Night Blindness help please

[teng]

Hi everyone, i'm sure someone can help me

I have a 6wk old colt that i've had tested for colour and Appaloosa gene (he's out of a Pintaloosa mare)

result came back LP/lp and says - heterozygous, horse carries one copy of the Appaloosa LP gene and is a carrier of CSNB, but could'nt tell me if he has night blindness himself, are there any simple tests i can do to find out if he does have it, he's stabled at night.

Judy

SEE PAGE 2 FOR PHOTO ADDED.

 

[Riverrose28]

Do you have a small flashlight and a helper? Also in App.s a symptom of night blindness is that one eye is smaller then the other. Now, back to the flashlight, Go out when it is dark, have your helper stand on the oppisite side of the horse at his head holding the halter, you take your flashlight and shine it into the horses eye on your side, have you helper see if the eye on the oppisite side reacts to the light, such as the pupil constricting, the pupil should dialate when the light is removed. Do this on both sides. Maybe Dr. Taylor will chime in with more to help you.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Watch him in the dark...most you can tell right away...hard to describe...my boy didn't move around much at night..startled easily...much worse if I forgot to take off the fly mask before it got dark out...eyes a bit blank and wide..etc. I used solar lights..people use Christmas strands of lights on the fence...easily managed... I love happy's...best wishes...

 

[teng]

Thankyou Riverrose 28 & Shorthorsemom for your suggestions, just needed a pointer in the right direction.

A couple of hours after he was born, i had to change the light battery as it was fading, in those few short minutes he went wild - bumping and running into the stable walls, would that be an indication ? friends that i've asked about it said it was probably coincidence, i'm not convinced though.

 

[ohmt]

The night blindness comes from LP/LP homozygous, not heterozygous.

 

[teng]

The night blindness comes from LP/LP homozygous, not heterozygous.

Would that mean they have the test wrong then ?

 

[ohmt]

No, i believe it means that since he is heterozygous LP that he is also a carrier for night blindness, but does not have it as I believe it is recessive and a horse needs 2 genes to become night blind. I have many appaloosas, but only two that are night blind and they are the only two homozygous LP appies.

I could be wrong as it is has been a while since I have read up on it, but I do know that all homozygous LP horses are night blind, which led me to the conclusion that it is recessive.

 

[teng]

Thankyou ohmt, you reply has been really helpful more so than the genetic people who could'nt tell me whether he was/was'nt night blind !

 

[HGFarm]

It is also my understanding that there are also different degrees of night blindness- some just mild, some more severe. But your horse should not have a problem since the horse is not homozygous.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Google the appaloosa project..night blindness. It can also be color pattern related so my boys breeder had already told me about using some type of lighting for my boy so he could navigate at night. The snowcap appaloosa is night blind for instance . What you described about the flashlight sounds possible ...my boy did that once...another time when I left on the fly mask he startled into a wall. Whether your baby is night blind or not...it is easily managed...if you suspect I would try some rope lighting or solar lights...I got those ones you stick into the ground and put them along the fence on the outside. No problems after that.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Edited after reading the appaloosa project...heterozygous with only 1 copy of Lp gene will have night vision in the normal range...your baby probably just spooked...interesting thread and topic..glad you posted...best wishes

 

[Charlotte]

As to the issue of the new foal running into the walls when light is suddenly removed, I've seen this happen a number of times with new foals...non app foals. They panic at the sudden removal of light. I try to be sure that at the time the foal is going to have to be in the dark I let dark come on naturally rather than suddenly turning off the lights. The gradual darkness allows their eyes time to adjust.

 

[teng]

Thankyou all for your replies - i did read the appaloosa project but the Genetics person made me unsure after saying he 'could' be night blind.

I'll post a pic of the little guy !

 

[teng]

Sorry could'nt attach on the other post

here's my little guy !