12/21/24
March 31, 2006
I'll Take Seattle Slew to Win, Place and Show, Please: A Texas company backed by an Arizona billionaire is producing clones of champion cutting horses. Though most horse associations won't register clones as purebred, one European jumping horse group accepts clones and as many as 30 may be born this year.
The thirty cloned horsemen of the Apocalypse, that is.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 08:50 AM on March 31, 2006
We breed the equivalent of 'cutting horses' - the Australian Stock Horse, and we have a couple of Arab mares, too. Two issues: From what I understand, cloned animals (such as Dolly the sheep) have quite significant health problems and tend to age prematurely and die early. So not, perhaps a good investment. The value of a 'purebred' or registered horse is based on it's pedigree and the production of offspring. The performance in cutting (or camp drafting as we call it), adds potential value to the animal, particularly a young stallion, as a breeding prospect, but is not in itself a way to make money. Therefore I can't see the point of cloning as it does not 'add value' to the breeding pool, might give you a weaker animal and there is no real cash return.
posted by owlhouse at 02:15 PM on March 31, 2006
Mybe the cloned horses should have their own races....i have also heard about dolly the sheep and various liver problems attached to the cloning.... I also wonder about the value of actually breeding horses from champion stock as a action/reaction...it all just seems bad for business, next we'll have george steinbrenner cloning horses to have sponsers in their manes.
posted by FozzFest at 05:29 PM on March 31, 2006
I've heard that they make excellent Stormtroopers, too. Sorry. It's Friday and I'm busy spoiling everyone's discussions
posted by THX-1138 at 06:18 PM on March 31, 2006
Another sign of the Apocalypse...