A discussion topic....

[olivia]

Well the human part of me goes "ewww incest!!" and I still think there is an issue around maintaining a wide enough gene pool, and making sure there aren't issues with resessive gene conditions.

BUT - line breeding (a rose by any other name...) is used EXTENSIVELY in rat breeding and is responsible for the robust, healthy rats in a rainbow of colours we have now. So it's not all bad....

[greydales]

I think that if you are after setting a particularly good characteristic or trait then there is an argument for using it responsibly; but in general over use will weaken the gene pool and you run the risk of encouraging genetic disorders. IMO you'd have to be very careful about which individuals you'd choose to inbreed with!

Personally I probably wouldn't use it in a breeding program, although I know lots of breeders do. JMHO!

[shirleyjones]

I maybe totally wrong but I think a lot of old dales have to an extent been inbred if you look far enough back in their papers there just was not enough of them around to breed from.

[mrsp]

I know I don't fancy my brother....YUKKIE little tyke!

[mrsp]

I put 'in breeding in horse' through google and found some pretty interesting results,including a theory that some racehorses where so in bred that they could no longer race to their full potential due to weakness in bone etc. There was also another view that without in breeding,many breeds or at least the best lines would have been lost long ago.
Therefore it seems that in breeding is a necessary 'evil' that in certain circumstances has proved invaluable but has been over used (usually because of sire financial values) causing genetic problems that may never be bred out again.
The general answer seems to be. If in breeding is the only option,then it can be used with careful planning, however if there is an alternative option then that should be the priority.

I did buy a little welsh mare from a 'meat market' many years ago and on receiving her papers it clearly showed her grand sire and sire being the same pony - the breeders excuse being 'so what,the pony's bred for meat' lovely though mellie was,you could certainly see definate defects that I always put down to her in breeding.

[echolady]

would they naturally 'inbreed/line breed' in the wild?
personaly i would search high and low for a stallion with the right characteristics that isnt bred too closley with the dam

[baroquefarm]

I think this is a touchy subject for a lot of people. I personally think that you should look at your breed well. The Dales pony is closely bred and I think for that matter that inbreeding has to be carefully watched or there will end up being problems. Just my view....

[harveydales]

That's interesting Evie. I've looked at Harvey's pedigree many times and it has never twigged that his Dad (Stoneriggs Alick) was inbred.

[baroquefarm]

I did notice the inbreeding on a few of the ponies, I just feel that inbreeding today is dangerous, especially when there are choices to not inbreed. We do not want to end up with genetic disorders that are in many breeds today because of inbreeding.

[DalesLady]

I knew S Alick was inbred in that way, but it has produced many useful ponies for the breed and not too many with faults as far as I am aware. However to continually breed in this way would more than likely have caused a few problems around and about.

Am I not correct in thinking this method of breeding was sometimes used to consolidate certain traits within a breed?

It is a touchy subject and I do not know much about it, I normally leave these subjects alone as I do not feel qualified to answer, so my intention here is purely to ask the question above.

[baroquefarm]

Yes, Penny, in lots of horse breeds, they did some inbreeding to produce a more genetic prepotent animal. I agree that it has its good points if used correctly. The main fear here is that there have been those who have used it due to necessity or accident, not choice. When you "double up" on good traits, you can also double up on the bad ones. I have seen some top notch stallions of this breed in history, and of other breeds, ie Lusitano who are inbred by definition, but their breeders knew what they were doing and had good cause. I am by no means against inbred horses in general, it does have its place, I just feel that it is dangerous for those that do not understand its uses. Am I making sense? I love pedigree and genetics research, I just wish I had more time to play with it.