Foal Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome

[dalesponyrider]

Just to respond to a point Penny has made, I do understand your devils advocate argument Penny! I have gone through this in my mind with regard to D and wondered about the possibility of many carriers and being back in the post WW2 situation. I do know where you are coming from when you referred to "small" breeders in an earlier post. I have just one breeding mare who I can't ride any more. I won't sell her as she has a few problems with regard to riding! That means she is with me for life as a very expensive field ornament. If it wasn't for Gill's kindness I just wouldn't be able to have a riding pony at all. I started to think along the lines you have suggested. I wondered that, if, I found out she was a carrier, maybe I could still breed from her and only register clear foals. I could sell the carrier foals as non registered ponies. However, I am stuck with the moral/ethical argument that I can't be sure that someone would breed from that foal in the future, especially if it were a mare.

You mention

"A recessive gene is also one which given long enough will decrease within a breeding population naturally. Don't ask me for figures on that one, I haven't got the statistics etc, but the important word is recessive I am told."


I do not understand the maths either! That's two of us!

This is an example of some of the information that I feel I don't have yet. I'm not saying that anyone is deliberately hiding things or misleading me, just that I know there is research and background information that Jo's very good report is based upon, that I would like to understand myself. Like the maths and statistics that have been quoted. It's more about understanding the background.

Claire, I am coming to the AGM, I planned to before this came to light as I thought I ought to become more involved in the society as I am starting to breed from my own pony. How do you know it is going to be discussed? It isn't on the agenda. Has anyone else other than me raised a question that they know has been accepted?

I do understand you when you say that "we CANNOT infer that related ponies may be carriers until we have a test to prove this."
but I would respond, that until we have the test we CANNOT infer that they are clear.

I do not agree that we are in the same position we were before this foal died. I think we are in a better, different one, because we now know FIDS is present in our breed. Yes, we carry on breeding, but we can plan WHAT we are going to do when the test is available.

As for trusting the council or Jo, I do not trust anyone to make decisions on my behalf when I can make them for myself. I like to make my own decisions based on the information available. This is in no way a reflection on the council or Jo, just how I do things. I am not a worrier, if I can't do something about a situation, I let it go and move on. This is a situation where I am called upon to make a decision that effect my own loved mare and the wider equine population. I need to make up my own mind based on all the information available. Just like you have Claire.

[dalesponyrider]

Heather, I can see what you are saying about not alienating any breeders and accept that this could be a downside to enforcing any policy. It is a veiw that I need to take into consideration, thank you for bringing it up. This is what is so valuable about open discussion. Everyone comes to this from a slightly different veiwpoint. I for one, am valuing the points brought up!

I still think however that some sort of special meeting where we can fully discuss things to improve our understanding would be a good thing. Those that are not interested do not have to attend whereas if it's debated at the AGM it's forced down everyone's throats whether they want to discuss it or not. A less formal setting may well be more appropriate?

[dalesponyrider]

Cross posted Heather! Thanks for all your recommended reading! Not sure that I will understand it and like you, will have to trust the scientists! I'd love to talk to a scientist to see if they can help me understand all of this in layman's terms.

[dalesponyrider]

Good ides - this is exactly what a few of us were thinking of doing Heather. I wanted to give the DPS the opportunity to organise it first though which is why I have put the question that I have to the AGM. If they don't want to do it for whatever reason then we are going to go ahead anyway. One person suggested to me that we have more than one meeting anyway to give as many people as possible the chance to attend. Maybe in different areas? Depends on the availability of the experts. Let's see what the DPS say first though. I don't want to step on anyone's toes or alienate anyone.

[joashby]

The Foal syndrome is not the same as lethal white foal - its an entirely new disorder, discovered in Fell Ponies and the Vets have never seen anything quite like it before.

Linda, I do think you might just be stamping on a fews toes here, never mind stepping! If the membership would like a meeting with Professor Carter WHEN there is anything new to say, I am sure the Chairman will be happy to listen, but having sperate meetings is a really bad idea, never mind the fact the the poor old experts would be completely fed up of us by then. They give their time for free, and are surely much better spending it on getting on with the research rather than telling us the same facts over again?
We need some unity on this one, and any fact finding missions should be arranged for all.

I spent a long and careful time constructing that article for the Despatch, from the notes which the Liverpool team gave us, trying to put them in to plain English, and I am sorry if things were not made clear - I am more than happy to try to answer any other queries you may have. There is no other information to give, however, we can only wait and see what happens.

It is too early to decide anything, as we do not yet know the scale of the problem, and much thought has to be given to all sorts of issues, not least that some people's livelyhood might be at stake here - we have to consider all options carefully.

I am sure you will enjoy a lively discussion on Saturday, so see what happens there

Jo

[dalesponyrider]

I am sorry if I am stamping on toes Jo! I certainly wouldn't want to be asking ANYONE to give their time for free. That would be totally out of order. I for one would be prepared to pay a substantial fee for any time given and to fund raise for any DPS FIDS fund.

As I have said in my question, my own idea was for ONE meeting for those DPS members who wanted to discuss the issues. I agree that unity is good and feel that education about the issue should be as inclusive as possible. There are lots of ideas floating around at the moment, not all mine - so I will have to share that responsibility for toe stamping! LOL!

[maggie]

Chris Tansley MRCVS is a vet with a special interest in the Dales Pony and provided some of the initial interpretation of the information on syndrome. He has agreed to a request from the DPS Chairman to attend a meeting where members and others could discuss issues and raise questions related to EIS.

It would be useful to get an indication of whether this would be welcomed and the numbers who would like to attend.

[SuzieP]

I'd welcome it, Maggie and would attend.

[harveydales]

Yes, I'd welcome it too and would like to attend if at all possible.

[lucydales]

I'm there too, Maggie, subject to date and horse sitters, so please give us as much notice as possible.

It was lovely to see you on Sat!

[greydales]

Depending on where and when, I'd also like to attend

[zeldalithgow]

Yep me too if I can get there

[harleydales]

Depending on timing etc, I would make the effort to get there too.

[SuzieP]

Oooooh!! It'd be GREAT to meet you, Jane!

[knight]

It's so unfortunate that this has turned up. Great that it's been brought out and is being addressed though. I'll be so interested to hear about the discussion when you meet.