If ALPHA filly in pasture is she more likely to win OTT?

[reedhill]

YEP

Maybe but IF, means nothing to me. The bleeding did occur, and nothing else

If bleeders are hereditary would all breeders, owners, trainers ever vote to have like a "B" initial put after the sire/dam's name............so not to waste the time of all involved, of working with those animals (instead breeding those who don't) maybe it's not that easy? I know AQHA puts HYPP N/N, N/H, or H/H on the registration papers if they have the stallion "Impressive" in their pedigree, testing for (Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis) all the offspring have to be tested, and have their papers officially documented.

By the way, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

[Dave C]

With HYPP in QH there is a DNA test for it: conclusive and irrefutable. For bleeding there is no DNA test, there is only circumstantial evidence that it is hereditary and consequently if they tried to label horses as 'bleeders', trainers and owners would go to great lengths to cover it up. You would also need to get all countries to agree, otherwise you could just get rid of the designation by shipping the horse across a border and using it as breeding stock there. Which happens to be the reason so many Euro horses end up racing in the states anyways: come for the lasix, stay for the weather .

[bcassidy]

I like my fillies/mares to be more aggressive and show signs of strong will or determination (dominance can be an age related condition so I wouldn't focus on that) and I prefer my colts/horses to be less aggressive.
Fillies/mares can be so passive that there is almost no courage to compete while the colts/horses can be so concerned about herd dynamics that they have little desire to do much else (including train or race) except worry about mares to band or the boys to chase off.
If dominance was so critical in racing ability you would never see a castrated horse......

[madelyn]

I've only been messing with horses for 46 years, but in my experience horses under saddle can behave RADICALLY differently than they do in a herd or just from their behavior when you are on the ground. You really won't know anything about your "dominant" filly until she is under saddle and working in company.

[Hold Your Peace]

You'd also have to consider the company before you put any stock in this theory.

The "leader of the pack" in a small herd might just be the best of the worst as for all we know every weanling in the herd might turn out to be incredibly untalented.