Another Quote from Fugly Horse of the Day! and a Comment

Fugly Horse of the Day!: Genetics: It's really not like playing roulette!: "Significantly, HE STAYED SOUND to get a zillion points - which to me is a HUGE reason to breed to him. If you want soundness, start with soundness."

Recently, I read a post on the DSLD Equine group which referred to a report that keeps circulating via the internet. I included the link to the report because I think it's important that people should be able to recognize it immediately for what it is and what it is not.

It IS a report that questions the existence of DSLD/ESPA and challenges the current research.

Although it includes a reference to NAPHA on the title page, it is NOT a report approved by NAPHA, nor can it be found on their website (at least I haven't found it--I did read in their minutes that the report was presented and NOT APPROVED).

Certain websites are circulating this report as a NAPHA report which includes the names of committee members whose contributions were not used nor were they consulted when the report was finalized. These members were upset that not only were their contributions ignored, but the report contains only one viewpoint. They asked to have their names removed. However, the report on the website above still contains their names on the Title Page. Also found in this report is an eMail from an individual who was not asked (nor did they give) permission to use their name or eMail. It's very easy to create a copy of the document and remove the names, eMail, and reference to NAPHA. The only reason I can see for not doing so is because it makes the report seem credible. That said, one website circulating this report did remove the eMail and names from the Title Page; however, the Title Page still says it's a NAPHA sub-committee report. (Technically, I guess that is true, but where is the statement that says NAPHA did NOT approve this report?)

As for the report itself, read it if you like, and keep in mind that

1. Dr Mero's work was peer reviewed before publication,
   
2. Drs Halper and Cothran are internationally known, recognized, and respected for their research. I can't imagine that they'd risk their reputations to research something that doesn't exist. (Would you publicly humiliate yourself in front of your peers?)
   
3. Respected magazines such as THE HORSE, HORSE JOURNAL, and EQUUS have published research findings regarding DSLD/ESPA. Yet, not one of these magazines has published the "report" found circulating on the internet.
   
4. USEF (or the United States Equestrian Foundation--which NAPHA is registered with) helped fund Dr Halper's latest research.
   
5. The AQHA funded Dr Halper's groundbreaking research on tendon and ligament cellular development (involving proteoglycans) in horses.

So, world-renowned researchers, highly esteemed magazines, and organizations such as USEF and AQHA, or some "report" floating around the internet. Who do YOU believe???

PLEASE, if you're breeding or buying, do your homework. Check out siblings, sires/dams, grandsires/granddams, etc. as far back as you can go. My mare (a Nat'l Reserve Champion by the way) didn't show any signs/symptoms of DSLD/ESPA until she was 15 years old. Keep in mind when you're researching the pedigree that this is a systemic condition...look not only for lameness, but early deaths, unexplained illnesses, etc. Because the bottom line is this: Whichever side of the research you're on, the quote from Fugly is applicable. "If you want soundness, start with soundness."