PETA - Big Brown

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

No because soundness is not the same thing as talent. If a horse steps on a nail he will be unsound for a period of time. If he is slow he will always be slow. There are certainly fast twitch and slow twitch muscles. Alot of what is passed on is size and shape. For the most part a heavily muscled, short cropped horse wont have the same amount of stamina as a tall, rangy horse. They can inheirit the size and or shape from either side of the pedigree.

So soundness has nothing to do with conformation?
And conformation is not genetic?

A horse that steps on a nail will also be slow.
I think what you are saying is that feet, because they take so much abuse, can have very random things happen to them. Things that are clearly not genetic, I agree. But to imply that all horses are born with the same hoof/foot durability is imho, not true. To say that genetics has very little to do with hoof/foot durability because randomness (nails, stones, etc...) plays a much larger role is a very different arguement.

-Humbly yours.
Dr. Phil Garden