Value of a mare..

Originally Posted by Riot

Maternal mitochondrial DNA ... the dam (dogs, horses, pigs, flying zebras) contributes just a little bit more ...

The mare does contribute more genetically. And it is a very important bit of genetic information. Information that would greatly affect stamina, the genes associated with cellular respiraton. Its in the mares egg already in her mitochondria. I have seen a few papers on this, but I was suprised there were not more, suprised. There has to be more work on this that is not published with all the money that goes into breeding. Or maybe not, since the market seems to be driven in ways I do not fully understand.

Theoretically mares should play more of a role in stamina. Theoretically, but I would back this guess with some convinction because those genes in the mitochondria code for some very important enzymes that affect efficient use of oxygen by muscles. I do not have any numbers to back this up. But the mare side should be super important.

This is why I would have asked why not 50/50 from a genetic standpoint. Its is not 50/50 genetically.


posted earlier in the thread.