Yea I was just reading about the OLWS. It’s of particular interest to me because he is a frame overo and they left him a stud for a long time (rest assured, he is no longer able and does not have foals on the ground).
Even though that’s recessive, it’s a scary genetic flaw!
I did meet a mare with HERDA once. Her owner was a vet and “saved her” because she wasn’t all that bad (as far as HERDA goes). I don’t know that the mare was ever going to become useful in any way, but I thought that particular mutation was fascinating and horribly maladaptive.
What I don’t know/understand is why we know/understand these things in the QH/Paint/ApHC breeds, but I’ve not heard of too many of those types of genetic issues in TBs (and I would assume that their numbers are similar). I know there are many other issues that TBs have related to conformation (such as the lower leg weaknesses in the Northern Dancer lines), but rarely a freak gene like HERDA, HYPP or OLWS. Am I just not in the know?
