The Art Of Genetic Selection
Twisted K Ranch, LLC focuses on breeding versatile ranch horses that have a gritty attitude in and out of the arena that won’t break down mentally or physically. It takes careful studying on genetics to truly understand where these strengths come from when selecting horses for our program. These careful selections allow us to enhance the American Quarter Horse breed, while creating tomorrow's next legends.
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Our broodmares are expected to have working mindsets that are willing and eager to learn. While some may argue if this will be passed on through genetics, we can prove that it will at least pass on to offspring through maternal imprinting. Having broodmares that are easy to handle and want to be around people, make it easy for us to start working with their foals from the day that they are born.
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Studying the lineage on all of our broodmares and stallion selections is key to understanding what desirable traits we are passing on. We follow a "magic cross" breeding equation which takes studying show results past and current, earnings, and progeny earnings. From there, we gather data to determine success rates based on what lines compliment each other and if they are a better maternal or paternal figure in the horse's makeup.
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The last thing we check for in genetics is diseases. Our broodmares and stallions are all genetic tested before breeding so that we can ensure that the offspring we produce can go on to having a successful career, whether it's ranching or showing.
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When it comes to the 6 Panel genetic test through AQHA, we are mindful to not breed any symptomatic diseases. We test all of our mares so that we can ensure offspring are free from undesirable symptoms. HERDA and GBED are two diseases that will remain asymptomatic with one copy and we can keep that in our control. MYHM, PSSM1, HYPP, & MH all have undesirable traits at some point in the horse's lifetime with one copy. While we aim for 6 Panel N/N, we also understand that a large percentage of the successful sires in the industry are carriers of both symptomatic and asymptomatic diseases. This makes it extremely hard to purchase clean mares sired by top earners and adds an extra layer to building our small yet thoughtful herd.
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All foals that we produce, will be genetic tested to give the new owners confidence in their purchase. If you are unsure what genetic diseases can do to a horse, the link below will introduce you to the health risks involved and why we take the extra step in testing before breeding. Our goal is to set you up for success when purchasing a horse from us and we are committed to going the extra mile before you even inquire.
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