A compliment to all our members who put health in place one for our Studbook. For at the end of last year, health was dubbed priority number one in the determination of the breeding goal. That means we collectively choose to take up the challenges we face when it comes to health. Taking up challenges begins by plucking up the courage to face those challenges.
But the Studbook doesn’t have to go down that road on its own. We get help from universities, scientists and not to forget, the Fenway Foundation in the USA. Obviously, we have already been in touch and a few weeks back we had a number of digital conferences with these people. This team has such commitment and drive to make a contribution to the health of the Friesian horse. Currently, the team are conducting research into oesophageal paralysis. For this they have enlisted the cooperation of several top universities, which has lifted the entire research programme to an international level. They have set up a pragmatic and scientifically sound research programme, which is a time-consuming and meticulous task. That research is now fully underway and the researchers have indicated they need a bit more time, possibly a few more months, to be able to draw valid conclusions on a responsible basis before they can share their findings with the Studbook.
So since the research has not been completed yet I cannot and won’t convey any information on the subject. Naturally, we will inform our members as soon as this research will be completed. Because only collectively and in all transparency can we face up to these challenges. It would be premature and imprudent to draw conclusions at this stage, while the research is still ongoing. Only after the completion of any research is it possible to use the results to initiate the right actions. After completion of their research, the Fenway Foundation is keen to start investigating if it is possible to develop a test that could potentially help to make the right decisions in breeding. As expected, the Studbook has set aside funds to tackle the challenges in the field of health. And whenever the cooperation of the Studbook is required we will certainly comply, because all knowhow and commitment is valuable in the interest of the health of our magnificent black pearls.
Tineke Schokker
KFPS Chairman
