Our first winner: Gene Parker, breeder and shower of AQHA halter stallions, opposes anti-HYPP legislation. Do you think the fact that he stands three H/N stallions has anything to do with it? In his own words:
There is a very simple solution: Let it be our choice.
If you do not want to breed for this gene, breed an N/N mare to an N/N stallion.
If you don’t want to own a horse with this gene, don’t buy one.
But if you do desire this gene, it should be your choice to either breed or purchase a horse of your choosing.
Goodness me, who wouldn’t desire this gene?!
The disease is most common in the bloodline of the famous Appendix American Quarter Horse stallion Impressive, who has over 55,000 living descendants as of 2003. Although the disease is primarily limited to the American Quarter Horse breed and closely related breeds such as American Paint Horses and Appaloosas at this time, cross-breeding has begun to extend it to grade horses and ponies. The spread of the disease is perpetuated by the favorable judgings given to diseased horses in showing, due in part to involuntary muscle twitching which helps to build large, bulky muscles that judges favor. (Wiki)
I highly recommend reading this; here’s an extract:
What initially got me involved was witnessing my horse The Nibblet suffer a horrific HyPP attack. After snapping the lead rope to her halter she fell at my feet and lay motionless. I raised her head and it fell to ground with a thud. The HyPP attack had rendered her totally paralyzed. At the time I had no clue what HyPP was. A few minutes later she regained movement in the front half of her body and tried in vain to stand pawing her front legs on the ground in the process dragging the back half of her body around the stall. I was looking on in fear not knowing what to do. I had called the vet as soon as she went down got his pager # (it was Sunday) after explaining what happened he asked me if she had Impressive in her bloodlines and that led to the HyPP and she tested HyPP N/H.
I had researched HyPP prior to the test coming back and discovered HyPP was a dominant gene so either the sire or dam had to be HyPP positive. Turns out my friends stud was HyPP N/H and she never told me my Philly had 50% chance of having HyPP. This is the same woman who helped me out with horses and was even there the day The Nibblet was born in my sisters barn. She never once said anything about HyPP then or the numerous times I stopped into her store to buy feed for The Nibblet. The irony of all of this was she sold me the feed that caused The Nibblet to have her HyPP attack. The reason was the high potassium content in the feed. After consulting a nutritional specialist I was able to change her diet to a low potassium level. She had a few minor attacks during the diet transition and went on to go attack free as far as I knew.
In the meantime, I shall come up with a suitably derisive graphic for our Hall of Shame members. 😉
Edit: Even better, the lovely Stitchy has come up with one! YDMND!
Bridlepath 
[…] Bridlepath’s Hall of Shame: Gene Parker […]
I THINK ALL HORSES THAT CARRY THE HYPP GENE. SHOULD HAVE THIER PAPERS PULLED BY THE AQHA. AND ALL STALLIONS THAT ARE POSTIVE FOR IT SHOULD BE GELDED. IT WILL GREATLY REDUCE THIS AWFUL GENE FROM SPREADING I WISH THE AQHA WOULD DO MORE ABOUT THIS THEN THEY ARE. THEY ARE MUCH TO LAXED ON IT. LETS IM PROVE THE AQHA AND THE AMERICAN QUARTER HORSE. IN STEAD OF BREEDING THIS WORTHLESS GENE. IT MUST GO. AND ALL OF US THAT DONT LIKE IT SHOULD GET BEHIND THE AQHA. AND MAKE THEM , GET RID OF THE POSTIVE HORSES. FROM THE REGISTERY.
You people never cease to amaze me. HYPP is a naturally occuring mutation in a gene. No person made this. It is no different than a person being diabetic, having MS, or any other type of disease. In the begining white on a Quarter Horse was an undesriable trait. If all of the horses that had too much white were gelded then there wouldn’t be a Paint horse Association now. There is a much much worse gene mutation out there called HERDA you should research this . I’ve said before and I will say again , people who end up with HYPP horses and know NOTHING about HYPP should be gelded not the horses. HYPP has been around so long now that everyone should know about it. People who have no business owing a horse see a movie or read a book about horses and they run out and buy the first “pretty one” they see. I find it so funny that first time horse buyers always want a certain color , or certain age, or certain markings. They never research the thngs they should . If someone comes to me asking for these things , I tell them I can’t help them , because it will always end in a problem. They take it home , it hurts them because of their ignorance and then they blame the horse or the person that sold it to them . People that have HYPP horses are usually very knowledgeable horse people and have very, very few episodes with hypp , the people that don’t want them or don’t like them should stay away from them . Always research the breed you are wanting to buy before you buy it, there is enough information out there anyone can find out about anything before they buy America’s greatest horse. It’s always the few in every situation that takes the rights away from the majority!
Chad, HYPP is a defect/disease, no one can argue that point, and a true horseman doesn’t breed defects and/or disease in his stock, no one can argue that point either……………………and there are people that are making America’s greatest horse the laughing stock of the entire equine world, though I won’t call names, or call them names either. Obviously the horsemen of the AQHA are pursuing closing the books to all HYPP positive horses, though it’s taking some time, due to having to deal with, as you say, ignorant people,,,,ignorant to the definition of the word “horseman”.