As responsible breeders, we had to start somewhere. With growing interest and the long-term welfare of our ponies in mind, we made the decision to begin testing for the Skeletal Atavism (SA) gene at Snelsmore.
Our stallions seemed the natural place to begin, and we are pleased to share that Merrylees Nuggett was among the first to be tested. We were delighted when his results came back SA clear.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and testing every pony will take time. However, this important first step allows us to move forward with confidence and plan for breeding SA-clear ponies in the future.
By testing a selection of our mares, we can also obtain results through parentage, helping to keep costs down while steadily increasing the number of ponies with known SA status.
This is an ongoing process, but one we are proud to be part of as we continue to breed responsibly for the future.
