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O.K., I'm going to throw myself to the wolves and give unsolicited advice to people who don't really want it. I do that, it keeps my blood pressure high. So here goes.

Someone found out that I've got some past experience with genetics. Yup, I do. I'm actually a student of Microbiology, but with that comes a background in Genetics.

This lady had just had a DNA study done on her stud. She was in a blind panic because her stud had a "genetic anomaly". I asked her what the mutation was and she named some form of cancer that only Arabs get. I began to ask questions that only a geneticist would ask, while others were screaming, "WHY WOULD YOU BREED FOR THAT?"

The first question I asked was, "Is this a disease that effects the old or the young?"
She replied that horses with the disease generally live into their 20's. That's not young for a horse.

The second question I asked was, "Is he homozygous or heterozygous for the gene?"
She said she didn't know. That's fine. She can find out.

The third question I asked was, "Without the gene marker, is this horse a valid breeding specimen? Does he have good conformation, attitude and brains?"
She said he was a World Champion Arab. Very nicely conformed, great attitude and very smart.

This is what I explained to her:
First of all, every living organism is pre-disposed to some sort of disease. Every living organism, it does not matter what species it is, has some genetic mutation. Usually more than one. A lot of times WAY more than one.  Most of us carry some gene marker for cancer. 1 in 3 humans will die of cancer, the other two will die of something else. What does that mean? It means everything is going to die. Of something. The trick is to make it live long enough to be productive before it dies.

My point here is, we're talking about cancer, not cryptorchidism, or parrot mouth. We're talking about a disease of the old rather than something that makes them undesirable for their entire life. We have to weigh the options. Be smart about breeding. Know what's out there, how to deal with it and the realistic consequences.

I also mentioned to her that the odds could be good for breeding this particular mutation out with selective breeding and years and years of time. Knowledge is power.

I admire that this woman didn't panic when she got the results from her stud's DNA test. I admire that she sought a knowledgeable opinion. (Yes, I do have SOME knowledge of the process.) I also gave her some armor. I told her where to go to research the disease, and genetics. I explained homo and heterozygocity and I gave her some names of people who were good contacts on the subject.

I also made it very clear that I was an amateur, so not to take anything that I say as written in stone, it's my opinion only. For those reading this, I suggest you do the same. You can take me very seriously when I start talking about deadly viruses.

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Being as I've spent most of my life in the health care profession and have studied microbiology, viruses, bacteria and all manner of disease as well as being surrounded by surgeons everyday, I know first hand things are not always as they seem.  Statistics narrowly aimed at definitive dispositions and characteristics can and do provide the "bigger" picture.  Knowing how to "interpret" the analysis is key to any established conclusion.  Knowledge, in fact is power.  The more you know, the more you sow.  We all need to take the time to do our research in any given area to be better informed and better prepared to make decisions in virtually every area of our life.

Thank you for a well written and thought provoking experience.  Thanks for sharing Jackie!

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LOL, Bev, I need to put a little more thought into it, but I guess I did get my point across somewhat. Multitasking never works when you're doing net stuff.