Statistical trend for Straight Egyptian foals born in the USA 2001-2008
In sharp contrast to the appalling number of non-Straight Egyptian asil foals born in the USA over the last few years, here are the number of registered Straight Egyptian (as defined by the Pyramid Society) foals registered in the years from 2001 to 2008:
Two observations: first, the relatively hight number of Straight Egpytian foals born each year: 834 on average (a low of 717 in 2008, to be attributed to the economic crisis, and a high of 980 in 2001, in the prosperous American pre-9/11). Second, the flat trend: there is little variance between the yearly figures. No increase, but no sharpe decrease either. In other words, this segment of Arabian horse breeding has withered the storm relatively well.
Now compare that trend with that of the non-Straight Egpytian Al Khamsa foals born in the USA over the same period of time, in the graph below:
In blue, Straight Egpytian Al Khamsa foals born from 2001-2008; in red, non-Straight Egyptian Al Khamsa foals born from 2003-2008. The red line is dangerously close to the horizontal line that marks zero foals born, and hence, the extinction of the breed…
Zero foals born in a year is not the extinction of the breed: no breedable mares (or no stallions to breed them to) is the extinction of the breed. Why is why I occasionally throw together a spreadsheet of Davenport mares of known location and breedable age —
My greatest fear in SE breeding is the over-breeding of popular bloodlines, to the exclusion of less popular lines. It is domination of a few versus extinction of lots more. However, what is more shocking…that this phenomenon is happening or the level of apathy which allows this to not only continue but prosper??????
very soon, every other SE horse will be a tail female El Dahma.. and a tail male Saklawi I.
Yet another reason to implement the SPARKS database as soon as possible so people can get the best diversity with their breedings as possible. That will help some, but perhaps the issue is also one of letting people know that diversity is valuable too. How do we do this is a good question…
Stay tuned, Donna. There’s much more than SPARKS coming up.
Anita
What is the Sparks program? Is there someone here that I can email that would explain my mares pedigree in a way I can understand her better and choose a stallion that will be right for her?