>>>> Now, there's an interesting genetic question. I always learned that when it comes to genetics, A + B always = A or B, not a mix of the two (ie if you breed a horse with a big head with one with a small head, you will get either a big or a small head, not a medium head)
In the example of the head, well, the head isn't really just one entity, even though we see it that way. You have the size/shape of the skull, the length/shape of the jaw, the diameter of the muzzle, etc. - several bones and joints to combine and recombine in many combinations. Some breeds of horses typically have "typey" heads - QH usually have strong, square jawlines, where Arab fads have leaned more and more to the teacup muzzles. I've seen crosses where I could see elements of both parents...and honestly, I can't ever remember seeing an Arab cross that had a really tiny muzzle. Think of it like humans - my husband's family is tall all around - his mom was 5'11" and his dad 6'1", and his "little" brother is 6'5". Cary is 6'2". My family is mostly very short with only a couple of exceptions - my mom is 5'0" and my dad was 5'4". I'm 5'0". Cary and I have one daughter, who's right on the national average for women. She's 5'4", neither tall nor short. Even eye colors will "blend" somewhat in color. Often you see one blue-eyed parent with a brown-eyed spouse and they will produce a green or hazel-eyed child. Cary has light-brown/hazel eyes from such a marriage. I have my father's chin but my mother's jawline, so I didn't literally get my head from either one of them. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
