An Arabian colt has been born in the US who looks like a cartoon horse. The article comments on the utility effect of breeding for exaggerated features.
I am on the fence about this. On the one hand, breeding for an extreme type happens in every species we domesticate, from the Daschund Dog, Angus Cow, Bakshir Curly to the Sphinx Cat… and this is just another example of breeding towards a registry’s ideals… If it’s not okay for them to breed to the ideal that they want, it’s not okay for us to breed to the ideals we want…and I am not sure I want to live in that world. I don’t agree with the Sphinx or the Daschund but it doesn’t mean there isn’t a market or a use for them.
This colt does nothing for me, personally. I don’t like his eye or the extreme profile of his head, and I don’t think he is as nice a mover as other Arabians I have seen. He is hardly what I call perfect but I am not a halter breeder so my opinion means very little.
Some insight into the halter world, however bizarre it seems, is needed: they clip and oil the horse’s face which dramatically overemphasizes their features… They are also usually exercised before photo op so that they show maximum flare of their nostrils which also accentuates the dish of their profile and heightens the appearance of “jibbah”, or the bulge on their forehead that Bedouins claimed allowed for extra brain… And they usually take the pictures before the yearling loses their “baby face” - the extremeism you see as a foal is not always evident in the adult. And often, the photos are taken at an angle that accentuates the dish/profile. It is not always so exaggerated in person – though I do think this colt shows some serious skull deformity and is not the ideal (to me) for a beautiful Arabian.
The article is an opinion piece and as of now, is unsubstantiated. It provides no evidence or studies that the extreme head profile leads to exercise intolerance or airway obstruction.
I think some further insight is needed: finding out whether these horses have exercise intolerance, ever flip their palate/get displaced, etc, before we decide whether or not it is unethical to breed this type of profile. The other thing the vets don’t mention that I wonder about is whether or not these horses have the same ability to properly masticate - their jaws are so fluted and slender and their skulls definitely narrower than normal at the end - does this affect how molars grow?
I do not doubt that the trend towards extremism in the dished faces will eventually lead to airway obstruction issues, dentition efficiency, etc - but is it prevalent now?
I will say one thing - as bizarre as some of the arabian halterbreds look, they tend to trickle into working/riding careers when their halter career is done. I do think that is a silver lining as some other halter registries don’t necessarily see the same success WRT soundness past halter classes.
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@beowulf just saved me a ton of typing!
As an Arabian owner, I appreciate a beautiful head and neck on a horse, but this colt is too extreme for my liking. I haven’t heard any reports of these halter-bred horses having difficulty chewing, breathing, etc., but that doesn’t mean that some very extreme horses might not have problems.
I do agree that this colt will likely have a less extreme look as an adult.
You have to admit that the QH Halter people didn’t help their horses’ utility by breeding tanks on tiny feet, and that’s not even addressing the Impressive genetic defect that they spread explosively by their breeding choices.
I think breeding in extreme ANYTHING is an issue, to be honest. We see it in dogs especially, faces so flattened the dog can’t breathe, dogs so “uphill” their hips are falling out of their sockets, dogs so small they are purposefully breeding for dwarfism. We (human beings) need to be less into extremes for healthier animals - and for that matter, for healthier life styles!
I DO think we need to worry about it. Extreme movement, extreme uphill, extreme ANYTHING will get us in trouble at some point. There was a thread several years on COTH - I went back to find it because this IS something some of the research vets are starting to talk about. It is hard to research for many reasons, but it is something we all need to keep in mind… I know so many people who have lost their young fancy Warmbloods to neurological issues. Heck, I bought a young Oldenburg mare a few years back, and she ended up neuro, I never even got to ride her…
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/f…gical-problems
I don’t like seeing the breeding trends - and I agree, this colt looks malformed. I understand he’s young, and he’s gooped up to make him look even more extreme, but I do believe we (collectively, all breeders, and many registries) are not doing their animals a favor by breeding for “the most”… We need to remember FUNCTION.
The QH world is a great example. Or Bull Dogs, or Persian Cats, or German Shepards. I know this is opening a bit of a Pandora’s box, and will offend some people, sorry in advance, but it is something I do believe…
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I’ve been owning and breeding Arabians on a small scale since 1983, and hate the direction some of the halter breeders have taken. That colt’s head looks freaky and I do wonder about breathing problems in the future. Additionally, some breeders focus on getting that extreme look and to heck with movement or disposition.
You can’t ride a head.
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There is a big difference between extreme and deformed. That colt’s head is deformed and his owners should be ashamed of themselves for trying to add that to the gene pool.
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I don’t know much about Arabian breeding, but In the American Bully (dog), the hyper-extreme types are not bred primarily to show. They are bred to stabilize type, i.e. you can breed a very extreme male like that to a female that is lacking type, and you will always receive a typey animal.
​​​​​​How well that is founded in actual genetics and how much of that is just wishful thinking, I don’t know.
Horse and Hound article:
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/vets-fears-cartoon-like-arab-colt-goes-viral-634906
I remember the Arabian mare Namusca - there was similar outcry in I think 2003 or earlier. There have been other genetically abnormal Arabian faces. Are they outliers on a general curve towards more extreme looks?
Im very much against extreme breeding that leads to animals with built in health issues. Bulldogs that cannot give birth naturally. All the bully breeds with breathing issues. Dogs with ears that HAVE to be cropped off to allow them to be considered acceptable. Horses bred for tiny feet - or show systems that reward them because their focus is futurities and you can retire a mare from the ring at 4 and breed her because she’s almost shot physically. Known HYPP and PSSM horses being bred. Ugh.
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