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by Andrea Laycock Mattson
As a student of pedigrees (OK ... I confess, I'm a pedigree junkie) I'm very
convinced that disposition is influenced strongly by the female gene, or X-chromosome. In
recent years, there has been a lot of information surface about the X-chromosome,
including (of special interest to horsemen) the inheritance of the large heart. Human
studies have shown that intelligence is carried on the X-chromosome. Wouldn't you think,
In terms of disposition and trainability, intelligence must play a large part?
What this means, as a Performance horse breeder, is that you should be taking a good look
at the dams of stallions you consider. The genetic giant you seek may well be
located on the distaff side of the pedigree. The discovery of the inheritance of genetic
material found only on the X-chromosome is fascinating, and of particular importance to
breeders interested in intelligence and/or the large heart.
The large heart is not just a racehorse consideration. It can influence a
horse's growth and development, strength, stamina and endurance, and longevity. Many
large-hearted horses live to be 30 or beyond. A large hearted horse feels better and
physical work is easier, and therefore more fun. If a horse inherits more intelligence via
the X-chromosome, and a breeder is selecting for this gene, doesn't it stand to reason
that a Western Pleasure, or Cutting or Reining horse has much to gain by inheriting
a superior X-chromosome?
If you would like to learn more about the X-factor in Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds
and other breeds influenced by them, I have quite a bit of information on our web
site. Included are complete reprints of the 2 articles published in the Quarter
Racing Journal in June and July, 1998, written by Marianna Haun, titled "Heart of the Matter." After a
year of study, Haun discovered the trail of inheritance, pedigree-wise, of the large heart
as far back as Eclipse. The Journal editor told her they had more reader response to the
articles than anything they had ever published! These articles explain what it is,
how it is inherited, some of the horses racing today who have it, and gives a long list of
large-hearted sires of Quarter Horses whose daughters have passed the trait along to their
offspring. Not surprisingly, included among them is Three Bars, Leo, Depth Charge, Azure
Te, Dash For Cash, Easy Jet, Go Man Go, Hempen, Jackstraw, Mito Paint, Moolah
Bux, Piggin
String, Raise Your Glass, Tiny Charger, Top Deck, etc.
Many modern Pleasure Horses, Reiners, Cutters and other performance
horses trace back to these large hearted individuals. It makes me itch to set aside
all my "real" work and do some serious investigation! If anyone has been
doing their homework on this subject and would like to share observations and theories ...
please share! We'd like to hear from you.
- Related Articles:
Heart
of the Matter -- by Marianna Haun
Copyright © 2000 by Andrea Laycock Mattson. All rights
reserved. Note: If you would like to reprint this article on your web site or in a printed
magazine or horse-related newspaper, please contact the webmaster for
permission.
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