# GBED carrier.



## kenda (Oct 10, 2008)

From Animal Genetics:

"Studies show that the mutation responsible for GBED is carried by as many as 10% of Quarter Horse, Paint Horse breeds and related breeds. GBED is an autosomal recessive trait, meaning a foal can only be affected if the foal inherits the disease from both parents. Horses that are carriers of the GBED have one copy of the mutation but do not have any symptoms associated with the disorder. This makes DNA testing important to screen for carriers and prevent this fatal condition."
Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED)

From the article, it seems the horse would most likely have died as a foal if it were affected. Given that the horse is a gelding, and cannot be bred, it seems that this will not affect his life in anyway.


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## CAP (Jun 18, 2014)

Everything I seem to find is about foals being born with GBED and all there signs. I'm just more worried whether being a carrier will cause them to have weaker muscles and if they can suffer from seizures as well. Or if that only happens in effected foals.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

According to the research I've read, carriers are NOT affected.
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## SunnyDraco (Dec 8, 2011)

Carriers of GBED will not have any symptoms at any point in their life of the disease. Performance and health will not be affected by GBED. The only time you need to reconsider a GBED carrier is if you are breeding... Thus a gelding who carries GBED will remain 100% unaffected by carrying GBED. ;-)
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## HombresArablegacy (Oct 12, 2013)

kenda said:


> From Animal Genetics:
> 
> "Studies show that the mutation responsible for GBED is carried by as many as 10% of Quarter Horse, Paint Horse breeds and related breeds. GBED is an autosomal recessive trait, meaning a foal can only be affected if the foal inherits the disease from both parents. Horses that are carriers of the GBED have one copy of the mutation but do not have any symptoms associated with the disorder. This makes DNA testing important to screen for carriers and prevent this fatal condition."
> Glycogen Branching Enzyme Deficiency (GBED)
> ...


Very interesting and informative article. I had never heard of the disease until reading this post. One of the reasons I love this forum, you learn something new every day!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

HombresArablegacy said:


> Very interesting and informative article. I had never heard of the disease until reading this post. One of the reasons I love this forum, you learn something new every day!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


With the advances in DNA mapping and testing, we'll certainly hear about many, many more as time passes considering that in humans there are already more than 6000 known genetic disorders that cause diseases.


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## CAP (Jun 18, 2014)

Thank you everyone, that will give us a piece of mind. Now we just have to decide if we want to bring this boy home, in the new year!


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

GEBD is autosomal recessive genetic defect, same as HERDA and a number of others
That means carriers (those with only one copy of that genetic defect ), are perfectly normal, far as any clinical signs.
Only if two carriers are mated, and both pass on that defective GEBD, will a foal with GEBD clinical disease be born
Your horse is a gelding, is normal, and thus the fact that he carries one copy of GEBD 
is a non factor.


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