Those readers of the blog who also follow the HWSS Facebook page will already know that last month the number of hits on the blog reached 20,000 - this total has been reached in 19 months of operation. As of right now the hits are 20,570. There has been big upsurge in traffic, especially from Ireland. As the number of hits from Ireland does not even register in the top ten source countries, which is deemed to indicate a low internet presence, this increase in traffic may be in part due to the following:
To whomsoever paid for and listed this advertisement the Irish Connemara Pony breeders should be grateful. From the perspective of the global community the significance of the HWSS issue does not seem to be understood in the heartland of Connemara pony breeding.
It is a proven fact that continuing to ignore the existence of a genetic disease will do far more harm to the sales market than accepting that there is indeed a problem and doing something positive about it. This has been proven in the past in the case of both HYPP and HERDA.
"Following the analysis, it appears that the Connemara Pony breed is being confronted with two problems. Firstly, the survival of the traditional type of breed is under threat, and secondly, the genetic diversity of the breed is diminishing.
Today, the riding industry is an important outlet for Connemara Ponies. However, there is concern that this industry is instigating a shift from the traditional type of pony, to a taller, ‘modern’ type. The traditional type of Connemara Pony is perfectly adapted to the environment in which it developed and is completely distinct from other equine breeds. It may be necessary to safeguard against market forces inciting the disappearance of the traditional type of pony, which is a valuable national resource, and once lost can never be recovered.
The results generated from the characterisation of the Connemara Pony population indicate that past breeding practices have caused a significant loss in the breeds’ genetic diversity. To ensure that the genetic variation in the breed does not recede to a detrimental level, breeding policies need to be altered.
In future, it is vital that sire family sizes become more balanced, giving all stallions a better opportunity to breed their own replacements in the next generation. This would help to control the level of inbreeding and genetic diversity within the population.
The stallions used for breeding are closely related to each other and tend to be of similar ancestry or breeding lines. From a genetic diversity perspective it may be advantageous to have a pool of breeding stallions that are less related to each other to bestow a variety of genes to the proceeding generations.
As relationships among animals in the present population is high the mating of related animals is inevitable. Breeders must be very vigilant in respect to the stallions that they use for breeding to ensure that a minimal amount of inbreeding is practised.
There are 16 different countries, outside Ireland, that have formed their own Breeders’ Societies and maintain their own stud books. A study is presently being undertaken to characterise the Connemara Pony populations in a number of these countries. It is hoped that these animals may be a source of genetic variability that could be used to widen the gene pool of the Irish Connemara Pony population.
Adequate genetic diversity is vital for the long term health and viability of any population. Thus, it is vital that breeding practices are altered in order to secure the future prosperity of the Connemara Pony breed.'
Sadly this advice does not appear to have been taken on board by the majority of the ruling elite within the pony breeding community worldwide, not just in Ireland.
Analysis of the genetics of the Connemara pony in all of the countries where the ponies are bred is presently underway. If the issue of over used bloodlines and stallions is not addressed then we can expect to see the incidence of new emerging genetic disorders to rise.
HWSS is potentially the 'canary in the mine' - an indicator of what is to come for the breed if fundamental changes are not made now, about the selection of breeding stock to reduce the level of in-breeding. Over use of popular or fashionable stallions is the leading cause in-breeding and subsequent population decline.
There has to be a shift in outlook from just breeding the next generation, to looking as to what will happen in three to five generations, if this breed is to survive in a healthy state for future pony owners and breeders to enjoy.
The results of this work to date can be read on the new website Connemara Pony Genetics International Comments and questions on the presented papers is encouraged and contributions for publication are invited.
Here is a picture which demonstrates that the splitting occurs within in the structures of the hoof wall and not at the white line. This photograph comes from a Swedish HWSS site with many good quality photographs of HWSS feet. Even with short and newly trimmed feet (a prime method used to attempt to disguise HWSS), any sign of fissures should be classed as a 'red flag'. Normal feet do not do this.