The Horse

AQHA backed by other associations in Cloning Lawsuit

Breed Groups Support AQHA on Cloning Issue

Seven breed associations and two non-equine associations have joined in a legal brief supporting the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) in its bid to overturn a court decision regarding cloned horse registrations. Still, one scientist believes that the time register cloned animals has come.

Some owners have used the cloning process to preserve their animals’ bloodlines, particularly those of high-performance equines. In response to cloning as a way to preserve bloodlines, some breed associations ruled on whether or not cloned horses can be included in their breed registries. In 2004 the AQHA board of directors approved Rule 227(a), which prohibits cloned horses or their offspring from being included in the organization’s breed registry.

Last year Jason Abraham and two of his related companies, Abraham & Veneklasen Joint Venture and Abraham Equine Inc., filed suit against the AQHA. The complaint asks the court to order the AQHA to remove Rule 227(a) on grounds that the ban on registering cloned horses and their offspring violates antitrust laws.

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Equine Problem Solving Skills

Can Horses Think Through Problems?

By Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB Jan 09, 2014 Topics:

Q. I am writing a paper in my agricultural ethics class on the treatment of horses, and one of my discussions deals with the equality of horses to humans. My roommate and I were debating whether horses have the capability to think through a problem–something like unlatching a gate. I’m having trouble finding research on this specific problem. Do you know of any research that has been done in this area?

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