Splash overo to Splash overo

[windwalker]

Hi can you breed a splash overo to a splash overo?

I just bought a splash overo mare and i'm looking to buy a stallion but want to make sure if I should breed to a solid colored stallion or can she be bred to a splash overo ,frame overo or sabino stallion?

I have heard some overo's being deaf so I dont want to produce any foals that are deaf..

So just curious to see what all of you have to say...

Thanks ..

 

[valshingle]

I'm no expert on breeding pintos, but I can tell you that Overos can carry the LWO gene - that stands for Lethal White Overo. If two horses are bred that are positive for the Lethal White Overo gene (LWO+, one copy each parent), you can get a foal (25% chance) that carries two copies of the gene and that is a fatal result. The foal will be born white and die within a few days.

I'm sure those that breed Overos will pipe in soon.

 

[TyeeRanch]

I have always been taught the same thing. You never want to breed Overo to Overo, Roan to Roan, etc.

We actually have a stallion that is one of our old retired show horses that is a blue roan. His dam was a red roan and sire was a bay roan. He should have been born with the LWO gene, but luckily wasn't. He hasn't however ever sired a live foal. Each time he was bred, regardless of the color of mare, there was a malformation and abortion in the resulting foal. Genes are something to be very careful of.

 

[windwalker]

Thanks for your repley...As soon as I get her home she will be tested for LWO..

 

[windwalker]

I have heard that you shouldn't breed roan to roan and I've heard of LWO but didnt know much about it...I just want to make sure I buy and breed her to the right stud..

Thanks for your reply..

I want to learn all I can..

 

[Becky]

There are no lethal genes involved breeding splashed white to splashed white. There is a possibility of maximum white horses being deaf in both splashed pattern as well as frames. I would definitely test for LWO in two breeding horses as there is a lethal gene involved breeding two LWO horses together.

There are no lethal genes inolved breeding roan to roan. That theory has been disproven.

 

[Songcatcher]

So many people have a misconception of the term "Overo". Some people hate the term and would like to see it abolished, because basically it means "any Pinto not Tobiano".

LWO is the gene that produces Frame Overo, but can easily hide when mixed with other patterns. I encourage the testing of most horses, and especially Pintos for the LWO gene. As long as one of the mating pair is negative for LWO, there is no problem breeding them together, but two LWO positive horses should NEVER be bred together.

"Splash Overo" bred to "Splash Overo" will not cause any problems unless both also carry LWO. Also, breeding Roan to Roan will not cause an LWO foal unless both parents also carry the LWO gene.

Edited: Oops! Posting at the same time as Becky.

 

[windwalker]

Thanks Ladies...This really helps..She will be tested...

Now just to find mister right once I know how she tests...

 

[REO]

Yes, LWO is Frame overo. And Splash is a different gene than LWO.

Only LWO-Frame is lethal if both parents are carriers and if the foal gets the gene from both. (They say a 50% chance)

Breeding Splash to Splash is safe. But it's always safest to test them for LWO since you can't always tell by looking at them if they carry LWO or not. And if one does not carry it, then it's safe to breed to any horse. But if the one you test IS a LWO carrier than you'll have to test every horse you plan to breed to it.

None of my Splash horses are deaf, not even my Max splash colt. I have not met one either. Isn't deafness more in big horse lines than mini ones? (NO I'm not saying it can't or doesn't happen, just asking if it's more in the big horses)

 

[Carolyn R]

The studdies on deafness referred to in splash and overos has to do with the skin pigmentation in the inner ear. Lack of pigmentation in the inner ear can cause a horse to be deaf due to there being no reception in the deadened nerve endings. While it is associated with splash and overo, it is how the pigment or lack there of, is dispersed. A deaf horse may or may not be of maximum expression.

 

[susanne]

I do know of a splash overo mini stallion, formerly owned by an acquaintance, who is indeed quite deaf.

The lack of inner ear skin pigmentation definitely fits with this particular horse.

This is a sweet, gentle horse, but sadly he is being bred with no regard to his deafness.

 

[MooreAcres]

Susanne -- I would be interested in knowing who the horse is that you are referring to...would you PM me please or email me at [email protected]

 

[windwalker]

Thanks so much everyone...This helps a lot..Love this forum everyone is so helpful and I've learned a lot by reading other posts...Thanks again..

 

[Songcatcher]

None of my Splash horses are deaf, not even my Max splash colt. I have not met one either. Isn't deafness more in big horse lines than mini ones? (NO I'm not saying it can't or doesn't happen, just asking if it's more in the big horses)

From my observations, deafness is much more prevalent in big horses than in Minis. There is one particular line in Paints or Quarter Horses (which do carry Splash) where it occurs very often. This leads me to believe that there may be a cause other than (or in addition to) Splash.

 

[kaykay]

That is true that is not nearly as common in miniatures.

Another problem breeding splash to splash is you will usually get an almost all white horse. Now if that is what you want no problem but if you DONT want mostly white horses dont breed splash to splash. I know a farm that did this (they didnt understand splash) and their entire foal crop was almost all white horses which can be a little hard to sell. Many horses carrying splash dont look like a typical splash so its easy to do

 

[wcr]

I have based my overo breeding program on breeding splash to splash and never had a problem. I haven't had any maximum whites or deaf horses. I did breed splash to sabino but I stay away from frame horses. The most white I have had is about as much as the horse in my avatar. Many of my mares look solid but have come from splash parents.

 

[windwalker]

Having almost or all white foals is not what I want...Thanks ladies for your replies....

 

[wildoak]

We had a deaf mini foal a number of years ago who also fit the criteria. She was a complete surprise, as we bred our solid sorrel stallion to a palomino mare with a blaze and blue eyes....loud colored filly, completely deaf. The mare obviously carried more than we realized at the time.

Jan

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

We crossed my splash overoloosa stallion (LWO neg):

with a splash tobiano mare (LWO neg):

twice and ended up with these:

Black Splash/Appaloosa colt (was born solid black, blue eyes, now appying out)

And last year we got this:

Loud Black Splash Filly

And as far as not wanting almost white or completely white horses, when breeding pintos is pretty much a crapshoot (just as breeding for patterns in appies!) Was totally NOT expecting this colt from this cross.. Dam is a SOLID bay, sire is my black pinto Doc, so I'm betting Doc is a splash carrier though not noticeable on him:

 

[chandab]

And as far as not wanting almost white or completely white horses, when breeding pintos is pretty much a crapshoot (just as breeding for patterns in appies!) Was totally NOT expecting this colt from this cross.. Dam is a SOLID bay, sire is my black pinto Doc, so I'm betting Doc is a splash carrier though not noticeable on him:

They are all nice, but he is too cute, and it looks like he fell butt first into a big bucket of white paint.