>>> And the genetics doesn't seem to be simple. In the US and Canada the Peuvian horse registries require that any stallion registered for breeding must have a vet certificate stating that the horse "has two normally descended testicles".
No, it certainly doesn't seem simple. >>>The cryptorchids I've had go back at least two generations on both sire and dam side through stallions registered under that requirement. Yet the occasional cryptorchid still shows up. That's one reason that some people think (key words here: "SOME PEOPLE" and "THINK" - it's not known...) it can be carried through the mare - the fuss is always made over the stallions because it's hard to ignore in them, but I have only read a little bit about records kept for mares. There are at least a few incidents of mares producing multiple cryptorchid colts, no matter whom they were bred to... One key word in what you said is "occasional." I'd consider "occasional" maybe to be something like 5-15% or less. What I hear tells me it's much more common than that in Icelandic's. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if it's as much as 50% in some form or another, but how will we ever know if we don't talk about it? BTW, I took my name out of the subject line. Susan, I have no problem with your having included it to begin with, but I think the main thing that separates me from some others is that I'll talk openly about this. I've had three colts born here, one with "late descenders" and two perfectly normal. I'm pretty sure this is not just random bad luck on my part. If I had to guess, I'd guess the breed percentages AT LEAST at my own 33%, very likely even higher. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
