Appaloosa Blindness

I only have a little while today to get anything said but have been wanting to post about this for quite some time.

Appaloosas are my favoritest breed. I love them dearly. I've never had a bad App, ever. Once you get past all the bullsh*t, you will have the most willing, trusting partner you could ever want in a horse. They will give you their all.

If you can handle an Appy and have a happy horse, then you are a horseman. If you blame the App for your shortcomings, you just don't need to be around them. They are the best, bar none.

But one thing has come up recently that has me greatly disturbed. That is Appaloosa blindness. Here are two sites that you can read up on... http://www.blindappaloosas.org/index.html and http://www.appaloosaproject.info/index.php?&MMN_position=6:6 . There are more sites but these are the ones that I've bookmarked to really stay in touch.

This problem is a GREAT reason to KNOW your bloodlines. Pick your breed of choice and then study and learn all the good points AND the bad ones! If you must stand a stud or breed your mare (bad idea in today's market anyway) then you can avoid the lines that perpetuate the problems.

I have friends whose Appys are going blind at young ages (like 6 years old) and it's just flat horrible in my book. Fortunately, these horses have homes for life, knock on wood, but it's heartbreaking to realize this is happening.

The App Club doesn't seem to want to address this problem, they have enough problems as it is with declining registrations and such, but the poor horses shouldn't be foaled knowingly, seems to me.

If you are looking for a fab partner in life, I have NO problem recommending an App but do your due diligence on the bloodlines and have a vet check if you're not sure.