This page under heavy construction, please check back soon! We are working to get all the information back up on our site as soon as possible.

Following is a description of HERDA/HC from the UC Davis site. For more information please see any of the links below the description.

"Hyperelastosis cutis is a disease that occurs early in a horse's life. It affects Quarter Horses and other breeds with Quarter Horse lineage, such as Paints and Appaloosas. The disease causes the skin along the horse's back and neck to stretch and tear easily, making the horse unusable for riding. The disease incidence seems to be increasing. Currently, approximately 5 cases per year are seen at UC Davis, and generally referring veterinarians inform UC Davis of at least another 15 that are seen in other areas of the country."

A HERDA test is now available and can tell you if your horse is clear or N/N, a carrier or afflicted! Check out the following links for contact and testing information:

Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center: HERDA Test Available

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Cornell researchers develop DNA test to identify debilitating equine skin disease

HERDA Test Available (AQHA Website)
HERDA Information at the Bringing Light site
UC Davis Research
The Fatal Flaw, Part One at Horsecity.com
The Fatal Flaw, Part Two at Horsecity.com
Article, "Have You Heard of HERDA?" at HorseNet
Article, "Alphabet Soup" from 2004 Issue of America's Horse
Information and Pictures at thehorse.com

Update: During the 2005 AQHA Convention, researchers identified GBED as linked to horses with King and Zantanon breeding. A carrier test is also now available from UC Davis. If you have horses with King/Zantanon breeding we encourage you to visit the UC Davis site to find out how to test your breeding animals to find out if they are carriers of GBED.

"The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine researchers Stephanie Valberg, DVM, PhD, and Jim Mickelson, PhD, have identified an inherited disease in American Quarter Horses and related breeds. The disease, called glycogen branching enzyme deficiency (GBED), appears to be the cause of many unexplained stillbirths and deaths of young foals.

Foals with this disease are either born dead or are weak at birth with a low body temperature. Valberg and Mickelson found that the foals are missing the glycogen branching enzyme necessary to build glycogen, the complex sugar that is a source of fuel for many tissues of the body. When foals lack this enzyme their tissues become weak and unable to function properly, resulting in death. Most foals with GBED die suddenly at eight weeks due to a fatal drop in blood glucose levels or sudden heart failure. GBED is the equine equivalent of a rare condition in humans known as glycogen storage disease type IV."

Similar to HERDA, GBED is a recessive genetic disease. Both sire and dam must be carriers to cause a foal to be born with GBED. Researchers have apparently either not identified the specific bloodlines involved or are not prepared to announce that information. The University of Minnesota does have a carrier test available. As our horses have QH bloodlines, we feel it is important for us to at least test our breeding age animals now. Joe will be tested first and we will post the results.

AQHA’s equine research committee has approved more than $50,000 for a new research project to determine the prevalence of GBED in Quarter Horses.

GBED was just recently announced and we will continue to update this page as we learn more information.

Below intro explanation is copied from The Appaloosa Project website. Please see the website link below for more information!

What is CSNB?

CSNB stands for “congenital stationary night blindness”. More commonly referred to as night blindness, CSNB is the name given to any disease that is typified by:

a) impaired/absent night vision

b) present at birth

c) inherited

d) non-progressive

This term does not represent a single disorder. There are several forms of CSNB in humans and other animals. The above are the features that all these unique, yet similar types of CSNB share.

Impaired night vision is a general description. Some forms of CSNB involve extremely impaired vision, while others are less severe. They all involve some degree of lack of rod function, thus the term “night blind”.

The form of CSNB found in the Appaloosa is the subject of the information pages on this website. Please read on to find out more about it, how it was discovered and the research being conducted to study it further.

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