[Bravestrom]

Spinoff from the Saphire article - was just thinking that if cloning gets very popular and less expensive - more mainstream - it will surely affect stallion owners and stud fees.

The reason I was thinking this is I have a fabulous mare that I would love to do embryo transfer with but Hey - why not just clone her?

Would you clone or buy a clone

How much to you think environment affects the value of a clone -

Discuss but keep it civil

[horsetales]

Since the cost is still out of the realm for most, I think that will give time for people to evaluate the success of the clones already done - like Sapphire's. If those clones are "as good" or better as the original and the cost comes way down, there will definitely be an increase. That is also with the caveat that there is no decrease in longevity or health issues with clones.

I saw there are a large number of polo ponies being cloned in Argentina (I believe that is the location), so there is a large pool of clones to study plus the sport horses that have been done here.

There will always be a need to make new and keep genetic diversity alive as well as a large number of people that want an "original" and want nothing to do with clones.

[dilligaff2]

Wow--the cost to clone is crazy so purchasing the clone would also be cost prohibitive.

I would have to ask myself--why clone? Is there a bloodline that can no longer be bred that necessitates the clone?

IMHO, the horse would need to be very special and I would have to have a very specific requirement for it to spend that kind of money.

Which mare are you thinking about Prospect?

[JumperFyre]

They have a Quidam clone somewhere but I haven't heard anything new on him. Any Olympic horse, or TOP breeding stallion no longer producing (Baloubet, Quidam, Darco, etc), or who has always produced horribly (Berlin, etc) should be cloned in my opinion.

[HyperionStudLLC]

Cloning is expensive, but what is most difficult to predict is if that clone will perform like its predecessor. Genetically it's a match, but success in sport alone is so subjective.

For many of the great sport horses, they travelled a very specific path of circumstances that helped them get to where they peaked. Not sure a cloned horse, would be as great in sport as the first?

In terms of genetics for breeding, possibly a different story. It will be interesting to see warmblood clones like those of Ratina Z and Gem Twist in sport in years to come.

Cheers

[Bravestrom]

Which mare are you thinking about Prospect?

If the cost was near to stud fees I would definitely clone our Freedom Z mare out of a Catherston Liberator Mare - she has Primitive Rising on her Dam Size too.

[Baby]

Given the cost of cloning, do you think that we will be seeing a lot of these in sport? Or do you think that they would be kept for breeding purposes only due to risk of injury?

[Edgar]

Too much expense and too much controversy for now so the answer to the original OP question is IMHO No , not for a long time or ever will this influence stallion owners and fee's much at all. It could bring in genetics not available prior to cloning but outside of that, most breeders like to go forward and see progress in breeding not go sideways.