Want people's honest opinions about HYPP. Do you agree or disagree with AQHA's rule?
As of 2008, AQHA mandated that any horses with Impressive in it's bloodline born on or after January 1, 2007 be tested and any H/H horse not allowed into the registration. I personally am glad they took the action, but feel it has been way too long in coming and wish they would have done more sooner. Just want other people's honest opinions. Are you for or against?
2009-03-26T08:24:35Z
I agree that more associations need to follow suit. I have seen a couple of very nice horses die from the HYPP attacks and I felt terrible knowing there was nothing more I could do to help.
2009-03-27T23:53:49Z
It seems you al agree with the rule change. I know several people who don't unfortunately.
Kevin Says Slide'n'Ride2009-03-26T07:21:35Z
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I think its at least 15 years too late and the Paint and Appy associations need to fallow suit and quick. I have personally owned a horse with HYPP, and it is a debilitating condition to horses. I am for this rule, I just wish it had happened long ago.
I totally agree with this action. Keep that junk out of your registration. In Brazil right now QH business in picking up and booming down there. They have some of the healthiest best put together stock right now cause they are all importing from the US and already have it mandated that you cannot import horses with HYPP. They want only the best in their stock and they are paying and I mean paying top dollar for these horses.
I was at a professional halter handler's stable back in January (don't want to incriminate any names). They had just received in a two year old filly about a three weeks before that they had been waiting on her test result to get back, and had just gotten them back a couple of days before I was there. Her test result were positive. I'm talkin' this was a good looking filly. Very well put together horse. But he had to get this mare out of his barn. They were giving her away. Who wants a horse that could possibly drop dead on you at any second anyway. But what urks me is that they still allow H/N carriers in the Association. They are of no use to any body but the halter people any way, they just like that extra muscling.
Sure these diseases could have been avoided and dealt with sooner. But look at when SCID reaked havoc on the Arabians and half arabian horse world back in the 70's and 80's. Took us a while to get that under control and regulated.
HYPP is just more of an argument against close inbreeding. HERDA is another genetic disease brought on by inbreeding. This is a good move by the AQHA and should be the rule in other breeds. I have 2 mares with Impressive in their bloodlines and I had no way of knowing if the were carriers of HYPP when I bought them. Testing should be required of all horses with Impressive backgrounds. No horse should be bred that is H/H or H/N.
Hypp has been accepted in many stock breeds by a percentage of owners for one reason - horses with the condition tend to be good halter horses with bulky muscle mass. In fact, Hypp can improve mass because the constant tremors that some have can build muscle. This is why some people will still willingly buy and breed to horses with H/N, they like the traits that come with the problem. Note you do NOT find performance stallions advertised with Hypp, but you sure can find lots of halter stallions with it. Of course AQHA should have done this many years ago. And my association, APHA, shouldn't be waiting around either. It is wrong to breed horses knowingly with a potentially dangerous or even deadly health problem, just because you like their muscle mass. And even if you are a halter breeder you know there are many good halter horses out there that do not have Hypp. So the disease is not necessary to produce a good halter horse, and should be eliminated. But it isn't just horse people that struggle with these issues. Many dog breeds have serious genetic problems that are actually purposely bred for because they have good traits that come with the bad. Examples? English Bulldogs. Wonderful dogs with health issues. Narrow pelvises and large heads so most need c-sections. This wasn't true of the breed years ago, but selective breeding to get that specific look that show people want has increased the seriousness of the problem. I would not buy a horse with Hypp, either H/H or H/N. I have enough of a challenge keeping a normal horse sound, healthy and happy! Why look for trouble?
I'm THRILLED the AQHA finally did this- I wish they'd done it SOONER, in fact. Why did they wait so long? Because it took so long for them to finally get around to doing this, we have a lot of horses out there who keep passing this horrible genetic problem on. HYPP is an UGLY condition which cripples horses and shortens their overall lifespan by many years, and it's a CRIME to breed horses which are known carriers of it.