Olive is a mustang, which both and is not a breed.
I had her DNA tested through Texas A & M University, which has this to say on the matter: Originally mustangs were Spanish horses or their descendants, however throughout the years they had influence from many different horse breeds. There are several mustang registries, but overall there is just too much complexity to consider them in breed ancestry analysis.
Since November, I have spent a lot of time researching Divide Basin mustangs. I know what genes are commonly found in that herd, and I was not-so-secretly hoping she would come back Morgan, Shetland and Turkoman.
Realistically, however, I was expecting Morgan, Paso Fino and something that would account for her ears.
They are some really impressive ears.
What I was not expecting was this.
Here's the official report.
It's a wonderfully 1970's Breyer result. Olive is a product of my childhood carpet herd!
Thank you, Ryan, for a great Mothers' Day gift. That was really fun.
Is she gaited?
ReplyDeleteShe shows no tendency to gait at all. I was basing my guess on the prevalence of Paso Fino in that herd, plus her overall look and little, tiny feet.
DeleteI had a colt whose sire was a Tennessee Walker Pony. He did not develop the Walker gait, I was told, because we didn’t encourage it (and his mom didn’t have it).
DeleteWhat a wonderful surprise. Still not sure what explains the ears though!
ReplyDeleteThat's what my pony came back with too! Except he had Morgan as his number one, and Paso as number two. They don't look much alike though; he was picked up at an auction in Kansas in 2008 as a young pony, no freeze brand.
ReplyDeleteThe ears are all her <3
ReplyDeleteMy auction rescue came back as 1. Columbian Paso Fino (he's not gaited, either) 2. Mangalarga Marchador (NOT GAITED!) and Trakehner. He has an Arabian profile but honestly I expected some Quarter horse. So then I also sent a hair sample to Etalon Diagnostics and they came back with 38% Thoroughbred, 16% Arabian, some carriage horse, and little bits of other stuff. Apparently most QH analyze as a third TB so he's probably Appendix TB and Arab. It's so cool to find out this stuff.
ReplyDeleteBetsy in WI
Wow, she could have been the model for the Galiceno Breyer. The hindquarters are uncannily similar
ReplyDeleteWell, JR was all Morgan and had ears just like hers so maybe it's as simple as that. These results are so cool, and learning about her genes is fascinating!
ReplyDeleteMost of my my Morgan friends are claiming everything but the ears. Lol.
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