From: Brett Paatsch (paatschb@optusnet.com.au)
Date: Fri May 30 2003 - 09:28:17 MDT
Brian Atkins writes:
> Lee Daniel Crocker wrote:
> > Today's announcement of the cloned mule makes wonder about
> > the possibility of breeding Derby & Preakness winner Funny Cide,
> > a gelding. Does anyone here know what technologies there might
> > be for doing this, and who has them, or has anyone else been
> > talking about it?
> >
>
> It's still not that likely because cloning and even IVF has been banned
> from being used for thoroughbred horses.
Yep, there's an article in today's issue of Science (paid link unfortunately
but I'll dig out the pdfs if anyone wants them) that says
"...more equine clones are in the works. Katrin Hinrichs of Texas
A&M University in College station says "We're hoping to have the first
horse." Her group have a mare almost halfway through the gestation
period with a clone. But the Italians may win this horserace. Cesare
Galli of the Laboratory of Reproductive Technology in Cremona says
his group has a cloned foal due in May.
"But don't expect to see a clone of Funny Cide, the gelding that is
bidding to become a Triple Crown winner. The Thoroughbreds'
Jockey Club doesn't even allow artificial insemination much less
cloning."
That said, technically, the "know-how" to produce a clone of a horse
(gelding or otherwise) would now be there as the method for
producing a mule (an equine) has been worked out.
I think a cloned gelding would be likely to disappoint though. Clones
are *not* identical - environment counts. And being gelded is likely
to be a significant "environmental factor". In fact don't they
specifically geld some horses to settle them for racing?
- Brett Paatsch
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