Analyze Diet

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI.

Periodical
Animal Welfare
Animals
Human-Animal Bond
Publisher:
Molecular Diversity Preservation International,
Frequency: Quarterly
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Start Year:2010 -
ISSN:
2076-2615 (Electronic)
2076-2615 (Linking)
Impact Factor
4.2
2022
NLM ID:101635614
(OCoLC):667255765
LCCN:2012254619
Comparative Analysis of the Stallion Field Performance Test at Different Training Stages and Horse Age.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 13, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 22 3289 doi: 10.3390/ani15223289
Lewczuk D, Borowska A, Andruszkiewicz J, Bagnicka E.Breeding value estimations of Warmblood horses in Poland are based on field performance, but the amount of stallions' data is still insufficient (334 horses). The first study's aim is to compare stallions' results in different stages and evaluate the overall ability using both stages. The effects on preselection (first stage free movement) and performance tests (second stage under rider) were analyzed separately and together as the overall ability. Spearman correlations were evaluated. The second aim was to evaluate the training period on the results. Due to the pandemic and lack of tests, hor...
Correction: Maldonado Moreno et al. Analgesic and Gastrointestinal Effects of Methadone in Horses Undergoing Orchiectomy. Animals 2025, 15, 2358.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 10, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 22 3252 doi: 10.3390/ani15223252
Maldonado Moreno N, Alves Moreira J, Araujo De Oliveira L, Sanches Gontijo A, Castilho Baldi ML, Rocha Wenceslau R, Batista da Silveira Xavier A.... [...].
Multi-Omics Deciphers Divergent Mechanisms in Differentially Cardiac-Remodeled Yili Horses Under Conditions of Equivalent Power Output.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 9, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 22 3251 doi: 10.3390/ani15223251
Wang T, Yang X, Ren W, Meng J, Yao X, Chu H, Yao R, Zhai M, Zeng Y.Exercise performance is a critical trait for evaluating the economic and breeding value of working and athletic horses, with cardiac structure and function serving as essential physiological determinants of athletic capacity. This study aimed to investigate the multi-omics response mechanisms associated with varying degrees of cardiac remodeling under identical exercise intensity. Twenty 2-year-old Yili horses were selected and categorized based on echocardiographic parameters into a high cardiac remodeling group (BH; EDV > 500 mL, SV > 350 mL, EF > 66%) and a low cardiac remodeling group (BL;...
Chronic State and Relationship to Humans Influence How Horses Decode Emotions in Human Voices: A Brain and Behavior Study.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 5, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 21 3217 doi: 10.3390/ani15213217
d'Ingeo S, Siniscalchi M, Quaranta A, Cousillas H, Hausberger M.Current research on acoustic encoding of emotional content suggests that there are universal cues, allowing for decoding within and across taxa. This is particularly important for human-animal relationships, wherein domestic animals are supposed to be particularly efficient in decoding human emotions. Here we investigated whether the decoding of the emotional content in human voices shared universal acoustic properties, or whether it could be influenced by experience. Emotional human voices were presented to two populations of horses, in which behavioral, cardiac, and brain responses were meas...
Time Budgets in Domesticated Male Icelandic Horses on Pasture Turnout in Winter and Spring.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 4, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 21 3206 doi: 10.3390/ani15213206
Taylor DEF, Lancaster BE, Ellis AD.There are few 24 h time budgets for horses, especially for domesticated horses kept at pasture. Most time budgets utilise short-term scan sampling, which can miss behaviours. This study aimed to assess the seasonal variation in continuous behaviour of domesticated Icelandic horses at pasture during winter and spring in fair weather. Eight Icelandic horses (11.25 ± 9.19 years; 7 geldings, 1 stallion) were observed in a 26 acre field. Herd location and individual behaviour were continuously observed during 3 h periods amounting to 3 × 24 h in winter and late spring, compiled over 43 days (~21 ...
Free Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations in Horses Fed Different Dosing Regimens of Hydrolysed Collagen.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 3, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 21 3195 doi: 10.3390/ani15213195
Kranenburg LC, Reinke KS, van den Broek J, Zaal EA, van den Boom R, van Doorn DA.Hydrolysed collagen is used as a supplement for horses with osteoarthritis, hoof horn growth problems, and gastric ulcers. To determine the oral availability of a specific hydrolysed collagen supplement and the appropriate dose, six Warmblood mares were fed two different concentrations of the supplement: 100 g HC (C), 50 g HC (C), and a control of 0 g HC (C) during one week in a randomised cross-over design. On day 7, 14 and 21, blood sampling for amino acid (AA) analysis was performed, just prior to feeding the supplement (t = 0) and every hour after feeding for 8 h (t = 1-8). Statistical ana...
Seasonal Trends in Cardiac Troponin I Concentration and Creatine Kinase and Aspartate Aminotransferase Enzyme Activity in Relation to Myocardial Velocity Rates in Eventing Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 3, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 21 3198 doi: 10.3390/ani15213198
Rump-Dierig I, Giers J, Frenzel C, Stöckle S, Gehlen H.This study examines seasonal changes in muscle and heart parameters in eventing horses over the course of a competition season. Blood levels of the enzymes creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) as well as the heart muscle-specific concentration of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured before (pre), 30 min (p30) and 24 h (p24) after competitions. Creatine kinase (CK: median pre-competition = 175 U/L, 30 min post = 221 U/L, 24 h post = 140 U/L), aspartate aminotransferase (AST: pre = 319 U/L, p30 = 335 U/L, p24 = 333 U/L), and cardiac troponin I concentration (cTnI: pre = 0...
A Feasibility Study to Determine Whether Neuromuscular Adaptations to Equine Water Treadmill Exercise Can Be Detected Using Synchronous Surface Electromyography and Kinematic Data.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 1, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 21 3189 doi: 10.3390/ani15213189
St George L, Nankervis K, Walker V, Maddock C, Robinson A, Sinclair J, Hobbs SJ.Despite growing evidence on the adaptive movement patterns that horses adopt during water treadmill (WT) exercise, underlying adaptations in muscle activity remain uninvestigated. This feasibility study aimed to develop a method for the synchronous measurement of muscle activity and movement of horses during WT exercise. Combined surface electromyography (sEMG) (2000 Hz) from selected hindlimb (biceps femoris, gluteus medius, tensor fasciae latae) and epaxial (longissimus dorsi) muscles, and three-dimensional kinematic (200 Hz) data from the back and pelvis of one (n = 1) horse were collected ...
Computed Tomographic Assessment of Normal Ocular Dimensions and Densities in Cadaveric Horses (Equus ferus caballus).
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 31, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 21 3165 doi: 10.3390/ani15213165
Díaz-Bertrana ML, Pitti L, Ramírez AS, Encinoso M, Fumero-Hernández M, Morales I, Arencibia A, Jaber JR.This study aimed to characterize the computed tomographic (CT) dimensions and contrast attenuation properties of the equine eye. CT scans from 21 horses without ocular abnormalities were analyzed to obtain detailed ocular measurements and attenuation values. In addition, cranial measurements, such as nasal-occipital length and zygomatic width, were incorporated to explore potential anatomical relationships between the skull and intraocular structures. Although most correlations between cranial and ocular parameters were weak, statistically significant associations-particularly those involving ...
Player-Reported Perceptions of Lameness Risks and Contributing Factors for Polo Horses: Results from a Survey.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 29, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 21 3136 doi: 10.3390/ani15213136
Schumacher A, Merle R, Stöckle S, Gehlen H.Polo is an equestrian sport with a long tradition, but to date there is little scientific data on health risks, particularly lameness. In an international online survey, 145 polo players (47.6% female, 52.4% male) with an average of 13.4 years of playing experience were questioned about lameness risks and influencing factors. The respondents reported a median of six horses, most frequently mares as their best-performing and healthiest animals. Horse age was significantly associated with the risk of lameness, increasing by approximately 19.5% per year (OR = 1.195; = 0.030) and differed dependi...
New Model of Disuse-Induced Bone Density Loss in Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 29, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 21 3137 doi: 10.3390/ani15213137
Micheau L, Audigié F, Moiroud C, Jacquet S.Disuse-induced bone loss during stall confinement and immobilization is a major concern in horses because it impairs recovery and increases susceptibility to further injury. Experimental models are needed to evaluate therapeutic options, but most available equine models rely on cast immobilization, which is technically demanding and may be associated with complications. This study aimed to assess a simpler and less restrictive model to induce a quantifiable decrease in bone density in horses. Six French Standardbred horses underwent eight weeks of stall confinement, with a wooden wedge fitted ...
Retrospective Analysis of Suspensory Ligament Branch Injuries in 70 Dressage Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 23, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 21 3079 doi: 10.3390/ani15213079
Boado A, Pollard D, Dyson S.There are no studies that have investigated factors influencing the outcome of dressage horses with suspensory ligament (SL) branch injuries. The aim was to determine if age, breed, work level, injury severity, anatomical localisation of injury, number of injured branches, periligamentous fibrosis, persistence of power Doppler signal or coexistent osteoarthritis of a metacarpophalangeal (MCP) or metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint influenced the prognosis of 70 dressage horses. Outcome was defined as good (return to pre-injury level of work or higher), poor (return to a lower level of work) or ret...
A Scoping Review of Antimicrobial Therapy in Leptospira Infections in Domestic Animals.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 20, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 20 3045 doi: 10.3390/ani15203045
Mendes J, Aymée L, Lilenbaum W.Leptospirosis, caused by spp., affects multiple domestic species and can result in significant economic and public health impacts. This scoping review, conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searched PubMed, SciELO, and Scopus for original studies that described complete therapeutic protocols (including dose, duration, and confirmed diagnosis) in dogs, cats, cattle, pigs, horses, sheep, and goats. Thirty-five studies met the criteria: 14 (40%) in cattle, 7 (20%) in swine, 2 (5.7%) in small ruminants, 7 (20%) in dogs and cats, and 5 (14.3%) in horses. In livestock, streptomycin monoth...
Incorporating a Behavioral Medicine Approach in the Multi-Modal Management of Chronic Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS): A Clinical Commentary.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 17, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 20 3019 doi: 10.3390/ani15203019
Klinck M, Lovett A, Sykes B.Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) refers to mucosal gastric disease in horses, including equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD), which present as two distinct disease entities differing in pathophysiology and approach to disease management. Both diseases are a source of pain in affected horses, partly explaining why EGUS continues to receive substantial attention in the equine medical, welfare and equitation research sectors. There is a complex interplay between EGUS and a variety of physical and psychological stressors. Horses with EGUS are often...
What if Horses Were Humans? Comparing Rein Tension and Bit Pressures to Human Pressure Pain Thresholds.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 15, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 20 2989 doi: 10.3390/ani15202989
Musial F, Weiss T.Bit pressure and rein tension-induced mouth pain in horses have recently become a significant welfare concern, fueling debates within the equestrian community and beyond. Evidence indicates that bits can cause pain-related behaviors and even oral lesions. Although studying pressure-induced pain in animals is challenging, the similarities in the physiology of pain processing (nociception) across mammals suggest that it is reasonable to assume that pain perception in humans and horses is principally comparable. Therefore, we compared human pressure pain detection thresholds (PPDTs) to reported r...
Orthopaedic Injuries in 272 Dressage Horses: A Retrospective Study.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 14, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 20 2972 doi: 10.3390/ani15202972
Boado A, Pollard D, Lopez-Sanroman FJ, Dyson S.There is limited information regarding orthopaedic injuries in dressage horses. This study assessed the prevalence of injuries in a mixed referral and first opinion population of 272 horses training and competing in dressage, 238 of which were followed up one to five years after injury. Warmblood (55.8%) and Iberian (38.6%) breeds predominated. The median age was 8 years (interquartile range [IQR] 5,11; range 1,21). Horses were examined due to lameness (85.3%) or poor performance (14.7%). The median lameness grade was 2/5 (IQR 2,4; range 0,4). Forelimb lameness was more prevalent than hindlimb...
Methodologies to Identify Metabolic Pathway Differences Between Emaciated and Moderately Conditioned Horses: A Review of Multiple Gene Expression Techniques.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 10, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 20 2933 doi: 10.3390/ani15202933
Austin MMP, Ivey JLZ, Shepherd EA, Myer PR.Starvation in horses presents critical welfare, economic, and management challenges with underlying molecular mechanisms of metabolic modification and recovery left poorly defined. Prolonged caloric deprivation induces significant systemic shifts in carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, reflected in coordinated changes in tissue-specific gene expression. This review synthesizes current knowledge on equine metabolic responses to starvation, emphasizing pathways found through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) studies. Molecular investi...
Dynamic Mobilization Exercises Improve Activity and Stride Parameters Measured with Accelerometry in Sedentary Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 10, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 20 2943 doi: 10.3390/ani15202943
Saitua A, Pérez-Umbría J, García-Álamo K, Muñoz A.Dynamic mobilization exercises (DME) are an effective strategy to prevent musculoskeletal injuries and promote back health in sport horses. Previous studies focused mainly on multifidus muscle cross-sectional area, with limited data on locomotion and adaptation timing. This study evaluated locomotor changes using accelerometry, over 8 weeks of DME application in 14 sedentary horses: a DME group ( = 8) performing 10 different DME (3 neck flexions, 1 neck extension and 3 lateral bending exercises to each side), 5 repetitions of each DME per session, 3 sessions/week, and a control group ( = 6), t...
Metagenomic Applications to Herbivore Gut Microbiomes: A Comprehensive Review of Microbial Diversity and Host Interactions.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 10, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 20 2938 doi: 10.3390/ani15202938
Wei J, Wei L, Ullah A, Geng M, Zhang X, Wang C, Khan MZ, Wang C, Zhang Z.Herbivorous animals rely on complex gastrointestinal systems and microbial communities to efficiently digest plant-based diets, extract nutrients, and maintain health. Recent advances in metagenomic technologies have enabled high-resolution, culture-independent analysis of gut microbiota composition, functional potential, and host-microbe interactions, providing insights into microbial diversity across the herbivore digestive tract. This review summarizes key findings on the gastrointestinal microbiota of herbivores, focusing on ruminant foregut and non-ruminant hindgut fermentation. Ruminants...
Cryptorchidism in Equid: A Retrospective Study on Diagnostic Approach, Anaesthesia Management, Surgical Treatment and Outcomes.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 9, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 19 2923 doi: 10.3390/ani15192923
Nocera I, Moroni R, Fanelli D, Rota A, Di Franco C, Ungari C, Puccinelli C, Gandini M, Giusto G, Vannozzi I.Over the years, various diagnostic and surgical techniques have been developed to recognise and treat cryptorchidism in equid. This study retrospectively analysed cases of cryptorchidism referred to two centres between 2012 and 2025. Clinical data collected included species, breed, age, gender, location of retained testis, diagnostic approach, anaesthesia plan and surgical treatment, perioperative medical treatment, intra-operative complications and outcomes. A total of 37 clinical cases were included, 1/37 was a donkey and 1/37 was an intersex female. Most of the horses were three years old a...
Preanesthetic Administration of Trazodone Does Not Impact Anesthetic Recovery Scores in Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 6, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 19 2907 doi: 10.3390/ani15192907
Joseph EJ, Love L, Mayakis M, Varner K.Trazodone is administered to hospitalized equine patients to aid in behavioral management, but the effects on the anesthetic recovery period have not been investigated. This study sought to determine if there is an association between trazodone administration and recovery quality, recovery time, need for sedation, or need for reversal agent administration. We hypothesized that there would be no difference in recovery scores, recovery time, additional sedation, or reversal agent administration between horses that received preanesthetic trazodone and horses that did not. Records were reviewed to...
Influence of Extended Photoperiod Using Blue Light Masks on Hypertrichosis, Coat Condition and General Health Parameters in Horses with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 5, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 19 2905 doi: 10.3390/ani15192905
Parmantier S, Kyriazopoulou P, McClendon M, Adams A, Murphy BA.Fifty-two horses aged >15 years, diagnosed with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), and displaying hypertrichosis were recruited via an online survey of PPID horse owners. From mid-December, group T ( = 29) wore Equilume light masks extending photoperiod to 15 h daily, while group C1 ( = 23) remained under natural photoperiod. As 85% (44/52) of recruited study horses received pergolide medication, a second unmedicated PPID research herd (C2; = 17) was recruited and remained under natural photoperiod. Hair coat samples, shedding and body condition scores were collected monthly by own...
Molecular Detection of Pythium insidiosum in Cutaneous Lesions of Horses from Northeastern Brazil.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 30, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 19 2863 doi: 10.3390/ani15192863
Vasconcelos AB, França DA, Prado ACD, Yamauchi DH, Silva ACAD, Barros IO, Valença SRFA, Lucheis SB, Bosco SMG.Pythiosis is an underestimated and neglected disease in Brazil, both in horse breeders and in horses. The molecular detection of in horses in the Brazilian Northeast represents a milestone in the epidemiology of equine pythiosis in the country. This study reports novel cases of equine pythiosis, diagnosed by molecular methods, in five states of Northeastern Brazil. Clinical samples were submitted to microbiological culture, DNA extraction, and nested-PCR for molecular detection of . The nested-PCR successfully detected in four out of five equine lesion samples, demonstrating higher sensitivi...
Ultrasonographic Assessment of Caudal Vena Cava Collapsibility Index, Caudal Vena Cava-to-Aorta, and Femoral Vein-to-Artery Ratios in Healthy Sedated Adult Horses.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 28, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 19 2837 doi: 10.3390/ani15192837
Scala E, Durie I, Gommeren K, Saegerman C, van Galen G.(1) Background: Ultrasonography of major vessels helps evaluate fluid status and responsiveness in critical human and canine patients. Aims: transrectal and inguinal ultrasonography of caudal vena cava (CVC), aorta (Ao), and femoral artery (FA) and vein (FV) in horses; calculate CVC collapsibility index (CI CVC) and vein-to-artery ratios; compare B- and M-mode; and evaluate repeatability and reproducibility. (2) Methods: B-mode and M-mode video loops were recorded twice by transrectal (Ao, CVC) and inguinal ultrasonography (FV, FA) by two operators on 17 healthy, sedated adult horses. Diameter...
Exploratory Metabolomic Fingerprinting of Aqueous Humor in Healthy Horses and Donkeys, and in Horses with Ocular Pathologies.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 26, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 19 2810 doi: 10.3390/ani15192810
Corradini I, Jose-Cunilleras E, Nolis P, López-Murcia MM, Mayordomo-Febrer A.This study aims to generate foundational metabolomic data of aqueous humor (AH) in healthy horses and donkeys, and to investigate potential changes or trends in the metabolomic profile associated with age, sex or ocular pathology in horses. The AH metabolomic fingerprint from 5 donkeys and 35 equine eyes (17 controls, 8 with cataracts, 6 with retinal disease and 4 with anterior chamber disease (ACD)) were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. A linear mixed-effects model, with individual horse as a random effect and group as a fixed effect, with multiple testing correct...
Comparing Genomic and Pedigree Inbreeding Coefficients in the Slovenian Lipizzan Horse as a Case Study for Small Closed Populations.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 23, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 19 2774 doi: 10.3390/ani15192774
Luštrek B, Šimon M, Turk K, Bogičević S, Potočnik K.In small, closed populations such as the Lipizzan horse, maintaining genetic diversity while limiting inbreeding is a key challenge in conservation breeding. The Lipizzan is an indigenous Slovenian breed with a small population and restricted gene flow from other subpopulations. Inbreeding is traditionally monitored with pedigree-based coefficients, but these often underestimate realised autozygosity, particularly when pedigree depth is limited. This study compared pedigree-based inbreeding (F_PED) with four genomic estimators (F_HOM, F_ROH, F_HBD, F_GRM) in 329 Slovenian Lipizzan horses genot...
Single-Cell Transcriptomic Profiling of Longissimus Dorsi and Biceps Femoris Muscles in Kazakh Horses Reveals Cellular Heterogeneity and Myogenic Regulation.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 23, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 19 2778 doi: 10.3390/ani15192778
Wang J, Li Z, Li L, Wang R, Ma S, Su Y, Shan D, Huang Q.Kazakh horses are renowned for their endurance and adaptability, with distinct muscle groups such as the longissimus dorsi (LD) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles serving specialized functions. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the functional specialization of these muscles in Kazakh horses remain poorly understood. This study aims to address this gap by utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to investigate the transcriptomic differences between these muscle groups, with a focus on understanding their molecular adaptations. Our analysis revealed that the BF muscle, specialize...
Physiological and Behavioral Responses of Stabled Horses (Equus caballus) to Three Types of Environmental Enrichment.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 23, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 19 2779 doi: 10.3390/ani15192779
Brauns M, Ali A, Berger J, McLean A.Small stalls and regulated feedings restrict horses' natural foraging and locomotion, increasing risks to welfare. Environmental enrichment may promote more naturalistic behavioral time budgets, yet little is known about how enrichment type or timing affects physiology and behavior. This study examined nine stabled Quarter Horses provided with hay feeders, activity balls, or mirrors across randomized trials. Each trial included 30 min observations, four times per day, with enrichment removed between sessions and 5-day washouts between trials. Nightwatch Smart Halters™ recorded heart and resp...
Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Equine Pharyngeal Lymphoid Hyperplasia Using the Object Detection-Based Processing Technique of Digital Endoscopic Images.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 22, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 18 2758 doi: 10.3390/ani15182758
Kozłowska N, Borowska M, Jasiński T, Wierzbicka M, Domino M.In human medicine, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) is increasingly employed for screening, identifying, and monitoring early endoscopic signs of various diseases. However, its potential-despite proven benefits in human healthcare-remains largely underexplored in equine veterinary medicine. This study aimed to quantify endoscopic signs of pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (PLH) as digital data and to assess their effectiveness in CAD of PLH in comparison and in combination with clinical data reflecting respiratory tract disease. Endoscopic images of the pharynx were collected from 70 horses clinic...
Exploring the Genetic Link Between Coat Colour and Morphological Traits: The Case of Peruano de Paso Horse.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    September 17, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 18 2720 doi: 10.3390/ani15182720
Karlau A, Azcona F, Molina A, Trigo P, Sánchez-Serrano JP, Demyda-Peyrás S.The Peruano de Paso is a horse breed renowned for its smooth gait, traditionally selected based on breeders' empirical knowledge. Recently, the frequency of chestnut horses, a recessive trait, has increased substantially within the official studbook. This study evaluated whether preference for chestnut coat colour has influenced morphological traits and genetic diversity within the breed. A total of 8376 records of seven morphological traits, collected by the Peruano de Paso Breeders Association over eight years, were analysed, along with a pedigree including 41,357 individuals. Morphological ...