Deafness in Overo Paints

[wildoak]

We've only had one deaf baby, and it was obvious pretty early on. Her reactions to her environment were just not normal - she belonged to a friend, I had just foaled out the mare for her so I didn't get to keep her around longer than a few weeks but I "tested" her when I became suspicious and she had no reaction to coming up and making loud noises directly behind her. She was a beautiful, loud overo filly by a solid sorrel, out of a solid mare with blue eyes & bald face. Something of a surprise for us all lol. She was lost, fyi, to a snakebite as a yearling.. if the snake rattled I assume she wouldn't have heard it and been warned away.

Jan

 

[rabbitsfizz]

See, sorry to pick on you,Wildoak btw, nothing personal I assure you, but, honestly what does "overo" mean??

Nothing, it tells us nothing. What pattern was the deaf horse? (probably Splash, by the sounds of it. )I don't think I have heard of a straight Sabino being deaf, but how on earth would you know whether it was straight Sabino??

There is no reason, and I am certainly not saying, that all "white" horses are deaf. I have had blue eyed white Persians with perfect hearing, I have had deaf, odd eyed Persians (and they are supposed to be able to hear.)

Just as Splash gives blue eyes a lot of the time, but does not have to give blue eyes, so it brings deafness some of the time (or so it would seem)and when it does it is to horses with white on or in the ears- maybe!!

I have also seen red collies , carrying Merle, look solid red and be deaf. We have not found out the whys of this, yet, only a few "maybes"

 

[shelterwood]

Hey all,

I'm bumping this up to ask a question. Now that I see there is a test for the splash gene, and am learning so much from these posts, I'm wondering how to access the test and how much it costs? I am curious only because my mare's deafness is obviously related to her coloring, and wonder if she is all splash or a combination of things. She roans out quite a bit, I don't know if that means anything?? I have no intentions of breeding her, as she was a rescue and I have no clue as to her bloodlines etc, and don't think the world needs another unregistered, unknown mini/pony as I see too many that need homes as it is. Taking that into account, is there any reason for me to get her tested? Besides my own knowledge to share with all of you?? thanks

Katie

 

[Lizzie]

I rather think that it would be interesting to get testing results on as many deaf horses as possible. There is obviously something else going on in these horses.

In Gypsies - and there are now over 20,000 in the US, I would say the vast majority are tobiano, splash and sabino of one type or another. So far on our forums, we have never heard of deaf horses. Either uni-lateral or bi-lateral. The Gypsy breeders in the UK, actually consider white ears 'lucky'. Thousands of them do have one or both white ears. With Splash being prominent in the breed, we see many blue eyes. I'm still not sure that some kind of sabino, might not also cause blue eyes though. Like Minis, Gypsies are found in every colour, except frame.

Lizzie

 

[Sandy B]

A very popular Quarter Horse(and paint) line (in the reining) produces a lot of deaf offspring and MANY of these offspring have gone on to win thousands if no over $100,000 in the reining arena. You just have to adjust your way of training.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

If she is deaf, and she is Pinto, she has Splash, so no need to test. Sab1 is pretty pointless, and as you will not be breeding her LWO is not of interest, so I would save your money!

 

[shelterwood]

If she is deaf, and she is Pinto, she has Splash, so no need to test. Sab1 is pretty pointless, and as you will not be breeding her LWO is not of interest, so I would save your money!

Thanks Jane! That's kind of what I was thinking. I wonder with the development of this genetic test that they will start to pinpoint more directly the how's and why's of the deafness, as in why only a select few end up with the loss of hearing. Must just be a pattern thing, and where the white falls in the inner ear.

 

[Songcatcher]

If she is deaf, and she is Pinto, she has Splash, so no need to test.

Odds are, that is correct. However, the possibility exists that the deafness could be caused by something else.

If the animal is not a breeding animal, I don't think I would go to the expense of testing. I would just accept the visual color/patterns for what they appear.

 

[PaintsRule]

Okay I have a question because I cant seem to find an answer anywhere else. Since the hairs inside the ear also affect balance in humans, is there the possibility that the lack of hairs inside the ear that causes deafness in splashed white overos (my understanding is that its this lack of pigment in the INNER ear that causes deafness and it is not always linked to the outside ear being white also) if it was only in one ear cause a horse that is deaf in one ear to have balance problems? Our splashed white mare that has white totally over her one ear, was not turned out in the field for a time and when turning her out she seemed to stagger once in awhile. I went and pushed on her hips and she is solid and does not appear to be in pain for any reason.... and then after being out awhile she seemed to be better.....