relaxing atmosphere (if possible), despite the high stakes of it being Finals. 
 
Just as in the Ga show, the management did a fabulous job throughout both shows (qualifying show plus Finals over 4 days) especially considering it was the highest number of entries they had ever received before (also a testament to the need for this Series and everyone’s positive experiences to want to come back).  The handlers could not have been better, and with the live streaming even my family and friends could watch Ada go live.  My mother, who has supported me my whole life in this crazy horse venture, watched live all day and even made this comment about the handlers, “You can tell they really love these young horses, strangers to them personally and they still manage to do a great job nurturing the personality of the horse so the judge can see them in their best light.” High praise from my mom, let me tell you.
 
Ada and I walked away from YHS Finals with some ribbons, goodies, cash in hand, and a feeling of progression as well as appreciation.  It is now a show series that I brag to everyone about, considering they have age-appropriate classes from yearlings to 6 y/o’s. Beyond that it’s a show series where you can come and dust off the world, meet people who are similar to you in more ways than you realize, allow your young horse to be just that (and appreciated for it!), and probably most importantly is that YHS offers the opportunity for a young horse to shine ALONG with it’s breeder and owner. These horses are the highest quality in the nation, they are our future.
 
It is a win-win-win in my book, and after this initial year of testing the YHS waters… I will surely participate every chance I get from here on out with all the young talent I have the privilege to own. I hope to see you there 😊

Quinnten Alston
Professional Handler.
As we enter the final foaling months, it is the perfect time to turn our attention towards preparation for Inspection Season. For Sporthorse breeders across the United States, mare, foal and stallion inspections serve as pivotal moments for the horses within their breeding programs. Here are a few thoughts on properly planning out your Inspection Day.

Choosing Your Inspection Site
Begin by mapping out which inspection site you will be attending. Eligibility for inspection and studbook entry will be contingent upon your horse’s pedigree and their parent’s registration status, but registries such as the American Hanoverian Society, the Oldenburg Horse Breeders’ Society, KWPN-NA, ISR-Oldenburg NA, and a handful of other options offer inspection sites throughout the country every year. If you aren’t quite sure where your horse is eligible for inspection, you should contact the registry offices by email or phone with your horse’s information so they can provide you with some direction.

The official website of your registry of choice should have an Annual Tour Schedule that lists individual inspection dates and locations with contact information for each site’s host. Decide which site works best for your situation, and then contact the host to express your interest in attending and whether you will be needing stabling accommodations. Double check with the host to figure out what documentation you will need to bring with your horse to their facility – many require a current Coggins as well as a record of vaccination history. This is also a perfect time for any inquiries regarding photographers/videographers and availability of handlers.

Handling and Prepping Your Horse
Many owners choose to enlist the expertise of a professional handler to present their horses for inspection - which is a great idea! Professional handlers are well-versed in highlighting the strong attributes of their horses and ensure a positive experience for both horse and owner. Some sites will provide handling services for outside horses, while others do not. If your selected inspection site does offer handling services, make sure to start a dialogue with the handler: let them know how your horse reacts to new people and new environments and ask what things you can work on at home to best prepare them for inspection day. Even if the inspection site does not have the resources to provide a handler, the host can often help you in connecting with one if needed.

For our own horses, I put a lot of focus on teaching them how to move away from pressure as well as being able to adjust the gaits (i.e. big walk, slow walk, big trot, slow trot). Having a horse that is adjustable within the gaits in hand means they are also adjustable within their mind and are tuned into working with their handler. Most inspection judges utilize the concept of a “triangle” to assess the horse’s movement - the short sides (moving in straight lines away from and towards the judge) are used to evaluate the correctness of the gaits, while the long side (directly opposite from the judge) is used to evaluate the quality of the gaits.

It is also beneficial to familiarize your horse with being able to stand quietly in an “open stance” (when viewing a horse from the side, the two furthest legs are perpendicular to the ground, and the closest legs are slightly “open” so as to be able to see all four legs at once) for conformational analysis. I prefer to keep in-hand work to a minimum so as to not create a horse that is bored or de-stimulated. It is essential to have a happy and confident horse that is still “sensitive” enough to show off to their full potential in a relaxed manner when the big day arrives.

Making Sure Your Horse Leaves a Positive First Impression
For me, there is nothing more important than a well-executed presentation on inspection day, which starts with a properly turned out horse. Make sure your horse has a well-fitting bridle or halter depending on your registry’s requirements, and make sure they are familiar with working in it! As a handler, one of my biggest pet peeves is being handed a horse that is unhappy due to being thrown into an unfamiliar environment with a bit in its mouth for the first time - this will definitely affect the general impression of your horse, so practice beforehand. If you are presenting a foal, spend time getting them used to wearing a foal halter and being led around at the walk with their dam.

Clean both your tack and your horse appropriately. All of our horses get manes trimmed to a manageable length for braiding, clipped, and are bathed thoroughly the night before inspection. Pack all of your best grooming supplies beforehand to ensure that you are adequately equipped with anything you might need.

If you aren’t comfortable braiding, contact the site host to see if they have recommendations for braiders. Nice professional photos of a well-groomed, braided horse on inspection day can be imperative to successful promotion of your horse or program.

Keep track of the schedule for the day so that both you and your horse are ready to enter the ring at the necessary time without undue stress. Once the whirlwind of preparation and anticipation has passed and your horse enters the ring, take a deep breath and remember to have fun.

Having Fun and Building Relationships
At best, we are paying for another individual’s opinion of ten minutes within our horse’s life, so I always make it a point to enjoy the moment and remain receptive of critiques and the opportunity to learn. Use inspection day to build your presence as an active participant of your registry’s membership! It is a great time to learn more about your registry of choice, what they are striving for in their breeding stock, and how other breeders and owners like you are influencing the sporthorse world within your community. Some registries have regional clubs that operate within them, which can be a fun way to meet new people with the central emphasis of horses.

While not all inspections announce individual scores, most judges will speak at length to the crowd about each horse presented and may be available for further consultation on your horse at the conclusion of the day. Judges often have extensive knowledge of generations of bloodlines and can offer great insight as to what parts of the pedigree seem to be primary influences in your horse and can also give advisement if you are considering breeding. Even if you are not interested in breeding per se, inspections are a good tool to see what lines are producing performance horses as well as how to select performance horse prospects. At its core, inspection day is a great springboard for the continued growth and development of the Sporthorse in the United States.

Elizabeth Callahan
Cool Na Grena Sporthorses
I have been a breeder here in the US for over 25 years, and have had a fairly successful event horse breeding program in that I have bred a 4* horse, as well as 3* horses, advanced and intermediate horses, and good number of prelim and lower level horses.  Even with that success, it has been difficult in the past for me to find and attract buyers for my event bred horses. I know other breeders have the same problems.  Because I also compete (at the lower levels), I also often hear upper level eventers say they do not know where to find talented young horses in the US - they feel they must go overseas to find them.  Obviously, both sides need to connect in order to support both our breeding programs and our upper level riders.  Discussions centering around this need have led to the concept behind the US Event Horse Futurity.

First, I have to admit this was not really my idea, but I seemed to have inherited it :-)  The purpose is to bridge the gap between breeders and riders in the US.  I know a lot of breeders who don't know where to go to get youngsters trained or how to find riders for them.  Hopefully,  we can create a program that attracts trainers to promote our US-bred horses and lets both sides make connections that may align our different,  but related goals.  We foresee that trainers will look for prospects to partner with, riders will find breeders who produce nice youngsters, and everyone will benefit.  We also want to showcase some trainers and riders who aren’t well known but do a great job, so that they will benefit as well.  

I already have at least 5 riders (some of them 4 and 3*) that have expressed interest in training.  What I really need now is for breeders to take a step and commit to trying this out.  I think that deals could be worked out that would lessen the cost for the breeder, but you have to put your money where your mouth is and spend a little to get your horses and your name out there.  We are such a tight fisted group - we will send  money on stud fees and mares, but when it comes to training....  

Here is an outline for the US Event Horse Futurity and how the program will work.

US Event Horse Futurity 2019 (Horses born in 2015)
Understand that this is a pilot program that will be organized and run by volunteers – mistakes will be made and we will all learn how to improve the program as it evolves.
 
Purpose 

• To develop a market for purpose bred /produced event horses through media exposure and publicity
• To develop and promote a pool of professionals who are willing and able to develop the young event horse to the top levels of the sport
• To develop and align a network of breeders, trainers and riders to develop the pool of young horse talent in the US
• To engage the general public into the world of young horses and Young Event Horse Training 
• To develop a fan base for young horses and young horse trainers.

Eligibility

• Completion of the Application 
• Open to horses eligible for the 4 year old Young Event Horse Championships of 2019
• US purpose bred only (no OTTB that have recorded works or starts) 
• Age verification required with application  -(proof of pedigree and date of birth) such as registration papers, stallion certificate, vet verification 
• Commitment of riders/trainers to provide monthly training updates in the form of a blog and short video (3-5 minute clip) (Failure to provide two updates results in dropping from program and forfeiture of nomination fee). 
• Horse and rider to compete as a team.
• Horse and rider must be registered with the USEA
• Must be eligible and complete the requirements  (including the qualification scores) for the YEH Championships to be considered for the final awards
• Only horses planning to attending the East Coast YEH will be considered for the pilot year
• Must satisfy all USEF requirements (Safe Sport)
• Must sign a hold harmless agreement 

How the Entries Work

• Entries will submit an application form and a fee of $525 if accepted prior to Jan 1 and 750 prior to Jan 15    Once paid, the fee is not refundable in any case
• Nominated entries submitted to the committee will be chosen based on adherence to the selection criteria and purpose of the Futurity
• The decision of the selection committee is final
• No refund of any monies will be given in cases, such as, but not limited to – illness, accident, injury of horse or rider or failure to qualify for the Championships 
• Entries will be limited to 12 horses for the pilot year
• A Facebook page  (The US Event Horse Futurity) will chronicle each contestant monthly   This page will develop a dialog on assessment of pedigrees, training of young horses with transparency, typical setbacks, etc so allowing those not familiar with young horses to understand the patience and skill required.

1. The 1st month blog/video will have a breeding focus, with the breeders to contribute information on why they picked this particular sire and dam, as well as bloodlines, etc
2. The second month will show groundwork or the starting of the horse under saddle, so as to expose the public to how young horses are started 
3. Monthly blogs will then be required, with the understanding that this is a transparent process and setbacks are to be acknowledged
4. The committee will suggest curtain topics for discussion.  Questions: can include the following 

• How much handling has the horse done prior to starting training?
• Has he gone off the property to any in hand shows/inspections/schooling?
• Barefoot or shod?
• What is the Initial impression of the horse?
  

Monthly update questions:

• How is it going with the young horse?  
• Tell us about the bridle and saddle you start the young horse with?
• Progress, Set backs, Overall impression of suitability this month?
• Tell us about the schedule? What does an average week look like? Hacking, vs. schooling, days off?
• How are things going with shoeing, clipping, shipping?
• What is your goal for the next month?
  

Two consecutive months of not posting will eliminate a contestant from the program  - no refund will be given.  Transparency is to be encouraged.  Not every horse will be mature enough to participate in the Championships, and not all training will go to plan.  These setbacks are to be acknowledged and worked through in a visible manner.  It is our hope that a trainer will develop a following, not only by winning the competition but also by developing the young horse to the best of their abilities.
 
Awards to Entrants
Awards will be presented at the East Coast Young Event Horse Championships in October 2019 to the highest scoring Futurity Entrants.  They do not have to be the overall winner, but must compete and finish the competition to be eligible for the prize money.  Monies collected will be distributed in the following manner after expenses are met (awards, etc).

• 10% to the breeder of highest scoring Futurity entrant
• 50% to the highest scoring Futurity entrant
• 25 % to 2nd place Futurity entrant
• 10% to 3rd place Futurity entrant
• 5 % to 4th place Futurity entrant
• Ribbons to the Highest scoring horse and reserve
• Ribbon to the fan favorite entrant (chosen by polling the week before the Championship)​

Awards to Fans

• There will be a drawing of a winner from all those who correctly picked the highest scoring Futurity horse (prize to be determined) in the polling the week before the Championships
• Other special awards (most engaged, best insights, etc) may be awarded to fans as the program develops

Why did I decide to run with the project (besides being caught in a weak moment)? I bred a horse that was selected to represent the US at the World Championships for Young Event Horses at Le Lion d’Angers in France this past fall, and was lucky enough to attend.  The best young event horses in Europe were there, as were the best riders.   And at the end of the day, my US-bred horse (the only US bred in the over 100 horses that were there) was just as competititive as the best Europe has to offer.  There are many more of these horses in the US - we just have to get US riders to  find them and get breeders to find the trainers and riders.  It’s simple, it’s just not easy....

Please send you questions to [email protected].

Natalie DiBerardinis
Managing Director, Hilltop Farm
The big topic of discussion this spring and summer for many sport horse breeders in both North America and Europe has been Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS).  The news first broke in March when we released the carrier status of one of the Hilltop Farm stallions.  For a syndrome with a very low occurance rate, has the response been overblown or are we not doing enough?  In the four months that have passed, there have been many developments that I feel are important for breeders to know and understand.  It is the voices of breeders that will direct how this and future genetic testing is or is not utilized within sport horse breeding.

The initial responses from the North American sport horse registries was quite positive.  They acknowledged member concerns and encouraged mare owners to test.  An especially significant development out of this support from the registries was that UC Davis started offering the WFFS test as well.  As you probably are aware, UC Davis handles the DNA parentage verification for almost all the registries in North America.  The ability to cross-check on identity verification, the opportunity for a large-scale population study to better evaluate the carrier rate, and UC Davis's excellent reputation all are important components in the significance of this development.  Many of the breed registries have negotiated discounted rates on testing and you can often use DNA that is already on-file at UC Davis if your registry requires hair samples for proof of parentage at time of registration. 

The Dutch (effectively immediately) and Swedish Warmblood (have begun testing but not mandatory until 2019) registries in both Europe and North America are going to require testing of all approved stallions and are openly publishing testing results.  The American Hanoverian Society (although notably not the Hanoverian Verband) are encouraging stallion owners to test and will include testing status in their yearly directory.  ISR/OldenburgNA has requested stallions to be tested, but hasn't yet announced if/how those results will be published.  Other registries are taking a more cautious approach, recommending testing but not going so far as to require it and a few registries are completely silent on the WFFS question.  WFFS and genetic health in general will be a major topic of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses annual meeting this year and it's likely we'll see some registries waiting to make an official decision until after that meeting.

Notice none of the registries are requiring testing for mares at this time, although those that have made statements have encouraged mare owners to test.  I feel this has been an underemphasized step to-date.  WFFS is an autosomal recessive trait, meaning a foal can only be affected if the foal inherits the disease from both parents. When the Friesian breeders were facing similiar sorts of recessive traits they have taken the approach of testing the mares as the top priority.  That way a breeder was guaranteed knowledge for at least one side of the breeding equation.  While a stallion is likely to have a much larger impact on the population as a whole, it is our mares that have the largest impact within our own breeding results and as such we need to know everything we can about them. A breeder that tests their own mares will know either that their mare is clear of the mutation and regardless of the stallion’s status a foal would not inherit the actual expression of the disease OR that the mare is a carrier and while she herself won’t have any health risks, it will be important to know the status of potential stallion combinations for her and choose only to breed to a stallion who is himself clear of the recessive allele.

I can understand the breeders taking the position of not wanting to test, but I do not agree with them.  Yes, there are many far larger issues confronting breeders that we need to be concerned with in our breeding choices and yes, the incidence rate of affected foals is very low.  But with all we spend on our horses, why would we not reduce the risks of something going wrong when we can?  This test is easy and inexpensive.  If we test breeding stock in this generation, we'll have a lot of offspring for subsequent generations that won't need tested as it automatically applies that if both parents are free of the gene mutation than the offspring are as well.

For those of us with carrier horses, we now have important information we didn't have a few months ago.  While there is a 50% chance a carrier horse will pass along carrier status to their offspring, as long as we avoid carrier-to-carrier breedings we can prevent any potential foal losses due to WFFS.  There are strong opinions on both sides for allowing or not allowing carrier stock to be bred but the cautious, longview approach that has been adopted by all other registries in dealing with similiar situations has been to require testing, avoid potentially risking combinations, and focus on education of breeders and the general riding public.  

For those of you who have tested, been active in the online discussions, or contacted your registry with your thoughts - thank you!  Please continue to do so as we are a long ways from all the registries having full plans in place for handling the question of WFFS testing.  I fully expect we'll be having similiar discussions in coming years regarding other genetic traits as testing becomes more available and how we respond to WFFS will shape how future tests are integrated as well.