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Sunbride

Breeding with wind problem

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Just seeking others' opinion. I have a 5 year old Falkirk mare that won a 1000m trial but was found wanting over 1200m. On scoping she was classified as having a grade 4 paresis. Her dam (imported form USA)  did not race but her 3 siblings have won in NZ, Japan and France. She is a good natured, big, roomy mare sound in the legs. Would you breed from her or is there a risk of passing on the wind problem? Thanks for your input.

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Sunbride, as no one appears to want to answer your question I will.

If you are breeding to sell don't breed from her, as you will most likely end up with a disaster on your hands at some stage. What I am saying is, if you invest a lot of money on service fees etc you could end up with a massive loss through the resultant progeny failing the scoping test.

On the other hand if you breed to race the situation is slightly different although not that much, but maybe worth the gamble if you don't invest too much.

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Sunbride seeing her three siblings must be good breathers I would not worry too much about possible wind afflictions in her progeny.Falkirk had freakish speed despite throwing a front leg badly.A friend of mine rode him regularly in trackwork when he raced in Australia.In his words it was like riding a washing machine.A lot of his progeny throw a front leg as well.I would be more worried about her passing on this characteristic.Breeding to race might be the go.Good luck!

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Thank you to those who responded. In the end she has gone to be a hack with the possibility of breeding to a warmblood. I found I can go to the sales and pick up something to have a bit of fun with at a cost far below that of breeding and bringing it on to the yearling stage so that's the go for me for now. Cheers.

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Sunbride - I love breeding and rearing foals but in a business sense - you have probably pulled the right rein.

 

There are some genetic factors at play with wind problems but that doesn't make it an easy affliction to predict from the breeding barn - or the armchair!  There is believed to be an added risk in those really big, long types with a great length of rein on account of anatomical issues to do with vagal nerves and associated matters.  And then there is one of this country's most revered sires who has been a wonderful stallion but also has a reputation of producing more than his share of horses with wind problems... didn't stop breeders flocking to him, or the stud-master hiking his fee, or many of his progeny from winning ...

 

Sorry for our late responses - but in the end - it's hard to know.  It's an art and a science - but also a lottery, this horse breeding game.  By buying a weanling you have taken at least a little of the chance out of the equation ...

 

Best of luck - presume you're heading to Karaka in May??   :huh:       

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Jess

 

" By buying a weanling you have taken at least a little of the chance out of the equation.."

 

I agree with your point Jess , but on the topic of the thread can you check for breathing problems with a weanling or is it too early in the development of the horse ?

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Hi Breeder - yep - as you probably gathered when I wrote of chance - it was more in the way of things like conformation, type etc - oh - and the fact it's alive and on the ground! - compared with the elevated risks and vagaries of breeding ..

 

As for wind and weanlings - yes you could check but it's still not going to tell you for sure there will be no issues in that regard as a yearling or yet later on ...

 

J

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Jess my experience after 15 years of being a trackwork rider is that the horses most prone to wind problems are colts/geldings with short very muscular necks.The best book on the subject is Specifications for Speed in the Racehorse The Airflow Factors by W.Robert Cook.Also google Recurrent Laryngeal Neuropathy.

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Interesting G.

 

And of course we've been referring to wind problems - which covers a variety of issues - not just laryngeal neuropathy but also epiglottic entrapments and other variations - so we've been generalising.

 

Interested to hear of your history - what a wealth of knowledge you must have gleaned from riding work all those years.  Invaluable I'd imagine.  It's perhaps one of the shortcomings of many a training operation these days I believe - lack of professional and highly skilled track riders. 

 

I'm hoping no-one jumps down my throat here - I'm not saying there aren't a number of them around the place - just not enough I reckon! 

 

The value of a good rider in assessing a horse, judging pace, advising re any anomalies in stride (short of actual visible lameness) and wind - and any number of other skills - cannot be over-estimated.

 

The horse/trainer and owner benefits so much more if they have the services of such a rider - rather than a half-interested lightweight, who turns up (more or less) most days and just goes through the motions while they listen to their iPod ...

 

I really do take my hat off to the responsible, professional track riders who take pride in their job and are so highly skilled. 

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I know wind is very important obviously, but ive heard of quite a few good gallopers lately that have been good, then got scoped for some reason and found the need the wind op, then they still continue to be good racehorses.

Makes ya wonder about all the yearlings that don't make it to the sales due to failing the scope, whether they would be worth a gamble or not, a bad scope may not be the be all end all if its a nice horse apart from that? Any one had any experiences with this?

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