Hoof Wall Separation Disease

Hoof Wall Separation Disease is a genetic condition found in Connemara Ponies. It is a homozygous recessive condition . This means the mutated gene has to be inherited from both parents for the disease to be present. Some cases of HWSD are extremely mild & can go undetected or mistaken for a poor quality hoof. Some are so severe to be debilitating & require euthanasia.

There is now a genetic test to determine whether ponies are "carriers" of the mutated gene. By avoiding the mating of two "carrier" ponies, the resulting foals will not be born with the condition.

For more detailed information on HWSD download the brochure available on this Page, and check out the following link: http://connemara-pony.blogspot.com

There is also a Facebook Group you can join, email Penny Huggons at cphuggons@gmail.com & she can add you to the Group.

It is very important that "carrier" ponies are given the opportunity to breed on, thereby preventing the further loss of genetic diversity.

It would be a really positive step if breeders (& anyone considering breeding their mare) were to have their breeding stock tested before the start of the upcoming breeding season. The test is a simple & inexpensive hair test & results come back very quickly.

For information on how to test your ponies use the following link for UCDavis in California: https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/HoofWallDisease.php

Tested Ponies

HWSD Tested ponies: http://connemara-pony.blogspot.com/p/hwsd-tested-ponies.html

Untested ponies (1st generation only) whose parents both tested N/N: http://connemara-pony.blogspot.com/p/declared.html

The Canadian Connemara Pony Society is now asking all stallion owners to test their stallions & make the results available to mare owners. All stallions that are advertised on the CCPS website will be required to have their HWSD status disclosed as of 2015.

Download the HWSD Brochure