> shelly have you personally ever owned a n/h mare
> that showed signs of an
> attack,

Yes, I had a very lovely bay mare that was HYPP N/H
and she was asymptomatic for the most part, but she
did have 4 attacks in 5 years. She would come into the
barn and be shaking all over like she had a bad fever
or was badly chilled. We just walked her and they
never lasted longer than a few minutes. I bred her 4
times and regretably produced 4 HYPP positive colts
that were promptly gelded. 2 were born before I knew
what hypp was and the other 2 I was hoping for a nice
negative filly out of her. It didn't happen for me and
I sold her to some pepole who were looking
specifically to purchase a positive mare to produce
halter horses. I always sold the geldings with full
disclosure and told the vet who did the prepurchase
exam that they were positive and to educate the future
owners what to expect and how to manage it. I sold
them as broke 2 year olds for 1200.00 and lost my
shirt big time. I regret that those geldings were ever
born, but they all have good homes where the people
love them. The poor mare has been passed to 3
different homes in the last 3 years and is now very
thin and belongs to someone who is going to breed her
to a HYPP positive stallion. Talk about stupidity! It
sometimes makes me cry to think what poor "vissie" has
to go through just because she is hypp positive. The
mare was not sound enough to be a saddle horse and I
was not able to keep her as a pensioner, so.... where
does that leave the mare? In the hands of a hack who
is in process of producing a whole bunch more of them!

SAD SAD SAD
Shelly
===
Shelly Schutter
Rolling Hills Stock Farm
Top Quality AQHA Palominos and APHA Overos
http://rollinghills.webjump.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

Andrea,
Thanks for the article, very informative!
Debbie

this is  a letter everyone should read, michelle is a rep from canada!

Here is an email that Penny Stewart wrote to me after I asked her about
how to manage and HYPP horse.  I'll attach it below so people can
read it.  She has such a wealth of information and experience on this subject.

________________________

For feeding HYPP horses, the big trick is to keep the TOTAL dietary
potassium level at 1% of the total feed (by WEIGHT, not volume).  This
requires some minimal understanding of the potassium levels of common feeds.
As a general rule, dry (plain) grains are about .5% (1/2%), and most alfalfa
is 1.5%.  Therefore, if you feed and equal amount (by weight) of grain and
alfalfa, you are right at 1% potassium, which is ideal.  If you need to
increase feed to put on weight, increase BOTH the alfalfa and grain to
maintain the same proportion.

Beet pulp is very low in potassium--about .3%--and high in fiber and
calories.  It makes an excellent feed for HYPP horses.  If you don't want to
feed the horse so much grain, then you can feed a combination of grain and
soaked beet pulp, then feed the amount of hay that is equal to the
combination of grain and beet pulp.  That will put you just under the 1%.
The beet pulp is low in protein and therefore doesn't make them "high".  The
only downside to that diet is that the beet pulp and the alfalfa are high in
calcium (where the grain is high in phosphorous), and while mature horses
can tolerate an imbalance, youngsters will get contracted tendons from too
high a calcium level that isn't balanced with phos.  Therefore, I add 1-2
cups of soybean meal to the mix to increase the phos. level.  It also raises
the protein some, which if you are feeding young horses or broodmare in that
last part of gestation or during nursing, is just fine.  BTW, not balancing
the calcium and phos in the latter part of pregnancy will cause the baby to
be born with contracted tendons, too, so you really want to be careful about
that (this is true whether HYPP is an issue or not).

Most of the literature will tell you to feed grass hay instead of alfalfa,
but this is misleading.  Several horses in Oregon that had never had any
problems but were found to be HYPP+ when this first came out found this out.
Their owners switched to grass hay (having to feed considerably more of it
to get the same calories as the alfalfa they had been feeding), only to have
their horses start episoding.  Where alfalfa is 1.5% potassium, it turns out
that the level of timothy hay is about 1.8% and orchard grass (the most
abundant in the Willamette Valley) is 2.59%!  When they started feeding
these hays, and increased the amount by two to three times to get the same
calories, they pushed the total dietary potassium right thru the roof and
the horses episoded.  When they went back to their previous levels of
alfalfa, the horses did fine.  Oat hay is only slightly lower in potassium
than alfalfa, (1.35%), but by the time you increase the amount you feed,
your levels are back up there.

Two other things to consider with HYPP horses--use WHITE (plain) salt, not
the "mineral" or "protein" blocks.  Also, DO NOT use commercial
electrolytes.  All of these contain potassium chloride, instead sodium
chloride, which is table salt.  If it is felt that the horse needs
electrolytes (as in REALLY hot weather), hang a second bucket of water in
the stall that contains a package of sweetened Kool Aid and a couple of
tablespoons of table salt.  This is sugar and sodium chloride.  Even with
non-HYPP horses, electrolytes should always be an OPTION, not forced as the
level of potassium in these solutions can push even an N/N horse into muscle
spasms that are the hallmark of HYPP.

Another product that should be avoided is molassas on the grain.  It is high
in potassium, and really not necessary.

Virtually all HYPP horses do much better on pasture or with as much turn-out
as possible, and I know of many HYPP horses (including the Zippo mare I have
here) who can graze on alfalfa fields or eat their fill of alfalfa with no
grain as long as they are out grazing.  The movement of grazing stimulates
their bodies to keep the potassium levels in check.

In managing the positive horses, it is basically common sense.  Keep them
well watered, especially when traveling, and keep the diet in balance.  I do
keep clear Karo syrup on hand and if I see the signs of an episode, or if I
am going to put them under a major stress (like anesthetic), I will give
them one or two 60cc syringes of it orally.  I also keep the acetazolomide
on hand and will give a dose if there is a stress (6-8 tabs per twelve hrs
is the normal dose).  I have never had a horse that had to be maintained on
the med, but if you run across one that has, balance the diet and then wean
the horse off the med (1 tablet a day, alternating dosages--1 less am day
one, 1 additional less day 2, etc.), so the body has a chance to adapt to
the new demands.  Even the H/H baby we had (which I gave to some friends),
was managable by diet--alto he couldn't eat ANY hay--grain and all the beet
pulp he could eat, and unlimited pasture.

The biggest factor, after stress, that seems to affect these horses is
humidity rather than heat.  The mare we had over here had no trouble with
the heat last summer--100+ for 30+ days.  On those days, I would offer the
Kool Aid mix along with all the water they could drink and there should be
no problem.


I hope this helps out a little.

Andrea


At 10:02 PM 5/6/99 EDT, you wrote:
>From: ALEXMIHALI@...
>
>Hi all,
>I'm glad this list has been started. I have a N/H mare that is 11 yrs.
old. I
>bought her two years ago, but knew she was positive 8 yrs. ago (I've known
>this horse a long time!) She isn't a kid's horse anymore (hard times) but
>when she trusts you, she will give her all. She always lets me know when she
>is having an episode and that I will supply the Karo. She will probably live
>out the rest of her life at my house as she has several other problems.
>Shelly said it well as for her response to Andrea's post.
>The AQHA is making the first baby steps into this area, and others will
>follow, it just takes time.
>Buyers need to be aware of a variety of things, that is why there are
several
>horse magazines out there. Please read all of the articles, you never know
>when one of them might apply to you (EPM, HYPP, EIA, etc...)
>Now, I have a question for all of you!  what kind of hay do you feed that
>seems to work for the most part? I've heard that alfalfa is the worst and
>I've heard that orchard grass is the worst, what seems to be the consensus?
>I'm feeding 97% orchard grass with rolled oats and vitamins. When I bought
>her 2 yrs ago, she (apparently) wasn't having any episodes (she wasn't
>cycling also!!!) I put her on herbal treatments to get her to relax and Wah
>Lah! Heat cycles!!! Now, she has episodes. Not real bad, but does need the
>Karo to shorten the attack. What are your feelings?
>Thanks,
>Debbie
>
>

Hi all,
I'm glad this list has been started. I have a N/H mare that is 11 yrs. old. I
bought her two years ago, but knew she was positive 8 yrs. ago (I've known
this horse a long time!) She isn't a kid's horse anymore (hard times) but
when she trusts you, she will give her all. She always lets me know when she
is having an episode and that I will supply the Karo. She will probably live
out the rest of her life at my house as she has several other problems.
Shelly said it well as for her response to Andrea's post.
The AQHA is making the first baby steps into this area, and others will
follow, it just takes time.
Buyers need to be aware of a variety of things, that is why there are several
horse magazines out there. Please read all of the articles, you never know
when one of them might apply to you (EPM, HYPP, EIA, etc...)
Now, I have a question for all of you!  what kind of hay do you feed that
seems to work for the most part? I've heard that alfalfa is the worst and
I've heard that orchard grass is the worst, what seems to be the consensus?
I'm feeding 97% orchard grass with rolled oats and vitamins. When I bought
her 2 yrs ago, she (apparently) wasn't having any episodes (she wasn't
cycling also!!!) I put her on herbal treatments to get her to relax and Wah
Lah! Heat cycles!!! Now, she has episodes. Not real bad, but does need the
Karo to shorten the attack. What are your feelings?
Thanks,
Debbie

very well said laurie! remember                  " STOP THE SPREAD OF
HYPP"                "STOP THE PURCHASE"

shelly have you personally ever owned a n/h mare that showed signs of an
attack,well we have,and i'll tell you something else,a n/h mare's heat
cycle can trigger an attack,we also had to put down a 11 mo old
colt,that was,h/h,his attack was a big one 8 hrs long,now that 6yr old
mare,once a month you could not get near her,the rest,also in 1992 hypp
was released to the public,aqha new 8 yrs before,ok if a seller buys an
impressive bred horse,it should be the sellers responsible,to tell a
buyer that the horse was or was not tested! but most don't because,if
there showing signs,there going to dump the horse fast and say i'm sorry
we did not know! remember have the horse tested,by your vet,uc daviss is
only 35.00.ken

I really believe that HYPP is going to be a bigger problem for the average
horse person (like myself), that doesn't (or didn't) know enough to ask the
question when purchasing.  I have to believe most real breeders know of HYPP
and how to deal with (or stay away from) positive horses. There are also
breeders out there that feel there is nothing wrong with breeding HYPP into
their stock, many of those do not advertise their studs as HYPP N/N (in fact
don't mention it at all).

  The people at largest risk are those who unknowingly purchase (or breed
to ) a carrier and then feed it incorrectly.  Even if the major breed
associations note positive on registration papers, nothing will stop paper
switching or horses being sold as grade with non-disclosure. Its a buyer
beware world.  Personally I feel the most anyone can do is make people aware
of HYPP and if you have a positive horse, what you can do to help prevent a
attack.



Laurie

Note:  this is a posting I found on another HYPP forum

I bought a horse at a sale that was sold as a grade horse. After we
purchased him, the previous owner told us he has papers but forgot to bring
them with him. So he mailed them to us, 2 weeks later. The horse ended up
being double bred impressive and was having attacks because we didnt know he
was HYPP positive. We fed him wrong and did everything we weren't supposed
to do, do to the fact that we did not know he was hot. Unfortunately we
owned him for a month and when we learned what we needed to do for him, it
was too late. Please pass the message to STOP BREEDING HYPP H/H horses.

Upset in Virginia
----- Original Message -----
From: Andrea Scroggs <ted@...>
To: <hyppbreeding@onelist.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 1999 4:54 PM
Subject: Re: [hyppbreeding] Digest Number 8


> From: Andrea Scroggs <ted@...>
>
> I personally feel the AQHA needs to wake up to the fact that they are
going
> to need to do something about protecting new buyers of older horses.
> I mean they are ignoring a major problem of not having HYPP
> notices for the older horses.  I think that all transfers should have a
> warning on them about genetic defects.
>
> Andrea
>
> At 11:00 AM 5/5/99 -0700, you wrote:
> >From: Shelly Schutter <shellydehorsenut@...>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >> i bought a registered qh two years ago, and just
> >> learned that it had hypp.
> >> i looked at the registration, but found no
> >> "warning",
> >
> >The AQHA just started putting a "warning" of HYPP
> >status on the regisration papers 2 years ago. So if
> >your horse is older than that you would not have it on
> >the papers.
> >
> > although our horse
> >> decends from impressive. also, do i have any
> >> recourse with the seller? thanks.
> >
> >It is not now nor has it ever been illegal to sell a
> >HYPP positive horse without disclosure. It is possible
> >that the seller had no knowledge of the HYPP status at
> >the time of sale or they may not know ANYTHING about
> >HYPP. It may be immoral to sell a positive horse
> >without disclosure but it is not illegal. Very few
> >horses die from HYPP only about 1% by statistical
> >measure. This figure also include double positives
> >which are severly affected by the disease. You should
> >be fine with this horse but I would do the responsible
> >thing and not breed it. It has a greater chance of
> >dying of colic that HYPP.
> >===
> >Shelly Schutter
> >Rolling Hills Stock Farm
> >Top Quality AQHA Palominos and APHA Overos
> >http://rollinghills.webjump.com
> >_________________________________________________________
> >Do You Yahoo!?
> >Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
> >
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >Wanting to get back in touch with old friends?
> >http://www.onelist.com
> >Reunite through a ONElist community.
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Did you know that
> http://www.ONElist.com
> More than 3.5 million people are using ONElist?
>

I personally feel the AQHA needs to wake up to the fact that they are going
to need to do something about protecting new buyers of older horses.
I mean they are ignoring a major problem of not having HYPP
notices for the older horses.  I think that all transfers should have a
warning on them about genetic defects.

Andrea

At 11:00 AM 5/5/99 -0700, you wrote:
>From: Shelly Schutter <shellydehorsenut@...>
>
>
>
>
>
>> i bought a registered qh two years ago, and just
>> learned that it had hypp.
>> i looked at the registration, but found no
>> "warning",
>
>The AQHA just started putting a "warning" of HYPP
>status on the regisration papers 2 years ago. So if
>your horse is older than that you would not have it on
>the papers.
>
> although our horse
>> decends from impressive. also, do i have any
>> recourse with the seller? thanks.
>
>It is not now nor has it ever been illegal to sell a
>HYPP positive horse without disclosure. It is possible
>that the seller had no knowledge of the HYPP status at
>the time of sale or they may not know ANYTHING about
>HYPP. It may be immoral to sell a positive horse
>without disclosure but it is not illegal. Very few
>horses die from HYPP only about 1% by statistical
>measure. This figure also include double positives
>which are severly affected by the disease. You should
>be fine with this horse but I would do the responsible
>thing and not breed it. It has a greater chance of
>dying of colic that HYPP.
>===
>Shelly Schutter
>Rolling Hills Stock Farm
>Top Quality AQHA Palominos and APHA Overos
>http://rollinghills.webjump.com
>_________________________________________________________
>Do You Yahoo!?
>Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Wanting to get back in touch with old friends?
>http://www.onelist.com
>Reunite through a ONElist community.
>
>

> i bought a registered qh two years ago, and just
> learned that it had hypp.
> i looked at the registration, but found no
> "warning",

The AQHA just started putting a "warning" of HYPP
status on the regisration papers 2 years ago. So if
your horse is older than that you would not have it on
the papers.

  although our horse
> decends from impressive. also, do i have any
> recourse with the seller? thanks.

It is not now nor has it ever been illegal to sell a
HYPP positive horse without disclosure. It is possible
that the seller had no knowledge of the HYPP status at
the time of sale or they may not know ANYTHING about
HYPP. It may be immoral to sell a positive horse
without disclosure but it is not illegal. Very few
horses die from HYPP only about 1% by statistical
measure. This figure also include double positives
which are severly affected by the disease. You should
be fine with this horse but I would do the responsible
thing and not breed it. It has a greater chance of
dying of colic that HYPP.
===
Shelly Schutter
Rolling Hills Stock Farm
Top Quality AQHA Palominos and APHA Overos
http://rollinghills.webjump.com
_________________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com

well said laurie!

hi we understand we to were taken,we had to put the 11 mo old colt down
he was h/h,now back to your question. in ny,unless you have a signed
document,stating,your horse is healthy,or if you can prove through
somone else knew that the horse was affected,your chances are slim,dont
expect any help from aqha,but they need to hear the story!

Hi,
I am attaching an email I got this evening from someone with a good question.
I'll forward the response and I let them know about the list.

Here is the email. . .
i bought a registered qh two years ago, and just learned that it had hypp.
i looked at the registration, but found no "warning", although our horse
decends from impressive. also, do i have any recourse with the seller? thanks.
_________________________________________________
Andrea
http://www.connet80.com/~ted/teddy.html

Thank you for joining our list, its still very new with only a few members.
I personallly have been lucky enough not to have ever been effected by HYPP,
but I have read so many stories of people unknowingly purchasing these
horses with tragic results.   I could have been one of these people, I knew
nothing about HYPP when I purchased my Paint (had a purebred  Arab and 1/2
Arab prior).   Also have read letters from people with incorrect information
about HYPP.  I look forward to any personal stories or updates from breed
associations.   But I must let everyone know that this  site will not
promote breeding of positive horses.  Its purpose is to help inform the
general horse population on the genetic disorder and how to deal with the
diets and special attention the positive horse requires.  Other genetic
discussions (ex. leathel whites) are also welcome.


Laurie

----- Original Message -----
From: <rwlite2@...>
To: <hyppbreeding@onelist.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 1999 1:16 AM
Subject: [hyppbreeding] Re: Welcome to hyppbreeding@onelist.com


> From: rwlite2@...
>
> Hi Laurie....
>
> Just came across your list so decided to join as I  have a 4 year old
> APHA mare that is HYPP N/H.
>
> I would love to go into detail of my firsthand experience with HYPP but
> it is after midnight and I have to get up for work at 5:00 AM so I'll
> have to get back to you on this.
>
> In the meantime, there's a good article in the May Paint Horse Journal
> on special feeding programs for positive horses.
>
> You might also consider informing the AQHA and APHA (maybe in a "Letter
> to Editor") of your list and invite other owners of N/H and H/H horses
> to share their experiences.  There are a lot of people out there who
> would like to discuss the topic but wish to remain anonymous (many for
> professional reasons...I'm an amateur). THis list who be a great
> opportunity for many people.
>
> Well, good nite for now.
>
> Donna
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ONElist:  where real people with real interests get connected.
> http://www.onelist.com
> Join today!
>

hi laurie,my name is ken,who once owned a n/h mare and her 4mo old
colt,we bought them together,by the time the colt was 10 mo old he
suffered many attacks,but usally lasted 1-2 hours,then when he was 11 mo
old,he ran in the pasture all day,jumping and kicking,having lots of
fun,but the major attack came lasted 8 hours,nothing we could do for
him,the vet advised us to put him down,it was the hardest thing we have
ever done,if you would like any info,on hypp,let me know. ken

Hi Laurie....

Just came across your list so decided to join as I  have a 4 year old
APHA mare that is HYPP N/H.

I would love to go into detail of my firsthand experience with HYPP but
it is after midnight and I have to get up for work at 5:00 AM so I'll
have to get back to you on this.

In the meantime, there's a good article in the May Paint Horse Journal
on special feeding programs for positive horses.

You might also consider informing the AQHA and APHA (maybe in a "Letter
to Editor") of your list and invite other owners of N/H and H/H horses
to share their experiences.  There are a lot of people out there who
would like to discuss the topic but wish to remain anonymous (many for
professional reasons...I'm an amateur). THis list who be a great
opportunity for many people.

Well, good nite for now.

Donna

http://www.equi-site.com/feature.html

hi andrea how are you doing? everything here has changed,we no longer
have the mare anymore,we now have 2 geldings,boss me not and revel,boss
is solid black,and revel is dark bay,2 great horses,only boss does not
like to be tied,,once he is under saddle he will go anywhere for hours
,but orther than that,everything is ok,let us here from you.ken

hi yes your article is great and i hope you stay on this site,it's so
nice to get messages from an imformative person like yourself thankyou
so much,we just lost a 11 mo old colt 3-3-99, his attack lasted 8
hours,were very informed about hypp,and so are you thankyou!

hi yes this is very interesting,but one thing you have to understand is
when a horse is infected with hypp,where does the pottasium go when the
manure gets in to the grass?

According to Naylor, HYPP-affected horses are not good performance animals.
He backs
this up by saying, "studies at Saskatchewan show reduced exercise tolerance.
In a study at
Pennsylvania, HYPP horses did not run as fast on the treadmill as N/N horses."
	 Some of the strong opinions that exist, either in favour of or against
HYPP, can be
the result of being poorly informed, misinformed, idealistic,
emotionally-motivated or
having a vested interest in the outcome of the debate. In the end, it may be
said that, just as
HYPP symptoms vary in the extreme to which they are expressed, so do the
individual's
choices vary in whether they decide to embrace or reject HYPP.
	 "Our latest, and probably last research HYPP research project concerned
H/H horses. We identified nine in western Canada. The research should be
published
within the next year. Because H/H horses have much more severe signs than
N/H horses
we believe the disease is co-dominant," Naylor says.
	 Some interesting figures obtained from Loving are as follows: "Of testing
done on
27,000 horses between October, 1992 and January, 1996, 64 per cent of horses
were
normal, 35 per cent were affected with one copy of the gene, and one per
cent were
affected (H/H). Recent testing of blood samples that were stored prior to
availability of the
DNA gene test illuminated some interesting points. It's believed the first
year that the
mutated gene was demonstrated was in horses foaled in 1977. The greatest
frequency of
positive samples were identified in horses foaled between 1984 and 1987."
	 More information about HYPP can be found at the University of California, Davis
website: http://169.228.168.67/~Ivmillon/
	 Labs that are currently approved by the AQHA to do the HYPP test are: Mann
Equitest in Guelph, Ontario, Veterinary Genetics Lab of University of
California at Davis
(Ph. 530-752-9780), the Oklahoma Blood Institute in Oklahoma City (Ph.
405-297-5700),
Shelterwood Labs in Carthage, Texas,  and NSW Agriculture in Wales, Australia.
	 "The AQHA will also accept results from other labs once a copy of their license
agreement from the University of Pittsburg (which holds the test patent) is
provided,"
Canida says. If testing is done by an individual through a licensed company
(but not through
AQHA), AQHA will accept those results upon receipt of a signed identity
waiver from the
horse owner at the time the testing was done." (Example of identity waiver:
I hereby
certify the HYPP test results described above is from a sample taken from
ANY HORSE
#1234567.)
	 The University of Calgary's Animal Genetics Lab also provides a HYPP testing
service, but  IS NOT licensed by the University of Pittsburg. Since it is
NOT recognized by
the AQHA,  this service is of greatest value to Appaloosa and Paint
breeders, or Quarter
Horse breeders wanting the information only for their own knowledge.
	 The Calgary lab has tested more than 1,300 horses since it started offering
the test
in July, 1993. The number per year has gradually decreased to 122 in the
last 12 months.
	 "We follow Pittsburg's published procedure for the test, but feel there is
tighter
control on submission of samples, since we require that they be submitted by
a veterinarian
who has examined and  identified the animal and certifies the sample. The
lab report is
returned to the veterinary practitioner who can then work with the owner,
regarding
management and breeding decisions," says Doug Nickel, Director of the Animal
Genetics
Lab, and a Research Associate in the Department of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology,
Faculty of Medicine, U of C.  "We also provide free research and diagnostic
testing for
symptomatic animals with unknown pedigree or outside of the Impressive
bloodline and
for cases of sudden unexplained death if HYPP is suspected. There have been
just under
200 of these."
	 Nickel says his lab is approaching  AQHA to have its test results  recognized,
based on the fact that the published procedure is followed.  Since Pittsburg
didn't apply for
an international patent, a license does not confer any protection or
exclusivity to the holder
outside of the U.S. and is an added expense. The Animal Genetics Lab in
Calgary can be
reached at 403-220-3007 or 780-220-3007.



-30-

Sidebar
Warning Signs of HYPP
- restlessness
- dullness
- depression
- frequent urination and/or defecation
- stiff gait
  - hard muscles
- "anxious look"

Episode Symptoms ( may last between 15 minutes and four
hours or more)
(Depending on the severity of the case, some, all or none of these symptoms
may occur in a
HYPP positive horse)
- intermittent, uncontrollable muscle twitching/tremors, especially over the
horse's neck,
shoulders, ribs, hips and flanks
- nostrils flare
- facial muscles wrinkle, creating an anxious expression
- stiffness of lips that makes horse appear to be grinning
- protrusion of the third eyelid across the eye
-  sweating
- increase in breathing rate
- noisy breathing
- (especially in H/H horses:) possible abnormal sounds when attempting to
whinny or no
audible sound, also noisy breathing on a regular basis, drooling saliva and
problems
swallowing, poor growth or weight loss
- sawhorse stance with head down, inability to raise head
- seizure
- swaying, staggering, stumbling or knees buckling
- may assume a "sitting-dog" position on haunches until episode passes
- worst case, horse collapses and dies of cardiac arrest or respiratory
paralysis.

-30-

Sidebar
Living With Your HYPP Positive Horse

To Decrease Incidence of Episodes: Manage To Your Advantage
With Prevention
- keep them in large pastures as opposed to stall confinement
- any grain feeding should be in small, equal amounts on a consistent
schedule, several
times daily
- exercise them regularly
- monitor very closely for several hours following exercise as this is when
symptoms may
occur
- integrate any feed changes gradually
-  reduce their potassium intake  (aim for a diet that is less than one per
cent potassium) by
minimizing the use of alfalfa and clover hay and avoid supplements
containing potassium
(such as molasses)
-  instead, feed grass, oat hay or commercial feed products formulated
specifically for
HYPP horses
- put extra emphasis on providing free-choice salt and water ---- to help
flush excess
potassium from horse's system
- avoid stressing the horse by minimizing transport and maintaining a
healthy vaccination
and deworming program
- fasting and general anaesthesia have also been known to trigger episodes
- if attacks are still occurring, contact your veterinarian to discuss
possible use of a drug
called acetazolamide (Diamon) (a diuretic) which may diminish some of the
clinical signs
- there is no cure, so if effective, treatments will be life-long
- it is recommended that only persons experienced with the symptoms handle
and ride
affected horses, and that caution be used if any symptoms are observed

During An Attack
- if possible, take the horse to spacious, safe area, where it will not be
hurt if it goes down
- if horse exhibits mild symptoms, walking him or exercising him on a
longeline should
stimulate release of adrenalin to drive potassium into the cells
- if there is no sign of an airway obstruction, providing a
carbohydrate-based feed such as
oats, corn-oats-barley mix or light corn syrup as glucose supplement to
induce insulin
release and encourage potassium movement into the cells
- in severe cases, call your veterinarian immediately as intravenous therapy
may quickly
resolve the crisis


-30-
                                                         /'^'\
                                                        ( o o )
-----------------------FROM:----------------------oOOOO--(_)--0000o---------

  \__,,,__/                      JANIS SCHOLE
   <(.^.)>mOOOoooooooOOOo\       Freelance writer/photographer
    (..)_MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO\      Pickardville, Alberta, Canada
     U   \MOOO)OOOO(OOOOO/|      jschole@...
          \MO/------\OO/  |
   \|/     ||        ||\  "
           (|        |/    _
\/        //    X  //    \|/
      \|/       \|/
	 ||  \/                        .ooo0
                                                   (   )     0ooo.
                                                    \ (      (   )
----------------------------------------------------\_)------) /------------
                                                             (_/

Northern Horse Review
no pix -- two side bars
The HYPP Dilemma - Arm Yourself With Information


By JANIS SCHOLE
Freelance writer
	 Since the first published description of it appeared in 1986, the genetic
defect
known as HYPP (Equine Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis) has brought about a
controversy that has gained momentum in proportion to the increasing number
of horses it
has potential to affect.
	 While no one is happy about the risks associated with HYPP, there are horsemen
who are willing to live with it for several reasons. Much progress has been
made in what
is known about the heritability, identification and treatment of this
condition. Many horses
with the gene mutation called HYPP have not been observed to have any signs
and can
produce as high as 50 per cent normal offspring.
	 HYPP was the first equine disease that a highly accurate DNA test was developed
to identify. The availability of this test allows purchasers to avoid buying
potentially
troubled HYPP horses and breeders to make informed breeding decisions. They
can either
prevent  breeding any HYPP-positive horse or at the very least, avoid
crossing two HYPP-
positive horses (each possessing one HYPP gene and one normal gene and
identified as
N/H) to produce the dreaded homozygous HYPP horse (which possesses two HYPP
genes
and is identified as H/H). The homozygous HYPP horse (also called double
positive)  is
likely to have more severe symptoms and often dies.
	 According to Dr. Jonathan Naylor, DVM, of the Western College of Veterinary
Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, HYPP is a dominant genetic condition,
so N/H
horses (sometimes wrongly called carriers) will always show signs if
appropriately
challenged and tested. "It is just that in normal life, either the challenge
is not sufficient, or
the observation inadequate for signs to be observed," he says.
	 In many cases, HYPP-positive (N/H) horses that do show obvious symptoms can
have their "episodes" controlled through proper management and treatment.
Also, perhaps
most significant in the tolerance and perpetuation of this genetic defect,
is that many people
believe it to be a mixed blessing. They conclude that there is "sufficient
good with the bad"
to counteract any difficulties the defect may cause to horses and their owners.
	 The eye appeal of heavy muscling, pretty features and excellent
conformation often
comes hand in hand with the unfortunate reality of the HYPP gene. This can
make the risk
of producing HYPP-positive horses financially rewarding because their
positive traits give
them an aptitude for winning in show ring halter classes. However, HYPP
horses fair less
well when athletic ability is measured - they have reduced exercise
tolerance compared to
unaffected horses, according to Naylor.
	 Just as some overo Paint breeders are willing to risk producing the lethal
white
overo syndrome (also caused by mutated genes) in their attempts to obtain
loud colored
foals, there are breeders who value certain physical traits enough to risk
perpetuating the
HYPP gene.
	 HYPP only affects horses with the Quarter Horse "Impressive," in their
pedigrees,
and only a percentage of those. However,  because of the popularity of this
bloodline
which has produced many halter champions, there are more than 100,000 horses
that can be
traced back to this one horse. Because Quarter Horses are acceptable stock
in Appaloosa,
Paint and Thoroughbred registries, the problems associated with HYPP are
experienced in
these breeds as well, not to mention some warmblood crosses and even
unregisterable
grade horses.
	 There are a number of neuromuscular diseases with some similar symptoms to
HYPP but which are actually unrelated to it. Also, in tests related to
sodium channel
research, it was found that a small number of horses which had episodic
symptoms similar
to HYPP, but that had tested negative for HYPP, did not possess any mutation
of the gene
specific to HYPP.
	 HYPP is not sex-related, so it affects males and females equally. It has
also been
identified in several species, including humans.
	 The genetic defect "alters function of the sodium channel within the
membrane of
muscle cells, causing the channel to "leak" and allowing accumulation of
excess sodium
ions within the muscle cells as well as excess potassium ions in the
bloodstream,"
according to Dr. Nancy S. Loving, DVM in Boulder, Colorado. This imbalance
in the
muscles "decreases the threshold required for muscle contraction" and the
most obvious
symptom is intermittent, uncontrollable muscle twitching which can lead to
other problems
such as weakness or paralysis.
	 These symptoms (see sidebar article) , which can vary greatly in intensity,
are often
seen when a HYPP horse consumes potassium-rich feed, fasts (irregular
feeding), has had
a sudden change in ration,  exercises strenuously or becomes stressed in
some way.
Episodes can occur at any time of the day or night, and have been known to
last anywhere
from 15 minutes to four hours or more. The syndrome is most often identified
when the
horse is between two and four years old, even though the genetic defect is
present from
conception. H/H horses are exceptional in that signs are usually present in
the first month
of life.
	 The vast majority of HYPP positive horses carry only one HYPP gene (N/H) and
may or may not show obvious symptoms.
	 According to Naylor, it is likely that some attacks are missed either
because the
owner is not present or because mild attacks can just look like a horse
shivering.
	 " In fact, I went to one farm where a young foal started to have an attack
characterized mainly by shivering, and the owner remarked to the effect that
several of her
horses showed this type of sign," he says "Missed attacks may result in
injury because of
ataxia or recumbency and the owner may only see signs of abrasions etc as a
result."
 	 When N/H horses are bred to a HYPP-negative (normal, healthy) horse (N/N),
they
have an equal chance of producing  N/H or N/N and no chance of producing
H/H. When a
N/H is bred to another N/H, 50 per cent of the offspring are likely to be
N/H, 25 per cent
on average would be double positive (H/H) and 25 per cent are likely to be
normal (N/N).
	 The Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
performed some of the earliest work on HYPP and for many years, maintained a
herd of
affected horses to study the disease. The college's Equine Health Research
Fund supported
more than 10 years of work into this condition.
	 "AQHA got into the funding game quite late in the cycle - despite being
given lots
of opportunities, Naylor says. "In the end I sent my research applications
to them just to
keep them informed of what was actually happening, not in the expectation of
receiving any
funds."
	 In 1989, the AQHA initiated and funded HYPP research at the University of
California, Davis and then in 1991, another project at the University of
Pennsylvania,
according to Loving. Both projects contributed to a more advanced overall
understanding
of the syndrome.
	 In 1997, for the first time, the AQHA listed HYPP as an undesirable trait and
genetic defect in its Official Handbook. Registration procedures for all
Quarter Horse
foals, both male and female have been established as follows (as verified
with AQHA
Registration Department Supervisor Tammy Canida)
	 Unless test results are on file with AQHA indicating a foal is negative
(N/N), foals
born in 1998 and after that trace to Impressive will have a statement placed
on their
certificates of registration that "recommends testing for HYPP." Beginning
in 1998, all
foals that must be parentage verified before being registered and those who
trace to
Impressive will be tested for HYPP with the same DNA sample submitted to the
laboratory
for parentage verification. The test results (N/H, H/H or N/N) of these
animals will be
recorded on their registration papers. Having negative (N/N) results on file
for older
horses may prevent their offspring from being tested.
	 In this way, eventually all registered horse-owners can determine if they
are either
buying or breeding to a potentially HYPP-positive horse. It will not stop
people from
producing more HYPP-positive horses if they choose to do so, but it will
give them the
choice of whether they want to or not. They will also then have the ability
to inform
themselves of beneficial management practices they can use to minimize
HYPP's effects,
should they decide they are willing to live with the condition. This will
also give new
investors in the industry every opportunity to make informed decisions on
how they spend
their money and avoid disappointments, ultimately protecting the future of
the industry.
Informed mare owners will ultimately control the future of HYPP in the horse
business, as
they decide which stallion they will breed their mares to.
	  The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) and the Appaloosa Horse Club do
not yet have any HYPP testing requirements. However, the American Appaloosa
Horse
Association requires that any foal with Impressive bloodlines be HYPP
tested. Foals found
to be HYPP positive will not be registered unless neutered (not used for
breeding
purposes). Horses registered under the group's hardship clause in 1998
(horses that have
lost their papers or were unregistered as foals) are urged to be HYPP
tested, but in 1999,
testing will be mandatory.
	 It is still possible for unethical, economically-motivated stallion owners
to conceal
or withhold the HYPP status of their horse (assuming they've had him
tested), causing those
who breed mares to him to unknowingly risk producing HYPP-affected
offspring. Some
stallion owners may have chosen  not to test their horse because he has not
shown any
symptoms and this leaves prospective clients equally in the dark.
	 Naylor points out that, without the assistance of HYPP test information,
the chances
of breeding a N/H horse to another N/H have increased over the years. About
25 years ago
there was only one N/H horse, compared to  estimates of  0.25 % to 0.5 % of
the Quarter
Horse breed in the early 1990's," he says.
	 Because HYPP is abnormal and can be a debilitating condition, combined with the
fact that technology has made it possible to eliminate it from the gene pool
entirely by
selective breeding based on HYPP test results, many people advocate doing
so. They claim
HYPP horses under saddle are potentially dangerous to both themselves and
especially
unsuspecting riders, since exercise could trigger an attack and they could
collapse.
	 Others maintain that elimination of HYPP would be a catch 22 situation, with
valuable genetic traits being lost in the process, consequently forcing
breed quality to take
a step backwards. They point out that many of the top halter horses are
HYPP-positive.
Their opponents say that there are also many horses from the Impressive line
that do not
carry HYPP but do possess the desirable traits and would still be available
to use in
breeding programs.
	 There are still others who are against what they call the "over-muscled,
overweight" horses that are dominating the halter classes, citing a lack of
versatility that
would result in these horses breaking down if asked to perform.
                                                         /'^'\
                                                        ( o o )
-----------------------FROM:----------------------oOOOO--(_)--0000o---------

  \__,,,__/                      JANIS SCHOLE
   <(.^.)>mOOOoooooooOOOo\       Freelance writer/photographer
    (..)_MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO\      Pickardville, Alberta, Canada
     U   \MOOO)OOOO(OOOOO/|      jschole@...
          \MO/------\OO/  |
   \|/     ||        ||\  "
           (|        |/    _
\/        //    X  //    \|/
      \|/       \|/
	 ||  \/                        .ooo0
                                                   (   )     0ooo.
                                                    \ (      (   )
----------------------------------------------------\_)------) /------------
                                                             (_/

Hello everyone,

I have just subscribed and, at the request of listowner Laurie, am also
sending another post which contains a lengthy but informative article about
HYPP. The subject is also being discussed on painthorse@onelist and this is
where I "met" Laurie.

Background on me: I am a freelance writer who covers a wide variety of
farm-related subjects, and have done some writing for horse magazines as
well. I live on a farm and have four horses (although they are grades) Two
years ago, I bred a mare to a popular black and white homozygous tobianio
stallion, "WDL Super Silhouette" and have a beautiful bay and white spotted
filly as a result.

The HYPP article is scheduled for publication in Northern Horse Review
Magazine (published in Calgary, Alberta, but
distributed into the northern U.S as well as Canada) in either June or July.
This is a
classy-looking, glossy color magazine, for those of you unfamiliar with it.
It describes itself as "widely endorsed by top horse people in the industry
as the western sports and western breed source of Canada and the northern
states," and is the official publication of 45 horse associations and clubs.

Thanks and I hope you enjoy the article.

Janis
                                                         /'^'\
                                                        ( o o )
-----------------------FROM:----------------------oOOOO--(_)--0000o---------

  \__,,,__/                      JANIS SCHOLE
   <(.^.)>mOOOoooooooOOOo\       Freelance writer/photographer
    (..)_MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO\      Pickardville, Alberta, Canada
     U   \MOOO)OOOO(OOOOO/|      jschole@...
          \MO/------\OO/  |
   \|/     ||        ||\  "
           (|        |/    _
\/        //    X  //    \|/
      \|/       \|/
	 ||  \/                        .ooo0
                                                   (   )     0ooo.
                                                    \ (      (   )
----------------------------------------------------\_)------) /------------
                                                             (_/

hi yes many times,with our mare,about 3 weeks out of the month she was
ok,i've researched this with many different articles i've read,i'm not
saying every mare out there is like mine,all i'm saying is if there's a
problem a few days out of the month,where there acting up really bad,you
might consider the idea something isn't right,as for n/h the h becomes
more dominate than the n,speaking of the two genes one horse has.but yes
our mare had a problem.our 11  mo old colt was put down,he was h/h,the
attacks was severe! ken

In a message dated 4/14/99 6:54:54 AM Central Daylight Time,
countryken@... writes:

<< a n/h mare
  can at times be unsafe to ride because,when there heat cycle comes in,it
  can trigger a hypp attack,because of stress!
   >>

Has this happened to YOU?  I've never heard such a thing...

Jamie

hi no hypp is not degenerative,when a horse gets n/h or h/h,it's done
through breeding,and the horse has it the rest of there life,a n/h mare
can at times be unsafe to ride because,when there heat cycle comes in,it
can trigger a hypp attack,because of stress!

Welcome to the HYPP list.  To the best of my knowledge HYPP is not
degenerative.  (taken in the context that it can be breed out of a line)
HYPP positive horses N/H when bred to N/N (normal) will produce 50% positive
offspring.  Therefore it cannot be bred out.  You can get some N/N offspring
but it will be only 50% of the time.  A very informative web page is at
http://www.thehorsesource.com/hypp_facts.html

Please feel free to ask anymore questions

Laurie
----- Original Message -----
From: Andrea Scroggs <ted@...>
To: <hyppbreeding@onelist.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 11, 1999 7:37 PM
Subject: [hyppbreeding] Degenerative


> From: Andrea Scroggs <ted@...>
>
> Hi,
> I just got a question from someone who wanted to know if HYPP was
> degenerative.  I really don't know as no one has ever classified it
> as that but some aspects of it maybe that way for some horses.
>
> Anyway I told them about the list and hope they will join if not I
> said I would forward any responses.
>
> Thanks,
> Andrea
> http://www.ascdesign.com
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Vet Recommended MediPetT is the highest quality animal First Aid Kit
> on the market. Members Price is Just $40.00**Satisfaction Guaranteed
> Free Shipping in US*No Hassle Return Policy*Gentle First Aid for Pets
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>

Hi,
I just got a question from someone who wanted to know if HYPP was
degenerative.  I really don't know as no one has ever classified it
as that but some aspects of it maybe that way for some horses.

Anyway I told them about the list and hope they will join if not I
said I would forward any responses.

Thanks,
Andrea
http://www.ascdesign.com

If anyone wants info on HYPP! Please let me know ,Ive researched this
for months,our 11 mo old colt was put to rest 3-3-99,It's not pretty to
watch! PROTECT your investment,ask for hypp test draw blood send it to
uc daviss costs is $35.00

This story is about a dream of ours that came true,last june 1998,we
bought our first horse,and her colt,at the time the colt was 4mo old,the
mare was 6yr old,both out of impressive,we didn't know anything about
impressive,much less hypp! From little old people in there  70's,that
had been around horses all there lives,the colt became ill in a short
time,we called the vet,his assumption was correct,he drew blood on both
the mare and colt,the mare was n/h,but the colt was h/h,his attacks
became worst,and more often,finally march 3,1999,his attack lasted 8
long hours,foaming at the mouth,stumbling and falling,loud
breathing,gasping for his last breath,his eye's so red,that we thought
they were going to burst into flames, sieures,musel trimmers,finally the
vet said we have to put him down,I held the halter while he overdosed
tuffy,and he fell to the ground, The previous owners wouldn't do
anything! now with him gone we learned the hard way,don't you make the
same mistake,as for a n/h mare the heat cycle,can trigger an hypp
attack,making her unsafe to ride,TRUST ME WE KNOW!