At Noble Hills Farm, genetic diseases are taken very seriously. All of our mares have been tested for GBED, HERDA, PSSM, MH, and HYPP so that we can make better decisions on which stallions to breed them to. The 5-panel test that AQHA offers, is a very economical solution to help us make the best breeding decisions possible.
Glycogen Branching Enzyme Disorder (GBED): This is a fatal, recessive disorder in which bodies do not have the ability to process sugars.
For detailed information on GBED, please see the following web sites.
Hereditary Equine Regional Dermal Asthenia (HERDA): This is a recessive skin disease, that usually presents when a horse is between 1 and 3 years of age. This disease has been traced back to Poco Bueno.
Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis Disease (HYPP): Dominant inherited disease that can be traced back to Impressive. Symptoms may include muscle twitching, respiratory noises, and paralysis attacks which can lead to sudden death.
Polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM): Dominant inherited trait that is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of the normal and abnormal forms of sugar stored in muscle and muscle tissue, respectively.
Malignant Hyperthermia (MH): Potentially fatal disease that is usually associated with, and influences PSSM.
AQHA members who wish to order a 5-Panel test kit from AQHA, please click here.