Cloning: What's Your Opinion?
Thursday June 8, 2006
One of the prominent stories in the equine world lately has been the Winnemucca Mule Races where two cloned mules placed first and second. The clones ran against four other 'non-clone' mules. Both clones carry genes from parents of a champion racing mule. Co-incidence or have scientists engineered a better mule? What would cloning mean to the horse breeding industry? Can we create the ultimate endurance, cutting, jumping, dressage (pick your discipline) horses by cloning? Would equine cloning be a benefit or a disaster? What's your opinion?
Comments
Why should we breed then, simply raffle off the genes to the highest bidder. I am not a proponent of breeding or cloning but I would consider breeding the lesser of two evils. Too many horses go to slaughter as it is, why create more?
I think animal cloning is just another way to reproduce desired stock, a human practice from the dawn of history. If it was affordable and my gelding proves to be a signficant endurance horse, I’d clone him in a minute.
I recently saw an article mentioning the possibility of cloning Gem Twist, a champion jumper who unfortunatly is a gelding. He comes from a consistantly producing jumping line that unfortunately seems to have died out, Bonne Nuit. If he were cloned and left entire this valuable line could continue. I would breed to a Gem Twist clone in a heart beat.
I wish that I could have cloned my top show mare whom we lost a few years ago. I haven’t ever found another show horse that could even come close to her ability.
I do NOT agree with cloning for a few reason.
The main one being it’s stealing. It takes away from what is special. The champion is special, and earned that status.
A Champion is born special through the grace of nature. The perfect combination coming together that gives something incredible and special to the world. A sense of Awe and wonder, admiration, hope, promise, and more. For that reason, I believe it is the same as stealing. They give thier all while they are here. We capitalize on them, turn them into business and some people jump on the coat tales, they forget to “see” the magnificance anymore. These people see $$$. It’s in the name, the name gives value to the offspring. They earn a chance to “follow in the footsteps”. That value is increased or decreased based on supply and demand, along with suceess rates. In order to hold on to that value, “all aspects” of that value, the $$ and the prestige, once the genetics are not “living” anymore, that is where it should end.
I have more reason, but that is the main one. Thanks for asking this question!!
Although I still have some reservations about the ethics of cloning, if I were able to afford it and if they could guarantee the same disposition and tractability, I would surely clone my bay AQHA mare. I do not think I could replace her for any price. Not only is she beautiful but she rides as well. And I’m afraid to breed her for fear of losing her through foaling.
Check out the history of cloned animals. They are not as healthy as non-cloned and their lives are shorter. Nature’s way is best. Also, there are recue operations everywhere that can tell you what happens to excess animals that can’t find homes. Training is the way to get the best performance from any animal (or person).
i would clone my anglo arab in a heart beat,if only to repeat his great disposition and heart, they just do not come any better.
I am basically against cloning of any animals – 4-legged or 2-legged. My stance is based on the fact that we really do not know the future need for a perhaps recessive trait and by cloning we are reducing the bio-diversity and possibly the adaptability of all animals. There have been many times in different animal species that we have bred for a specific trait, only later to discover we have gone too far. The champion stock of yester-year is not necessarily the best suited for today’s needs. Thanks for allowing me a chance to voice my opinion on the subject of cloning. And yes I have my favorite animals (both dead and alive) that I sometimes think cloning would be a good idea however think of the specialness (sic) that I would be missing.
Why clone? I’m not against it. I’m not for it. The only thing you will get it genes. I think it’s great for those species no longer around, but horses? I might as well breed the same two horses again and get the “same” foal again.
You have the chance of getting anything from the cloning as you do from random breeding. Just because you clone one animal does not mean it will have the same talents as the one you cloned. You still have to train it, and the trainer will more than likely not be the same. The horse would have to do the same things the original horse did to get the same results. You might as well breed, or better yet, just train another horse.
I say, sure clone if the price drops down. But for now, it’s just not practical.
Why clone? Confirmation, ability, dispostion should be improved through selective breeding not remain stagnant by cloning. I believe striving for improvement should be the norm, not repetition.
I am against cloning of any species. Only God is supposed to create life. There are already almost 100,000 equines slaughtered in this country every year. It is not done humanely. They are butchered in a way that should not be done to any animal!
I am against cloning , I know that there are special horses , but I love my 25 yr old QH mare and she is special too but I would not have her cloned. I think it is done mostly for $$$$.
I don’t agree with cloning, we need to quit trying to play GOD, we are messing too much with mother nature, eventually no good will come out it.
I DISAGREE with cloning for the purpose of competeing, what’s the point of competeing clones against eachother? I for one wouldn’t find it exicting to watch War Admiral Clone 1 vs. 2, 3, 4, and 5. Whats the point? That shows nothing of the breeders intelligence and good selection and care of stock, thats just copying. Would you be interested in judging a peotry contest with 7 of the same poems just because the first one was good?
I AGREE with cloning for breeding purposes, like another person was refering to Gem Twist who is a top jumper and unfortunately a gelding. I think its a good idea to clone him and carry on his bloodlines, but not use his copy for competition.
Both of my opinions DEPEND on if cloning really is safe or not, whenever I have read about cloning in the past, the cells of the animals have died faster for an unknown reason and the die early. My above opinions are only true if it is HUMANE, if not, then I DISAGREE.
~Ashleigh~
I think cloning is a horrible concept. At first it gives breeders an option to make huge profits. Then, ultimately, it devalues that which makes an individual (animal or human) special. I believe it to be playing gods and messing in affairs of which human beings, really, have no comprehension.
I wish I could clone my mule ED Tucker, as he is in his 30’s now. I know it would still not be just like him, but like a son instead. He is the best friend one could ask for and even though I ride my mule Jack now , he is not even half the ride that Ed is , with his smooth fox trot and small size, 13 and a half hands. There has been many times I have told my daughter, that I wish I could have Ed cloned, but with the cost and the fact that not all the “bugs” are not out of the system I will never get the chance.
I am not at all in favor of CLONING! Only time will tell if cloning is a possitive practice. I would like to say that it would be too easy for some of the bad elements to try to profit from this. There are too many horses that get slaughtered every year due to over breeding and trying to get that “perfect” horse. Let GOD and Nature be the judge of a birth
I do not believe in cloning because it is altering the natural state of equines, then it becomes a big money game and the true heart of raising, teaching, and competing becomes only a rich man’s game. There is no sure scientific knowledge of where the health and future of these animals will end up. Thank god for the people whom love horses for themselves and the intense bond that can develop even if it is with just a pasture pony.
I believe cloning is a process born of man’s greed! Scientifically, we know it can be done! Only time will tell what the repercussions are for the individual, cloned animals. This is another example of the expectations of instant gratification in our society. It is a violation of God’s plans for humans and animals. We learn lessons from the animals we care for because they are different. What learning challenges are before us if we resort to cloning those creatures that have developed into exceptional entities. We do an injustice to ourselves and the animals. I pray that the animals that are victims of cloning do not suffer effects that we will not know for years to come.
Just because science has found out how to mess with creation of life artifically, does not mean that it is good. Mankind found out how to build bombs, was that good? Hitler wanted to build a perfect society. What suffering followed. Greed is never acceptable. Cloning experiments began, I think, as a scientific experiment to see IF it could be done and what results and/or ramifications might be. It is now turning into the rich man’s greedy way of attempting to ensure success and prosperity. Cloning is not a good thing. There will be serious prices to pay, and the animals will pay it.
What next? People? Can you imagine this getting into the wrong hands & a criminal being cloned many times? Besides how boring to have the same thing over & over again. Where is the adventure & excitement from the mystery of newness. I have heard that other animals that are clones are much weaker & have shorter lives. so, what good is that? It is a shame that some scientists are trying to be gods. How can you perfect perfection? Thank you for letting me voice my opinion.
My main concern about clones used for breeding: what if there are inheritable weaknesses that result from the cloning process? What if these flaws aren’t immediately noticeable and get passed along a generation or two or three?
Why do we as humans, constantly feel the need to fool around with Mother Nature? Some day we may regret it.
I recall the cloning of sheep several years ago. I remember that they did not remain young & healthy very long. I believe the same would apply to horses. I don’t believe you’d get the very same animal again anyway. You have the genes, why clone?
Cloning… The concept of being able to ‘play God’ and create life with what could be (one hopes) predictable results may be appealing to some (I would not, however, want that kind of responsibility). However, there are too many variables involved that one cannot control:
• ‘Nature vs. Nurture’ issues (intrinsic and environmental factors that affect an organism’s response during different times/circumstances), and
• since the inceptive cells are derived from the original cells, the robustness of fresh DNA (from two original donors) is diminished, so it would be foolish not to acknowledge studies that find clones to be at least a little ‘less than’ the original organism. Of course, our love for the original animal, I think, sometimes clouds our ability to see these things.
While cloning has its place in our lives (e.g. building healthy organs for transplants), we should be careful with our use of this knowledge and put personal or fiscal motives aside. We should honor the lives of our past animals that we loved so much by loving the next ones as much, and in their own individual place.
Cloning could be one the best things that has ever happened. I did much research and the object cloned rarely comes out looking or acting exactly the same. Cloning will do no harm to the animal it will presearve its DNA, that a breeder before most likely worked hard to get. Some people don’t like to breed since you could lose the mare, by cloning you can have the same offspring and not cause harm to anything!
I also agree with the theory about Gem Twist and other nerly extinced famouse bloodlines. So if the cloner truely knows the horse and knows what he’s doing, I AGREE WITH CLONING. (For a good reason.)
It’s difficult to say if cloning is a good thing or a bad thing. I agree that it’s not just the DNA that creates a good horse (or other), but also it’s circumstance. Certainly in the equine sports world as in the human sports world, results are everything – but these are produced through hard work and dedication and obviously also good genes. Cloning alone is not going to produce excellent sports horses. More and more breeds are lost as it is anyway because of what is fashionable. So why reproduce exact copies and not go for progress through breeding. Variation is what keeps the species viable. The introduction of healthy bloodlines is what is important.
However, most of us love our equine friends just as they are. Even a duplicate wouldn’t be the same. The cloning industry is only a minute part of the equine world and not open to the majority of us. Who knows cloning itself may just die a natural death with time.
I used to think that cloning would be strictly for the “champion” horses. I now own an elderly Saddlebred gelding the is my “horsey” soulmate. If I had the chance, I would clone him in a second, as his temperment, heart and good looks would make a wonderful foal. I only wish I had gotten him before he was gelded.
I myself am totally against this. Sure, it is maybe possible to “create” a better horse, however, look at all the good horses being bred now, and then take a look at all of the horses (and some of them are the better bred horses) that end up unwanted or abused, and in need of good homes. And not to mention we have no right to “play God”! No sirree, no cloning!
i think itz a terrible idea!!!!!
This is a horrible idea
dude… i freakin love horse racing…this would be like totally awesome…but humans i would be against.
Cloning should be avoided at all cost!
Some of the cruelest things started with good,then got twisted to be come evil..
If we could clone a great person/animal of good qualities so can we clone evil. How about a serial killer for example, Charlie Manson maybe? forget cloning it is wrong1111
I have a school project to do and i chose to oppose cloning so i need some more facts on why i should be agaisnt cloning and why it is not right…thanks
I’m for cloning FOR GOOD REASONS ONLY!
Sure, clone a champion gelding. But don’t clone a stallion who can breed already. On a horse website I go on you are able to clone horses and people really abuse it. Rather than work to make a new champion they just clone an old one to get a automatic champion. It’s lazy.
I’m doing a project on cloning at school and I’ve found articles that list so many horrible outcomes, it’s really not worth the trouble.
But if you can afford it and you really really want it, and aren’t going to clone Hitler or something, then go for it I say.
No nono its not a good idea!!!! dont do it!!! unless ur gonna clone for the right reasons