YOU ARE HERE: home_eng » foals » foals 2010 » Story AF Vesjnica

 Why testing CA is so important …

 

How our surprise became a nightmare ... A.F.Vesjnica CA AFFECTED fillyfoal

Last year we decided to cover our grand old dam Adina one last time with our stallion Vestival (Karnaval x Verdjina s. Balaton). She came in heat after the covering so we assumed she did not get in foal. When she became rounder than she normally is at the beginning of the new year, with some activity at the udder, we were sure she had to be carrying a foal. Since the CA testing frenzy only started after the 2009 breeding season, we found out that the sire of Adina's foal is a CA carrier in the late fall, and we immediately tested her as well, although it would not change the status quo. She never had unhealthy foals before, even from this sire, so what would be the odds ? Twiddling our thumbs we awaited foaling time.
 
On the 25th of april Adina gave us a tall filly. Joyous with her arrival we called her A.F. Vesjnica. Very lively, she tried to stand, what obviously never succeeds at the first try. When she still did not stand after a few hours, we started to worry.
First we gave her a bottle with the mares' first milk. Soon after that, she started to tremor with her head. We could not believe it at first. After 6 hours she finally stood on all fours, wide stanced and wobbly. On the 6th of May we got confirmed what we of course already expected: Adina was tested a CA carrier.
 
After 20 years of breeding and although we just recently had taken rigourous measures to guarantee a CA free breeding program by eliminating all carriers from our herd, the pre-testing era caught up with us and so the very emotional decision to euthanise this filly has become a harsh reality for us after all.
 
This is one of the greatest heartaches a breeder should never face. Please, test before you breed and follow the CA breedingchart so you never have to experience this emotional feat.
 
As a breeding program, Arabian Fantasie had already decided to breed solely with CA clear horses. That does not mean that we object to careful breeding with CA carriers, but since we are blessed with a CA free herd now, we will make it an effort to keep it this way.
We hope that Vesjnica's short life will serve as an example to breeders who still have their doubts about CA testing and breeding according to the CA breeding chart.

More info see CA website

A.F. Vesjnica; no chance to live a life of equine dignity

In loving memory "A.F.Vesjnica"
April 25, 2010 to September 1, 2010

With great sorrow, and simultaneously with a hint of satisfaction , we place this difficult post. Dear A.F.Vesjnica rest in peace . Sad because we have to let go our brave and very lovely A.F. Vesjnica, happy because we could offer her four months meadow to the regrettable circumstances allowed it. We have you enjoyed and learned a lot from her. A.F. Vesjnica did surprisingly well with her illness, and her movements were becoming caretaker and everything she did was calm and with confidence.  A.F. Vesjnica we are proud of you and very sad that unfortunately there was no future for you here on earth. AF Vesjnica is quietly asleep  and we will deeply miss her.