33 replies to this topic

[Trish aka JMO]

Juniper, on Sep 24 2009, 09:44 PM, said:

http://www.ncbi.nlm....Pubmed_RVDocSum

Always good to read more information on GPT....we are getting closer to having a test and this is a good thing

Thanks Juniper for the link. Every bit of information is about educating  

[Suellen Taylor]

Hooray...and praises to all who are researching!

And thanks to all who sent in samples for the testing!   

[Demelza]

Yes, ditto to that!   This is such a huge advancement.... everyone that has helped with the study deserves a big pat on the back!

[Ray]

Demelza,

I understand from previous comments on other forums (not your comments) that Dr. Nagel is and/or has been willing to share information.  Is there any information forthcoming from his breeding experiments with Hanan regarding GPT, CA, SCID, LFS, JES?  The number of highly inbred Hanan offspring which did not produce onward raises the suspicion that they may have been lost to one or more of the genetic diseases.  It could also be that they were sold out-of-country and new owners never bred them or never recorded offspring or any number of other explanations.

[Demelza]

The only think I can think of, off the top of my head, is his willingness to discuss skin pigment issues, as he's written about this in articles and his book, although I haven't read any details  regarding how far the experiment has gone. Don't know if he discusses the diseases mentioned... can you fill me in on the comments you've found so I have some more info (send me an e-mail if you like)?

Dr Wigger comes on this forum occasionally, he might know.

[Ray]

Demelza, on Oct 27 2009, 05:56 PM, said:

The only think I can think of, off the top of my head, is his willingness to discuss skin pigment issues, as he's written about this in articles and his book, although I haven't read any details  regarding how far the experiment has gone. Don't know if he discusses the diseases mentioned... can you fill me in on the comments you've found so I have some more info (send me an e-mail if you like)?

Dr Wigger comes on this forum occasionally, he might know.

Nothing specific for you.  Datasource will show you some of the registered horses from the program..you can draw your own conclusions from the inbreeding.  I am assuming this was "experimental"...maybe not.

[Juniper]

The news made it in Equus magazine!

[Demelza]

Juniper, on Oct 29 2009, 04:46 AM, said:

The news made it in Equus magazine!

[diane]

Something to read tonight    

With consideration of the authorship of Equus, it would be interesting to investigate if there is a possible/plausible link between GPT and limited breakover between the individual's skull and neck (atlas bone), and subsequently base heavy necks  

[Demelza]

diane, on Oct 29 2009, 12:00 PM, said:

Something to read tonight    

With consideration of the authorship of Equus, it would be interesting to investigate if there is a possible/plausible link between GPT and limited breakover between the individual's skull and neck (atlas bone), and subsequently base heavy necks  

I agree - it would be interesting to investigate! Since GPT is caused by a defect in the pharyngeal opening of one or both of their eustachian tubes, it's possible there is some sort of link with conformation of the neck to head attachment as well.

[NAF]

Do these horse with GPT have any particular type of head? ie extreme, straighter, moderate ?

[diane]

Demelza may have more information on this but many are not revealing who the individuals are or their parentage - at least not for public discussion which is a shame.  However, GPT isn't limited to the Arabian - so I would hazard a guess to your question and say no.  Here's a gallery I found this morning, click on the photos for enlargements and commentary...  Horse City Website with the article on GP conditions (Horse City)

[Demelza]

NAF, on Dec 11 2009, 06:11 PM, said:

Do these horse with GPT have any particular type of head? ie extreme, straighter, moderate ?

No, I think there's quite a variety in the head shape.

My thinking is along the lines of; why is it more common in the breeds who race or who are influenced by racehorses? eg TBs and some Arabs & QHs race; Appies and Warmbloods are influenced by TBs and Arabs. Is it to do with the angular construction between head and neck that race breeds tend to have (as opposed to a more curved poll of the "riding" type)... or is it simply because all of these breeds have common ancestry and quite possibly the original carrier lines are Arabian anyway?

A fellow breeder with experience of the disease suggests that you can tell which horses may have a predisposition to GPT by looking at the definition between the back of the cheek and the throat. His theory is that those who have defined/sharp edges to the back of the cheek/jaw line should be ok (and logically those cheeks would have to be wide apart, wider than the throat, to show this definition... OR the poll would have to be longer and curved and the head more gracefully set on). Those who are "meaty" through this area, with the cheeks blending into the throat or worse, the throat looking softer/puffy would in his opinion have a predisposition to GPT... but I am unclear whether he meant they are more likely to have it themselves or that they would breed it on, or both. I will have to clarify this, next time.

That was gist of his theory anyway, and I think it's worth considering. If genes for a defect in the GP are inherited, I can't see any reason why the genes for a conformation type in the throat wouldn't be inherited along with it. Another way of looking at it could be that the conformation type exacerbates the problem and is the reason for the range of severity of GPT.

[Demelza]

PS just want to add a disclaimer here - we're just brainstorming and throwing around ideas - please don't read anything I've written in my last post as anything more than speculation. ^_^