I heard about a group of retired racehorses...went to look. All are bargain basement mares. (sadly, one is so lame that she has to hop to move....)
One mare caught my eye. I'm still trying to track down the pedigree, but in the meantime, here's the very weird thing:
The mare's clitoris sticks out. Not a little, but a lot. I know I need a repro analysis on the mare, but am hesitant to even bother with this kind of oddity. (on the other hand, what is going to happen to this mare if I don't care enough to at least think about it....) I have a vet book that hints that this is a chromosonal problem ...but I just don't know.
Advice, please!
Jos
Posted on Monday, August 21, 2000 - 11:43 am:
This sounds as though she may well be an "intersex mare", in which an extra chromosome is carried - often karotyping as 64,XX. If this is the case she is not a good candidate as a brood mare!!!
Another possibility is that the mare has been receiving anabolic steroids while being trained for racing. If this is the case, then although it may take a year or more, her reproductive system should return to normal activity.
Have her rectally palpated or ultrasounded. In the first case, her ovaries would be either non-existent, of very small (pea-sized). In the latter case, although the ovaries may be a little smaller than normal, and definitely inactive (no follicles), they will still be present.
Out of curiosity, is the "intersex" situation rare? What causes it?
And...what other effects are there from anabolic steriods? Any long lasting?
I passed on the mare. She was nice, but not nice enough to deal with these kinds of issues!
Jos
Posted on Wednesday, August 23, 2000 - 05:01 pm:
Just realised I seem to be seeing a common problem here with you! *grin*
The intersex mare is not a common situation, but certainly does occur. It is a genetic anomally that occurs as a result of "something" getting mixed up during the intitial creation of the conceptus in-utero.
Generally the effects of steroids will dissipate with time, as the natural body systems recover. But as with humans, there is always the possibility of permanent sterility or increased risk of cancer, depending upon the dosage levels that have been given.
This is a facinating area! How much there is to learn - how many interesting things!
Recommended reading? Places to learn?
And, do you know anything about CHD (congenital hypothyroidism & Dymsaturity). We had a foal this year suspected of this. The vet lost the Thyroid test on the foal (put down so no retest possible).
I'm a bit suspicious that all things seem (at one point or another) to point to Thyroid.....
Educate me? Please!
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