Regarding the possible future DNA testing for Chondrodysplasia-like Dwarfism

[Tremor]

Good post, Tremor-it's tough "knowing", isn't it? I will be so glad when we have tests for them all. Just the first 4 will be fantastic

Yes, I do think Husseler was King Supreme's sire. LK really liked their Komokos lines, the color and size fits, the pretty heads fit. Of course Husseler may have been a carrier, I don't know, but not a dwarf himself. He was thicker than what we're used to seeing nowadays (but not for back then), in pasture condition without being clipped and set up, and the picture was taken from above, so keep that in mind. I do wish I could go back in time and see these foundation horses in person!

Time travel would be fantastic, and not even to mess with people but just to see these horses! I was finally able to track down a GOOD portion of my 2013 colt's pedigree, but there are STILL missing links. I would give anything to go back in time and just SEE what a lot of these horses look like so that I could have a good idea of what he'd grow into, but I thankfully have a pretty good idea right now.

I could easily see Husseler being a carrier as well. I could see a lot of the "dwarf" stallions in our horses pedigrees just as being carriers because who honestly knows?!

I cannot wait for the tests to come out. I'm hoping that it'll be one test overall, and it'll tell us what the other four say like the SW tests.

 

[horsehug]

Just thought I'd mention this page on Tony's Little America site.

http://www.littleamericaminis.com/reference/historicalstallions.html

He does not have all of them of course but has lots of stallions from the past and actually saw most of them at one time or another also. And he has always been happy to answer any questions that I had as well, about any horses he had seen.

He has interesting little bits of info on some of them on their pages also.

About Little Husseler, I'm not sure if the picture on Tony's site is the one you are talking about, as this picture looks to me like it was taken by someone down on his same level. And yes he was in fact the sire to Little King Supreme, who you are correct in saying was not a carrier of a dwarf gene.

Just a little more info, in case any of it helps. I always love looking at the old pictures as well.

Susan O.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I have only ever seen one picture of Husseler- it is possible that, in the days before digital, that was the only decent picture ever taken . It is however, always a point of significance to me when only one picture is ever used! Egyptian King was around a long time ago and there are loads of pictures available of him......

I personally know of at least one horse who has recently gone champion and is, IMO, a dwarf. Obvioulsy I shall not name it, but these things are still, even today (or a few years ago, anyway) happening.

 

[tagalong]

Tremor-do you believe Komokos Little Husseler was a dwarf, or dwarf carrier?

I met Husseler in person a couple of times when he had moved to Canada. Tony has vehemently disagreed with me on this - but he was a dwarf. No doubt about it. At least his legs were not badly messed up - but he toed out in front and had clubby front feet. He was rather post-legged in back. I would have liked to see his bite as he had a very "pug" face. Even a non-horse person with me on the trip asked me what was wrong with that "odd little horse". I wish I had taken pictures - then it would have been obvious.

How do we know for a fact that Supreme was not a carrier of any kind of dwarfism without testing him for all types possible? I figure that 50% of all minis would test positive as carriers.

Husseler... he was older and a lot coarser when I met him. The second pic flatters him IMO...

]

This week. a friend in NY state was offered an AMHR mini stallion as a "show prospect". He was 28 1/2" tall and definitely a dwarf.

 

[ohmt]

I think John had said that with the number of foals sired by King supreme and the mares he was crossed with (maybe known dwarf carriers?) he felt safe saying he was not a carrier of any dwarf genes.

I think Husseler was short and thick, but not a dwarf, though of course he may very well have been a carrier. Therein lies the issue-people insist various horses were dwarfs or produced them, but do we know FOR SURE before pointing fingers, because there are many horses who have dwarf characteristics, but that doesn't automatically make them a dwarf themselves. The testing will be very nice to have.

 

[tagalong]

Well, I actually met him. Not just in pictures. And yes, he was a dwarf - with as many "characteristics" as he had, he could not have been anything else. If you had seen the short, stunted, thick, coarse, club-footed, pug-faced little horse I saw, you would have thought the same thing. He was not "just" an "old style" mini. This was about 1995 -1996. (?) It is not "fingerpointing" - it is factual observation. I am not just looking at a pic on the computer and pointing fingers - I am basing my opinion on seeing the actual horse several times. Up close.

If only I had had a cell phone then, I would have videoed him and there would be no doubt about what you were looking at. I was not the only one who was put off - or outright horrified - when they saw him. No one here - and now - would have thought he was anything but a dwarf if they saw him in person at the time. But back then, people were not that worried or knowledgable about the entire dwarf issue - and small was important. And Husseler was very small, had huge eyes and was a cool color (red dun). All that was very desirable at the time.

But Tony has argued with me in the past about Husseler.

I know what I saw - as did the others. We will just agree to disagree.

 

[chandab]

Tag, your second picture isn't showing.

 

[Mona]

Chanda, right click on it and copy/paste the url into your browser and it will work that way.

 

[ohmt]

Personal observation/opinion is different than scientific fact. Not that I don't believe you, but there are many threads on here where half of the people commenting are "positive" the horse is a dwarf and the other half are "positive" the horse is not a dwarf. I know Tony has seen his fair share of dwarfs and non dwarfs so we have two very smart, long time horse breeders who disagree. So, again, the tests will be great to have!