Breeding question

[lilnickers]

I am not familiar with inbreeding or linebreeding. I do know in certain cases, father to daughter has been done, and brother to sister is a no-no. What about a mare to her nephew? (her brother's son) Is this safe?

 

[Lewella]

Linebreeding and inbreeding should both be done with caution. ANY combination of close genetic relatives has the same potential to work or not work depending on what genetic recessives are behind the individuals. Half brother to half sister is a common practice in some breeding programs and genetically more diverse than breeding sire back to daughter (or dam back to son) but unless you KNOW the lines well and have a very good idea of what is behind them I wouldn't advocate breeding that closely.

 

[Lizzie]

Inbreeding or linebreeding (a more distant form of inbreeding) can be a very useful tool, for the breeder to set type. As Lewella said however, it should only be attempted by those who are incredibly knowledgeable of the horses used and those who will appear more often in the pedigree. This not only involves conformation, but hopefully, their temperament, how long they lived, what they died of etc.

I have never though brother and sister breeding attained much, but other close breedings, can produce outstanding individuals. On the other hand, very close breedings, can suddenly bring to the fore, something nasty which has been lying hidden in the horses used. It all really comes down to how much one knows about the horses used and their backgrounds.

Inbreeding because the horses might be handy, is never the reason to breed, yet we see it constantly.

With outcrossing (horses who are not related in many generations) can also produce some good and some nasty surprises. Regardless of the type of breeding one considers, it always pays to know as much as possible, about those horses in the pedigrees.

Lizzie

 

[HGFarm]

Here is a good article that kind of describes the difference and to understand it a bit more.

http://genecarrhorseranch.com/line_breeding.php

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Linebreeding is inbreeding that "works". I avoid it.

 

[Lizzie]

I suppose Nathan, that whether inbreeding, linebreeding or outcrossing, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. We just have to start with the best, breed to the best and hope for the best.

Lizzie

 

[lilnickers]

Thank you Lewella,Lizzie and Nathan for your take on this. Laurie, I checked out the link you posted and it explains it very well. I learned quite a bit reading it. The last few paragraphs sum it up and even mentions the aunt to nephew cross. Not really sure if I am willing to step into this territory, I may only use him on select other mares. I am thinking about getting a bay blanket appy near me. He is very good looking, but I may geld him and use him for parades and shows, as I already have a stallion.

Again, thank you all for your wisdom!! I have included below those last few paragraphs from the site HGFarm posted

"Dr. Jay Lush of Iowa State University stated, "The more superior a breeder's herd or flock is to the average merit of its breed, the more reason he has to practice linebreeding to his very best animals or to the very best of the recent ancestors."

The tool selection requires the breeder to eliminate many of the offspring developed in a linebreeding program therefore more males will be eliminated than females in each generation. As one uses the linebred males it will be found that some males produce better daughters and others better sons. This will also make a selection another option as to the needs of the breeding herd.. It will be found that only a few male lines from the foundation sire will survive the process of selection over a long period of time.

A breeder should not allow more than 50% of the genes of the foundation animal appear in any individual in the herd as this will avoid incestuous relationships. Other mating patterns can be the method of maintaining 37.5% of the genes from the foundation ancestor. An example of this is easiest explained as an aunt-nephew or uncle-niece mating which is a daughter of the foundation animal mated to a grandson of the foundation animal or a son of the foundation animal mated to a granddaughter of the foundation animal. An example of the 37.5% pattern or uncle-niece pattern is shown in Exhibit 6."