Genetic modification of horses: yay or neigh?

The trend of breeding animals to make them more attractive even when it damages their health has spread to horses, vets are warning, after a stable released images showing a ''cartoon-like'' colt.

Extreme breeding practices have already left animals, such as French bulldogs and pugs, struggling to breathe as their faces have become squashed over time to suit human demands.

But vets believe the worrying practice has now spread to horses after a US stud farm offered an Arabian colt for sale with a strangely concave, or ''dished", profile.

The farm described the horse as a step towards ''perfection", but equine experts warned the animal might find it difficult to breathe and exercise with such a flattened nose.

UK equine expert Tim Greet of Rossdales Veterinary Service, in Newmarket, said though Arabians were known for their ''dished" features, the new colt "takes things to a ridiculous level", and the deformity could be even worse for a horse than for a dog.

"Dogs like man can mouth-breathe, but horses can breathe only through their nose," he told Veterinary Record magazine.

"I suspect exercise would definitely be limited for this horse."

The nine-month-old colt, called El Rey Magnum, was bred by Orrion Farms, in Ellensburg, Washington, US.

Since its promotional video broadcast earlier this month, under the title You Won't Believe Your Eyes, the farm has received interest from across the world.

Public reaction has been polarised with some people saying the horse looks beautiful while others were horrified.

Adele Waters, editor of Veterinary Record said of the images: ''My first thoughts were: 'Is this computer-generated trickery?'

"Many specialist horse vets have had a similar reaction. But the truth is this is a real horse and it has been bred to meet the demands of a particular market that likes a particular appearance.

"Where will it end? Is it really so bad for a horse to look like a horse and not a cartoon character?" - The Daily Telegraph

• This article was originally published in The Times.