Why test for JEB?

Junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) causes a failure in the skin's normal attachment to the body. Affected foals are usually born alive, but will develop sores and skin tears extremely easily. There is currently no effective treatment for JEB.

JEB is an autosomal recessive disorder. Autosomal disorders are equally likely to affect male or female horses, while "recessive" means that a horse needs to inherit the JEB mutation from both its sire and its dam to be affected. Horses that have inherited the JEB mutation from just one parent are called JEB carriers, and do not have physical signs of this disorder.

Any JEB carrier can potentially produce a foal suffering from JEB. Fortunately this is easily avoided: you simply need to ensure that the prospective foal cannot inherit the JEB mutation from both its sire and its dam. Therefore, if you have a JEB carrier horse and it is mated to a JEB-clear horse there is no risk of the foal being affected with JEB.

JEB

The Saddlebred form of JEB has been detected in Saddlebreds and Racking Horses. It may also be present in other related breeds, and part-bred horses with some Saddlebred blood.

This test is not useful for detecting JEB in heavy horses.