>>> I am here to learn, not argue. And since I'm never a breeder, I have fallen behind on the "new" ability to determine color by DNA/genetic testing and I confess when my friend Amber gets off on color testing, I blank out.
I HAVE been a breeder, Nancy, and I may breed a few more before I die, but color simply isn't important to me. Not only that, while I find it vaguely interesting, I cringe when people obsess about color. There are a FEW issues with color that I DO think are important - the link to ASD with silver dapples, the fatal "lethal white" combination, etc. That's part of responsible breeding. Beyond that, color is a poor reason to breed a horse. I joined the Icelandic color list when I first decided to breed, and I'm still a member, but I rarely check in. I got disgusted seeing the poor conformation in so many of the pictures of the horses were using for breeding. I HATE it when someone says that a given horse has "a weak rear end but a 9 for mane" or "he has cowhocks but he's a rare silver dapple dun" - especially when that horse is a BREEDING STALLION. I'm certain that breeding for color will be the demise of this breed, and it's so sad. Many people deny doing it, but I know better. It's really rampant in this breed. Anyone can SEE color, but it takes effort to learn conformation, gaits, traits for long-term soundness, etc., and too many breeders aren't willing to make that effort. I hate it for our horses. I have never bought an Icelandic horse - or any horse - because of color. If I had to confess, I probably bought leopard App Joe despite his color, rather than because of it. He is a sensible horse, built to be a hunter or low-medium level dressage horse, and he was a safe horse for my then 11-year-old daughter. They actually did well in competition, but in those days it was pretty startling to see a bold leopard App pattern in the sea of bays, dark bays, chestnuts, bays and bays. It would have been just as silly to pass on buying him because of his color as it would have been to buy a horse simply because of color. Now, that said - look what I have in my pasture. Because I've bought with a blind eye to color, with my focus totally on good minds, sound conformation and natural gaits, I have in fact accumulated a variety of colors, and that happened in my pre-Icelandic herd as well as in my Icelandic's. But that's because good horses come in ALL colors, and if you buy good horses, you'll likely end up with a variety of colors. I've actually hit the point when I'm relieved that my foals are a "boring" color. At least I feel sure that their potential buyers will be looking at them for what they ARE...not just for what they look like. God help little Miss Buttercup with her red-dun-ness...I hope her future is a good one. Sorry, but that was MY soapbox of the day - I'm sure Janice could have done it in a more entertaining way. :) Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.5/1398 - Release Date: 4/25/2008 2:31 PM
