Neonatal Isoerythrolysis

Please examine the blood typing information for your mares before breeding.  Neonatal Isoerythrolysis (N.I.) is a rare and very preventable disorder among newborn foals.  Papa, like 79% of all Tennessee Walking Horses, is Aa positive (A> a) , and Qa negative (Q> -).   These are the red cell antigens at risk for producing N.I. in a newborn foal.  There are a small percentage of TWH mares who are  Aa  "negative" (which appears on the blood typing card as A> - [with no small "a" appearing after] ).  These mares, when bred to most TWH stallions are at risk of producing foals with N.I.    

Papa is safely compatible with the vast majority of mares in this breed.  Mares that are negative for the Aa antigen (A> -) should only be bred to him if it is their first foal or if the owner is aware of the possibility of N.I. and is willing to take steps to prevent or manage it.   First foals from a maiden mare are not at risk, but subsequent foals from Aa positive stallions could very well be at risk from the mare's colostrum during the first 36 hours after birth.   

If your mare is A>- (negative) and has ever produced a foal that was A>a (positive) she could have experienced blood exposure during the birth process that causes her body to produce antibodies against that A,a positive blood antigen.  These antibodies will then be present in her colostrum for future foals.   Subsequent foals out of positive stallions could inherit this antigen from the stud and should be prevented from nursing during the first 36 hours after birth.   Exposure to the mother's colostrum for these few foals is deadly.

These births can be managed successfully with a little fore-knowledge and we advise if your mare is negative for either the Aa or the Qa antigen, check the compatibility with the stallion of your choice, and be better prepared to manage the early hours of the foal's birth.  

For more information on N.I. and it's prevention and management go to http://www.vet.purdue.edu/horses/NI.htm.  

We've Moved!!!  

Howe They Walk Farm has relocated to the east side of Kansas City  ... new place, same great horses!

Our new location is: 

9969 D Highway, Napoleon, MO  64074

phone 816*230*6247  mobile is still 816*686*7748

Thanks for stopping by.

Anita and Randy Howe

call us at 816.230.6247 or mobile 816.686.7748

  or email us at ajh@howetheywalk.com