Should we genetically engineer thoroughbreds?

Question

We selectively breed now, and their sole purpose in life is to run fast (and breed offspring that will run fast) ... why not?

Answer 1

No we should not !

I turely love racing and the hard work keeping the true blood in them and it's not about Just Breeding and winning

But hey its a game of chance

and good HARD WORK to train a winner lets keep it like that way

No,, to making another  MAN OF WAR

Let them be the legend's  they are !

they earned their FAME ,, By being the best and all of the people in that horses life to help him achieve it ,,



If you alter that,,Racing will never be the same ..

Answer 2

for the same reason we do not allow artificial insemination....  they are called THOROUGHBREDS for a reason..... we need to keep the sport (im not sure of the right word here maybe) natural?.....

also if we did genetically engineer our race-horses the 2 big players in breeding (Darley stud and cool more stud) would dominate at the race track...... as they have the big bucks to spend on research and development....it would be unfair to the smaller stud organisations as they dont have the big money to spend.

Answer 3

The current rules state that only horses conceived by natural means can be registered to race.  This excludes horses conceived through Artificial Insemination, Embryo Transfer, cloning and any other kind of manipulation.

Yes the Thoroughbred is a selectively bred breed but there is a whole lot down to chance.  Just because you manipulate an embryo to be "faster" or "stronger" doesn't mean that it will work.  There are too many other variable factors involved - the trainer of the horse, the handler that looks after him day to day, the ground he races on, etc.  All of these can have influence on how a horse turns out.

Answer 4

I have a TB and he was taken off he track I'm guessing because he's mellow and very sweet!?! He had bad feet, all TB's have bad feet! He is new to me and I am having the HARDEST TIME to find a saddle! They don't make thoroughbred saddles because they are SUPPOSEDLY for racing ONLY but what do you do with them after they race for 3 years?? I hate it how we have inbred animals so much for "purebreds"! But I am against breeding mutts for dogs, just make sure that you get them fixed!! And make sure that with animals you don't have any related AT ALL!--- while breeding.

Answer 5

I think it takes away from the sport.  But I'm sure someday we will see.

Answer 6

we essentially do genetically engineer TBs, to the best of my knowledge, no other species is as selectively bred.  As for altering DNA for the supreme athlete, it would take the work out of racing, and we'd loose heart, no amout of DNA perfection can give a horse the heart (figurative, not literal) to win.