"But these 10-month-old foals in Argentina are the world's first gene-edited horses, according to scientists. Experts say they've been created in a lab using CRISPR-Cas9, the controversial technique that removes, adds or alters sections of the DNA sequence. When these foals fully grown and trained up, they'll have bigger muscle, improved power and better speed to help their riders win at polo."
"Marcos Heguy, a breeder and former professional polo player in Argentina, said the practice of gene-edited horses 'ruins breeders'. 'It's like painting a picture with artificial intelligence - the artist is finished,' he said. Kheiron Biotech, the Buenos Aires-based company that created the horses, says gene editing has the potential to revolutionize horse breeding. These horses have been cloned from an award-winning mare (female horse) in Argentina called Polo Pureza, or Polo Purity."
Ten-month-old foals in Argentina are the world's first gene-edited horses created in a laboratory using CRISPR-Cas9. The gene-editing targeted myostatin to increase muscle fibers for greater power, speed, and performance in polo. The foals were cloned from an award-winning mare named Polo Pureza. Kheiron Biotech engineered the clones and promotes gene editing as a potential revolution in horse breeding. Many Argentine breeders regard gene-edited horses as controversial and harmful to traditional breeding, with some saying the practice 'ruins breeders' and likening it to AI-created art. The Argentine Polo Association has banned gene-edited horses, but enforcement is unclear because regulations do not distinguish cloning, genetic engineering, or conventional breeding.
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