# Impressive and HYPP question



## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

I've been looking at AQHA horses for sale and I was under the impression that I should not buy any horse with Impressive in their bloodline due to HYPP. However, some of the horses I was looking at have him in their direct bloodline and are supposed to be N/N. Do all of his descendants carry the disease or can it skip a generation or something like that? Thanks for your help!


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## LolHorse (Dec 28, 2009)

Not all Impressive bred horses have HYPP.


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## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

Even if they are n/n, is it possible for them to pass it on to a foal? That's what I thought but I don't know much about AQHs.


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

In the new Quarter Horse magazine, it states that one parent with a single copy of the gene can pass it on and create an affected horse. DNA stesting for the gene mutation is performed by using mane and tail hairs.. A rule in AQHA states that all foals born on or after Jan.1, 2007 that are descendants of Impressive are required to be parentage verified and HYPP tested. Any foals testing homozygous positive for the disease are not eligible for AQHA registration. So, if the horses you are looking at have been tested are N/N that means their parents are verified and the horse is not a carrier of the HYPP


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

The article goes on to state that only 1.5 % of QH are affected, yet 60% of Impressive descended halter horse are affected. If I was looking at horses that had Impressive and they were older than 2007,I would make sure you see paperwork that the parents were tested and clear. If they can't show paperwork that the parents were tested or that the horse I am interested in is definetely N/N. It is mostly in halter horses, not too many Impressive bloodlines in performance anymore.
I myself would not buy one with Impressive bloodlines


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## LolHorse (Dec 28, 2009)

N/N- Does not carry and is not effected with HYPP
N/H- Half the foals will be N/H
H/H- All foals will be N/H or H/H

Just make sure the horse your buying with Impressive on his papers/bloodlines be tested for HYPP, and will be tested N/N.

I would personaly never buy a horse that is N/H or H/H as there symtoms can come back at any time, even if they never shown them before.


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## horsea (Dec 28, 2009)

Ok, thank you so much for clearing that up! It was getting a bit confusing searching by myself.


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## claireauriga (Jun 24, 2008)

The HYPP gene follows basic mendelian inheritance.

Each horse has two copies of the HYPP gene. They are either positive, H, or negative, N, for the disease. They get one from their sire and one from their dam.

H/H horses have the disease and will always pass the gene on to their offspring.

N/H horses have a 50% chance of passing the gene on to their offspring. I've seen differing opinions on how safe and healthy these horses are.

N/N horses do not have the disease as they are not positive for the gene at all. They cannot pass it on to their offspring as they do not have it themselves.

Now, the foal gets one gene from each of its parents, so the only way to be sure your foal will not have HYPP is to breed two N/N horses. If both horses are N/N then there is no way the foal can have HYPP, but if one of the parents is N/H, even if they haven't shown any symptoms, they can pass the gene and the disease on.


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

Too bad so many Impressive foal and descendents were born before they realized he had such a horrible genetic disease. I know of a young stallion that was a direct son of Impressive. Man, he was gorgeous and threw some beautiful colts, then the HYPP came out in public and he was gelded. He did not show signs of HYPP, but did throw some HYPP foals, so obviously he was a carrier.
Very sad they did not know about HYPP before so many ended up with it. If you figure how many Impressive foals and descendents were born and 60% had HYPP, thats a huge number...


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

*warning - Rant* I have 2 impressive horses. Both are HYPP/NN. I think they are great horses. It makes me sad that everytime the name Impressive comes up, people insist on dimming the light on him. Yes HYPP is a horrible thing and it's a very sad thing that people didn't know about it. He was heavily bred, yes, but so is every other great stallion out there. 

HYPP is something that should always be known. People should understand it, just as they should understand such things as HERDA in quarter horses, SCID, CCA, LFS, OAAM, Epilepsy, and GPT in arabs, you also have LWS, OLWS, WFS, and wobblers syndrom in Paints. You have Saddlebreds, who have some sort of defect but I can't think of it. There are also Miniatures that have dwarfism, Appys have the highest risk of ERU and CSNB (blindness type issues), and belgians have an issue to....

So all breeds have their demons....We should become more knowledgeable yes, but not condem a horse for it's lineage...


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Agreed farm pony! I have an Impressive mare and just got her tested...she is N/N 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

Glad to hear your mare is N/N. There are lots of issues with horses just as with dog breeds. You just have to know about your breed and be careful and if you breed, do health and genetic checks. As long as animals are being bred, you will have genetic issues that can destroy the good "parts" of the stud or mare in question. Good breeders in horses and dogs want their animals to produce only the best healthy babies they can and do health checks to help their goal. But there are also breeders who only care about the money angle of things and could care less when their male and female produce genetic issues.
As my vet says" There are reputable breeders in all animals, then there are back yard breeders who have a boy and girl and can make babies. No health checks, no background information on the bloodlines, just want to produce babies for money.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

I rescued an Impressive (through Sheiks Whim) gelding way back when (he was my second rescue horse) and really, he had the potential to be the sweetest horse in the world. Unfortantely for him, he got the crap kicked out of him and sometimes anything could trigger him and he'd completely lose his mind. I had him for two years before he almost got me good and I had to get rid of him. 
But I've worked with numerous Impressive horses, have always found them to have great minds, willing dispositions, and are very honest. He is one of my favourite Quarter Horses and if I were into breeding them, I wouldn't think twice about having a N/N horse. 

And you're right, Wyoming. Buying from someone reptuable will more than likely save you TONS of trouble down the road with your horse, especially if you're looking to breed or show in their later years. Breeder's who have their horses tested and have a good program, usually have a goal and that goal isn't to produce crap horses they can't sell, or can sell for only $300. They stake their reputation on the horses they sell so be honest about it. That's the type of breeder you want to buy from.


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

I've been around several Impressive bred apps that were affected by HYPP, and I personally would not want one of those. HOWEVER, one of my favorite stallions was a son of Impressive -- Impressive Andrew, who was N/H. I don't think I would have bred to him, but I certainly would not have any problem owning a N/N mare by him.


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## JB44 (Feb 7, 2010)

There are many wonderful horses out there that carry Impressive in their pedigree. as long as you buy N/N, you are OK. BUT don't trust every seller to be honest about the test. send one in yourself. even if they have paperwork, owners send in their own samples and could be mis-labelled. maybe write it into the contract that the sale is null and void if the HYPP test does not come back N/N.

U C Davis has a great website all about HYPP. It can be managed very well in many horses, but it takes more care and more attention to diet. So most of us choose not to hassle with it.


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

All my apps are Impressive bred. And I personally love the impressive line. All my horses are N/N, so there is no problems as far as their muscles and paralysis. But you have to take time with them. AND TEACH THEM BEFORE ASKING. You cant just jump on and go. You have to show them. But once they know what your asking.... you have a heck of a horse.


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## IllComeALopin (Apr 6, 2010)

My horse is pretty Impressive bred also. Both his sire and dam are hypp n/n so I was in the clear.

If your unsure, or don't want to trust the sellers its as easy as; 
1) getting the name of the place that tested the horse and the offical paper work from when the horse was tested.
2) contact AQHA or go online yourself and look the horse up. 
My horse, his dam, and his sire all over their hypp results listed right online in their paper work =)


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## kassierae (Jan 1, 2010)

the biggest thing i dislike about Impressive bred horses is that when they blow up, they BLOW UP. I know from experience with several of them. its a well known fact that many Impressive bred horses have a screw loose, especially when crossed with certain lines. i will not even touch a directly bred offspring of Impressive. every one i have met, and this is talking 20 plus, have been nuts. thats JMHO and experience though, and take it with a grain of salt if you wish.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## IllComeALopin (Apr 6, 2010)

kassierae said:


> the biggest thing i dislike about Impressive bred horses is that when they blow up, they BLOW UP. I know from experience with several of them. *its a well known fact that many Impressive bred horses have a screw loose, especially when crossed with certain lines*. i will not even touch a directly bred offspring of Impressive. every one i have met, and this is talking 20 plus, have been nuts. thats JMHO and experience though, and take it with a grain of salt if you wish.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


:shock: OMG! I could have a ticking time bomb! (btw I NEVER heard of your 'well known' fact)

Jeez, I have an impressive 3 year old and he is nice, calm, and is wonderful in the saddle and on the ground... did I mention he was only3?

He does blow up sometimes when I am cinching him and havent ridden in a while...but once he exhales I just tighten the cinch up a little more.

He doesnt have a screw loose. I know for sure, I checked them all myself.

MY impressive horse loves to eat nuts, but is not nuts... thats a common conversation mixup.


When I was 12-13 years old I started to clean stalls at an arabain farm. The owners also had one QH stallion. His name was Mister Slo Mo he was a son of Impressive Show Boy...There were about 20 broodmares on the property. I cleaned his stall three times a day when the weather was bad and twice when he was outside... 
Whenever I cleaned his stall he was either waiting to go outside or just brought inside a few hours before but he was almost always in there with me. 
Looking back the owners of the barn were pretty nuts for letting a 12-13 clean a stall with a stallion in it while they lead mares in and out but I never had an issue and he was always a gentleman. I even lead him in and out, brushed him, and picked his feet. He was bred back in the day I was told but I worked there for 5 years and he was never bred, not once. 

In fact, He is a picture of him :lol:


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I've heard some old-timers mention the screws loose and the explosions. My mare is a grandaughter of Impressive and she is a sneaky witch that can explode for no reason. She is also very smart, too smart. She's spook free and can be the kindest sweetest mare, she can tote children around with a gentle kindness... and then she can take me throw me to the ground like a wet potato sack. 

My gelding is a great grandson of Impressive and he seems to be as my farrier puts it, "simple minded". Show him what you want, he'll do it. Don't expect him to know what you want because your last horse knew, show him what you want, he'll do it. If he gets mad, back up, take a break, start over. He's smart, he just likes to think things through.

I am a huge Impressive fan. I love Impressive horses....


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

kassierae said:


> the biggest thing i dislike about Impressive bred horses is that when they blow up, they BLOW UP. I know from experience with several of them. its a well known fact that many Impressive bred horses have a screw loose, especially when crossed with certain lines. i will not even touch a directly bred offspring of Impressive. every one i have met, and this is talking 20 plus, have been nuts. thats JMHO and experience though, and take it with a grain of salt if you wish.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I've found the exact same thing with Zippo Pine Bar.


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## kassierae (Jan 1, 2010)

^I also agree with that, though I do know less horses with that line. Like I said, it is only MY experience that most, if not all, closely related horses have a screw loose. Impressive Rebel was a horse that my grandmother was training for a friend. He was a son of Impressive. He would work very nicely for a while then blow up out of no where. No pain, he was checked repeatedly by a vet and dentist. Out on one of their trail rides with a few people he had one of his explosions. Threw my grandmother, then proceeded to trample all over her while he was spinning in circles. She ended up in the hospital with broken ribs, a hoofprint on her forehead, two black eyes, and a few broken teeth. He did this unprovoked, on a loose rein on a relaxed trail ride. Impressive Tatonka, another son of Impressive, was the same way. He would freak for no reason. Both were HYPP N/N. My gelding is indirectly Impressive bred, he is about 5 or so generations back. He is generally quiet, but when he panics, he PANICS and there is almost no stopping him. The look in his eye changes and it's almost as if his brain disappears. He is also HYPP N/N. Again, just my experience. I will never deal with a direct son or daughter of Impressive again.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

farmpony84 said:


> I've heard some old-timers mention the screws loose and the explosions. My mare is a grandaughter of Impressive and she is a sneaky witch that can explode for no reason. She is also very smart, too smart. She's spook free and can be the kindest sweetest mare, she can tote children around with a gentle kindness... and then she can take me throw me to the ground like a wet potato sack.
> 
> My gelding is a great grandson of Impressive and he seems to be as my farrier puts it, "simple minded". Show him what you want, he'll do it. Don't expect him to know what you want because your last horse knew, show him what you want, he'll do it. If he gets mad, back up, take a break, start over. He's smart, he just likes to think things through.
> 
> I am a huge Impressive fan. I love Impressive horses....


Our mare Lady (a great-great-granddaughter of Impressive) doesn't have any screws loose, blow up, or anything like that, but she is mischievious, very curious, and loves to play with _anything_. She definately has more personality than the average horse, and she's built like a tank.


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

My mare who has Impressive in her blood is nothing like the above mentioned "screws loose" and she never blows up. She is very VERY laid back, willing, honest, and SO sweet natured! (although SUCH an Alpha in the field!! which is hilarious since she's only 14.1!)

But Impressive was from awhile back, and so many things got crossed in the meantime (my mare is only 9), so who knows what she gets her personality traits from? ;-) Maybe the Coosa in her line is making her the calm type! I heard that Coosa horses are pretty laid back and sweet natured


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

My mom bought a Coosa bred app and she was very sweet, very laid back. Little girls climbed on her in the pasture before she even saw a saddle. She just kept grazing like they weren't even there.

She also had the worst luck. She had an impacted tooth. We fixed that. She sand colicked (sp) we had a 90 lb impaction removed from her gut. She fractured her humerus. We had her on stallrest, when someone hit a wire supporting our 180 ft radio tower, sending it through the roof. In the panic, she bumped that shoulder jsut the wrong way. Took her back to the vet, and they said there was a slight chance she could be saved with surgery, BUT if it worked, she would be a chronic pain patient. That was too much for a 3yo, so we chose to put her down. But I would for sure love to have another just like her!!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Hoofprints in the Sand (Nov 23, 2008)

Poor thing!! :-( My mare seems to have bad luck as well!! She kept getting all these strange masses on her that they had to biopsy and they could never pinpoint what was causing them. Finally about $2k later, and allergy tests, etc. we found out she is allergic to Molasses, Soybeans, Johnson grass, Clover, gnat bites, and some more I forget about!!!

We switched her to oats with a vitamin/mineral supplement and she's now on a series of hypersensitivity shots to try to get her body to stop reacting to the other allergens that can't be avoided :-( Poor thing! But she is SUCH a champ through it all! I had to learn how to give the injections and I swear I stuck her 5 times the first time I tried and even made her bleed and she just stood there patiently!! I couldn't have asked for a better mare


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## Eastowest (Mar 26, 2009)

_>>>> But Impressive was from awhile back, and so many things got crossed in the meantime (my mare is only 9), so who knows what she gets her personality traits from?
_
I totally agree. I get a kick out of people calling a horse "Impressive bred" and blaming every bad trait on Impressive, when the pedigree has just one single line to Impressive and he himself is 5 generations back... and even worse is when the horse has 4 closer occurances of some other horse in their pedigree, who would have contributed 4x more genetic material to the supposedly "Impressive bred" horse than Impressive could have-- but since there is something negative, it must come from Impressive.

Now THIS pedigree could IMO be called "Impressive-bred"-

This Kid Is Serious Quarter Horse

And the mare is sweet, sensible... and N/N.
_ 
_


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Eastowest said:


> _>>>> But Impressive was from awhile back, and so many things got crossed in the meantime (my mare is only 9), so who knows what she gets her personality traits from?_
> 
> I totally agree. I get a kick out of people calling a horse "Impressive bred" and blaming every bad trait on Impressive, when the pedigree has just one single line to Impressive and he himself is 5 generations back... and even worse is when the horse has 4 closer occurances of some other horse in their pedigree, who would have contributed 4x more genetic material to the supposedly "Impressive bred" horse than Impressive could have-- but since there is something negative, it must come from Impressive.
> 
> ...


Then mine can be called Impressive bred also! LOL... I love them both, even the witchy mare... (To be honost, I think she is witchy because she was trained to hard and to quickly... but I'm not sure since I have not owned her since day one).

Shesa Top Vantage Quarter Horse

and 

Just a Top Vantage Quarter Horse


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## Eastowest (Mar 26, 2009)

_>>>> Then mine can be called Impressive bred also! LOL... I love them both, even the witchy mare... (To be honost, I think she is witchy because she was trained to hard and to quickly... but I'm not sure since I have not owned her since day one)._

The gelding-- he has multiple lines to Impressive, and has Impressive as an ancestor both top and bottom..... the mare? Impressive is "closer" on her pedigree-- but he is her paternal grandsire, and thats all. IMO she is just as much Toedoe Play bred (Her other grandsire) as she is Impressive bred....


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Is Toedoe Play a good horse?


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## kassierae (Jan 1, 2010)

I guess I should clarify that when I say Impressive bred I mean a horse that has him in the pedigree. That's what everyone around here calls it too.


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## Eastowest (Mar 26, 2009)

_>>>>> Toedoe Play--_

I have no idea if he was a good horse. Iwas just pointing out that since both Toedoe Play and Impressive are grandsires of the horse, they would have equal potential genetic contribution to said horse, so the horse would be as much "Toedoe play-bred" as it was "Impressive-bred". :lol:


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## Eastowest (Mar 26, 2009)

_>>>> I guess I should clarify that when I say Impressive bred I mean a horse that has him in the pedigree. That's what everyone around here calls it too. 
_
OK, so you feel that ONE occurance of Impressive in a pedigree makes a horse "Impressive-bred"?

You also said, 

_>>>> the biggest thing i dislike about Impressive bred horses is that when they blow up, they BLOW UP. I know from experience with several of them. its a well known fact that many Impressive bred horses have a screw loose, especially when crossed with certain lines. i will not even touch a directly bred offspring of Impressive. every one i have met, and this is talking 20 plus, have been nuts. thats JMHO and experience though, and take it with a grain of salt if you wish._

So the horse has Impressive, once, back a ways in its pedigree, and you know for sure that its Impressive ancestry is the reason for the horse to be nuts?

What do you mean by "directly bred offspring of Impressive"? As opposed to... what? Some sort of indirect descendant? Or.... please explain.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

teehee! eastowest, I thought maybe I had a cool horse in my bloodlines! LOL


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## kassierae (Jan 1, 2010)

directly bred meaning a direct son or daughter. and i also said the ones that we had issues with were direct sons of impressive.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

farmpony84 said:


> My gelding is a great grandson of Impressive and he seems to be as my farrier puts it, "simple minded". Show him what you want, he'll do it. Don't expect him to know what you want because your last horse knew, show him what you want, he'll do it. If he gets mad, back up, take a break, start over. He's smart, he just likes to think things through.


Exactly what I was trying to say. FP said it much better than me however. 

Impressive horses are very intelligent. And becasue of that... need to think and work their way through things. So if you get on an push and dont give them a chance to think.... then you can end up with a nasty horse. But IMO that would be the riders fault... not the breeding.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

Cowgirl140ty said:


> Exactly what I was trying to say. FP said it much better than me however.
> 
> Impressive horses are very intelligent. And becasue of that... need to think and work their way through things. So if you get on an push and dont give them a chance to think.... then you can end up with a nasty horse. But IMO *that would be the riders fault... not the breeding*.


Agreed! I think that is actually why my Impressive mare is a poopwitch. Because I think she was pushed way to fast....


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## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

It could be. My gelding was almost ruined because people wanted to just get on and go... and push and pull... with out him understanding. And because people did so he became a bucker. Like a bronc at a rodeo. Once I convinced my mom.... I started him myself. And while I can do anything in the world on him now... without ever worrying... I have to be very VERY careful about who I let ride him. Because he will go back to his old ways real quick if you get in his mouth or just start kickin him. My 3 yr old mare whos impressive bred... I started and she is so mellow and laid back.

People go to quick to blame the breeding. Which in colored horses your run into that problem alot. Breeders get carried away about color... and over look the more important things like temperment, dispostion, conformation, and even bloodlines in the animals they are crossing. 
And some people dont like horses that "think"... I DO. I want to have to read my horse... and thats what you find with Impressive bred horses. Most people just dont want to take the time to TEACH them.


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