[remaani]

Hi, i have a Small Horse filly, she's brown/black, with only a small star.

Her sire is a chestnut overo, her dam a black tobiano.

Im told she could possibly be a minimal overo, but in my eyes, only white she has is a star?

Im going to breed her to my minimal black/brown overo stallion (he has 2 blue eyes, big blaze, 3 belly splashes & 1 sock).

Do her chances of having an overo baby increase, or not?

Some pics.







Her full brother has big blaze & i think 1 small belly patch.

[accphotography]

There is a 50% chance that she is overo, and if she is breeding her to an overo stallion could produce a lethal foal. Please test her before you breed. It could save alot of heartache later. I have seen overos with nothing more than a star...

ACC

[Haas Horse Farm]

ACC posted my thoughts exactly... please have this horse tested for LWO before breeding... only breed to a horse that tests negative if one is positive.

[remaani]

Ok, tell me more about LWO, please.

Alot of mini breeders are putting overo to overo, so i'd love to know more, the good & bad.

[accphotography]

I don't understand breeding overo to overo. This gives you a 25% chance at a "lethal white overo" foal. The foal is solid white and dies within 72 hours (much less usually) due to an undeveloped intestinal tract.

The only benefit to breeding overo to overo is a higher chance of overo patterning. But that is a myth.

Overo to overo:
25% solid foal
50% overo foal
25% lethal foal

Overo to non-overo:
25% solid foal
50% overo foal
25% solid foal instead of lethal foal.

You get the same percentage of overo foal, yet you get a 25% more chance at a life foal that you can do something with instead of a foal you have to put down.

Overo can hide very easily in something as small as a star or virtually no white at all, so any horse that could possibly have a chance, regardless of breeding needs to be tested if you intend to breed it. You'll never have a problem breeding overo to non overo so they are not worthless if they are overo, you just shouldn't breed them to other overos.

Is that enough?

ACC

[accphotography]

I'll say in addition to this, it somewhat depends on what you mean by overo. Overo is a general term for 4 patterns of white (frame or LWO, splash, sabino and rabicano). If her overo sire was a splash white who tested negative for frame, she could not be frame and the same with your stallion. Without testing though, it is impossible to know. Photos and pedigrees would help us somewhat, but the mare really should be tested.

The breeders you know breeding overo to overo, do you know exactly what they are breeding? They could be breeding different patterns rather than frame to frame. For instance breeding splash overo to splash overo or even splash overo to frame overo is safe (unless you're concerned about a deaf foal).

ACC

[remaani]

Thanks, i'll get her tested.

But i'll find out wether the sire was tested, he has been put to many overo's & i know he hasnt produced a LWO foal, so i'll find out.

Cheers.

[accphotography]

Alot of that depends on what type of overo he is and what type the mares were. Also, unless you did the foalings yourself, you might not know about an LWO foal as most breeders won't say anything about those.

Is there any "overo" breeding in your mare's dam? Even if you clear the sire, there is a chance there. $25US to have her tested though and no research necessary.

ACC

[remaani]

Originally Posted by accphotography

Alot of that depends on what type of overo he is and what type the mares were. Also, unless you did the foalings yourself, you might not know about an LWO foal as most breeders won't say anything about those.

Is there any "overo" breeding in your mare's dam? Even if you clear the sire, there is a chance there. $25US to have her tested though and no research necessary.

ACC

Her dams side is all solids or tobianos.

Thanks, i have another sample to send off to the same place that tests for LWO.

[accphotography]

Excellent! Test away! :-)

Do remember though that even tobianos and solids can carry LWO. If it can be as simple as a star, a star on a tobiano looks like nothing more... same with a solid.

ACC