Horse breeds represent the diverse genetic and phenotypic variations found within the species Equus ferus caballus. These breeds are categorized based on characteristics such as size, conformation, coat color, and temperament, which have been selectively bred over centuries to fulfill specific roles and functions. Common classifications of horse breeds include light horses, draft horses, and ponies, each serving different purposes ranging from riding and racing to work and companionship. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the genetics, history, and functional attributes of various horse breeds, as well as their impact on equine management and breeding practices.
Bain AM.In the Hunter Valley of Australia, it is the practice to examine mares for pregnancy 25 days after service. These examinations are carried out without the operator having prior knowledge of the reason for the mare's presentation—i.e., whether for pregnancy, anoestrus, oestrus or follicle examination. This ensures a thorough examination and is a very critical check on the accuracy of the operator.
Ordakowski-Burk AL, Kronfeld DS, Williams CA, Gay LS, Sklan DJ.To identify changes in folate status of mares and foals during lactation and growth, respectively. Methods: 20 Thoroughbred mares and foals. Methods: Pregnant mares, and following foaling the same mares with their foals, were maintained on mixed grass-legume pasture and fed either a traditional dietary supplement rich in sugar and starch (SS) or a dietary supplement high in fat and fiber (FF). Blood samples were collected monthly from mares and foals up to 6 months after foaling. Total folate concentration in feed and forage was determined. Analyses of plasma folate, RBC folate, plasma homocys...
Sato F, Hasegawa T, Katayama Y, Ishida N.Complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding equine dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) was amplified with a combination of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method, and their nucleotide sequences (Accession No. AB029430: the DDBJ nucleotide sequence database) was determined. A total of 3842 bp cDNA sequence was consisted with 5 bp of 5' flanking untranslated sequence, 1833 bp of open reading frame encoding 610 amino acids, and 2004 bp of 3' flanking untranslated sequence. The deduced amino acid sequence of equine DBH was very similar to the ...
Rossier Y, Sweeney CR, Heyer G, Hamir AN.A 7-year-old Thoroughbred mare was examined because of persistent bilateral epistaxis and respiratory distress. Evidence of bilateral pleural effusion was found during physical examination, and a large amount of serosanguineous fluid was drained from the right side of the thorax. Cytologic examination and bacteriologic culture of the transtracheal aspirate and pleural fluid did not yield evidence of sepsis. A coagulation profile was unremarkable. Radiographic and echographic changes were seen in the lung parenchyma. Pleuroscopy, with the horse standing, revealed numerous dark nodules on the pl...
Elkhawagah AR, Nervo T, Poletto M, Martino NA, Gallo D, Bertero A, Vincenti L.The aim of the study was to ascertain effects of different concentrations of relaxin added to extender medium during the pre-freezing incubation periods on quality variables of stallion frozen-thawed spermatozoa. Semen samples collected from three stallions were filtered, diluted with skim milk, and centrifuged at 600g for 10 min. Sperm pellets were suspended in BotuCrio freezing medium to a final concentration of 50 × 10 sperm/mL. The diluted semen was divided into five experimental groups supplemented with 0 (control), 12.5, 25, 50, or 100 ng/mL of relaxin. The semen samples were transferre...
Battut I, Bézard J, Palmer E.A culture for equine oviduct epithelial cells is described. Primary cultures reached confluence in 5-8 days, forming a monolayer of polygonal cells and remaining morphologically intact for about 20 days. Subcultures were obtained by collecting cells detached spontaneously from the monolayers, and confluence was reached again after 5-7 days. Cells frozen before primary culture were confluent 10-15 days after thawing. Dishes containing confluent cells also were frozen, and some cohesive monolayers formed after thawing. Equine embryos, collected 2 days after ovulation, were cultured alone or with...
Kniazev SP, Reissmann M, Wagner HJ, Kuraĭ MV, Samovolov NV.Results of the first in Russia survey of the gene pool of the breeding nucleus of the Russian population of thoroughbred horses by means of PCR analysis of the E (Extension) locus MC1R gene mutations are presented. The data on the structure of breeding populations from the leading stud farms Voskhod and Oros with regard to color phenotypes as well as genotype and allele frequencies are presented. The population structure parameters are discussed with respect to possible specific features of microevolution processes.
Suontama M, van der Werf JH, Juga J, Ojala M.Genetic correlations for body measurements and subjectively scored traits between foals and studbook horses were estimated using bivariate linear mixed models. Observations for nine foal and eleven studbook traits in Finnhorses on 6529 foals and 6596 studbook horses and in Standardbred trotters on 3069 foals and 2112 studbook horses were available from the Finnish horse breeding shows. The number of sires with progeny in both foal and studbook data was 203 in Finnhorse and 145 in Standardbred trotters. Estimates of heritability for body measurements in foals and studbook horses using univariat...
Novelli EL, Rodrigues NL, Chiacchio SB.Biochemical values are widely related with environmental agents, sex and age, and are used in disease diagnosis. Numerous reports have been published on the biochemical parameters of different breeds of horses. However, there is a paucity of information concerning Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD), ceruloplasmin, copper and zinc determinations in the serum. Blood samples from a total of 60 horses of the Mangalarga-Paulista breed, representing three age groups (0 to 4 months old, 6 to 18 months old and adult) were examined. Male horses have a higher mean value of SOD, ceruloplasmin and copper th...
Lee W, Mun S, Choi SY, Oh DY, Park YS, Han K.The Jeju horse is a native Korean species that has been breeding on Jeju Island since the 13th century. Their shape has a distinct appearance from the representative species, Thoroughbred. Here, we performed a comparison of the Jeju horse and Thoroughbred horse for the identification of genome-wide structure variation by using the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique. We generated an average of 95.59 Gb of the DNA sequence, resulting in an average of 33.74 X sequence coverage from five Jeju horses. In addition, reads obtained from WGRS data almost covered the horse reference genome (mapp...
Maĭboroda SN.Study of the variability and heritability of sprightliness and exterior characteristics which are the constituent factors of capacity for work of trotting horse breed, permits predicting and planning the direction of selection work in the breed, and determining the efficiency of animals selection according to phenotype. To increase the level of capacity for work of Orloff trotting horse breed, according to the paper data, more consideration should be given to correctness of the exterior, as a biomechanical basis of the horse motion.
Arns MJ, Webb GW, Kreider JL, Potter GD, Evans JW.Bovine serum albumin (BSA) diluents containing lactose, raffinose or sucrose were not different (P greater than 0.05) in their ability to maintain stallion sperm viability, as determined by percentage motile spermatozoa (PMS) and their rate of forward movement (RFM), when stored at 37 or 5 degrees C for 24 h. These diluents did promote a higher (P greater than 0.05) PMS and RFM, when compared with BSA diluents containing arabinose or galactose. The BSA-arabinose and BSA-galactose diluents did not differ (P less than 0.05) in their ability to support sperm viability and were detrimental to sper...
Tinel JB, Veras MM, Waked D, Alonso MA, Fernandes CB.Mules are derived from crossing horse mares with a donkey, in which the interest is due to gentleness and ability to work and equestrian sports. As the placenta is responsible for fetal development and maturation, knowing its typical microstructure allows us to understand how fetomaternal interactions occur in this interspecific pregnancy. Thus, the study performed a comparative stereological evaluation of volumetric composition and fetomaternal contact surface in the uterine body (UB), gravid uterine horn (GUH), and nongravid uterine horn (NGUH) of Mangalarga Paulista mare's term allantochori...
Cipone M, Pietra M, Gandini G, Boari A, Guglielmini C, Venturoli M.A pulsed wave-Doppler ultrasonographic evaluation of common carotid arterial blood flow was carried out on 63 healthy Italian Saddlebred horses. Vessel diameter and tracing morphology were evaluated and blood flow parameters (systolic, diastolic and mean velocity, acceleration and deceleration of the systolic wave, carotid pulse volume) were calculated and correlated with class variables (sex, age and body weight). On the basis of the presence of an incisure in the ascending branch of the systolic curve, subjects were divided in two groups: one with a bifid systolic curve and the other with a ...
Yordanov G, Zlatanovic N, Palova N, Mehandjyiski I, Neov B, Radoslavov G, Hristov P.The objective of our study was to investigate the genetic structure of yet uninvestigated populations of three closely related horse breeds - the Danubian Horse, the Hungarian Nonius and the Serbian Nonius - in order to clarify their origin and genetic diversity. A 640-bp-long fragment of the mtDNA D-loop region was amplified and sequenced. The results showed that the investigated breeds have different genetic profiles although they share some common characteristics. We identified nine of the 17 haplogroups described in modern horses. Most of the obtained sequences fall into the M, L, G, and O...
Allen WR, Bowen JM, Frank CJ, Jeffcott LB, Rossdale PD.This short review article describes the various techniques currently available for artificial insemination in the horse. The collection and use of raw and extended semen is discussed together with the more recent developments in freezing semen. The expected conception rates with both fresh and frozen semen are quoted. The possible benefits in disease control and stud management are discussed, as well as the difficulties in controlling the use of A.I. from the Breed Registration Authorities point of view.
A Quarter Horse, a gelding aged 22, was subjected to a clinical examination for colic syndrome. During admission to the clinic, blood counts and ultrasound examination were performed. Ultrasound revealed abdominal masses and abundant accumulation of pleural (50 L) and abdominal fluid (100 L). Cytology was performed on the aspirated fluid. The patient was euthanized. The autopsy examination revealed abundant effusion and nodular masses on the peritoneum, omentum, lungs, heart, and mediastinum. A diagnosis of epithelioid mesothelioma was made via histopathology and confirmed with immunohistochem...
van Buiten A, Remmen JL, Colenbrander B.In horses reproductive performance is usually expressed as the foaling rate. This rate ranges from 40% to 80%. Three major factors contribute to this variation namely, the stallion, the mare and management. In this study, the performance of Shetland ponies kept in three different breeding systems was investigated retrospectively. In one breeding system, the stud farmer travelled with his stallion (n = 9) to the mare (system 1) while in another system, the stallion (n = 3) stayed at the stud farm and the mares came to the stallion (system 2). The last system was pasture breeding (system 3; n = ...
Rowlands IW.The world-wide foaling rate in the mare is low and in the Hannoverian breed has remained asymptotic at about 50 per cent for over 150 years. In an attempt to discover some of the possible reasons for this low fertility rate, the evolutionary history of the perissodactyls, the odd-toed ungulates, is reviewed here. Of the 156 genera of this order, 152 are in the fossil record; this gives them the highest extermination rate of all the mammal groups. Some of the unusual and unique features of the reproductive physiology of the mare and their possible association with low fertility are considered.
Voge J, Varner DD, Blanchard TL, Meschini M, Turner C, Teague SR, Brinsko SP, Love CC.Urine-contaminated stallion semen is a clinical problem due to a variety of causes. The effect of the level of urine contamination on the longevity of sperm quality has not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of urine concentration level (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) and cushioned centrifugation and resuspension of the sperm pellet in fresh extender, on measures of sperm quality, immediately after semen collection (T0), after 1 hour of storage at room temperature (T1), and after 24 hours of cooled storage (T24). In general, most sperm quality measures declined w...
Salamanca-Carreño A, Parés-Casanova PM, Rangel-Pachón DE, Bentez-Molano J, Vélez-Terranova OM.The aim of this research was to determine if the division between the cervical, dorsal, and croup profiles (three regions commonly assessed for descriptive profile purposes) has a modular basis as well as a morphological integration. For this, a total of 135 digital photographs were obtained, in a lateral view, of adult horses (14 females and 121 geldings; age range: 2-20 years), of the Araucanian breed, an equine population typical of the flooded savannah of Arauca, NE Colombia. From each image, 25 reference points (semi-landmarks) were obtained at the dorsal level of the neck, back, and crou...
Kovár J, Kostelecká B.On the basis of test results, regarding the pulse rate response to the increased load, obtained from 278 three-year-old horses after finishing their elementary training (145 Bohemian warm-blooded horses, 115 Kladrub Black horses and 18 English half-bred horses), a method was worked for the evaluation of their performance. As an evaluating criterion a velocity (v170) was chosen which was obtained from an experimentally determined regression dependence of velocity on the pulse rate at 170 pulses per minute. A set of v170 data were statistically processed and on the basis of quantiles of normal d...
BMC research notesDecember 16, 2009
Volume 2 255 doi: 10.1186/1756-0500-2-255
Rendo F, Iriondo M, Manzano C, Estonba A.The Cantabrian Coast horse breeds of the Iberian Peninsula have mainly black or bay colored coats, but alleles responsible for a chestnut coat color run in these breeds and occasionally, chestnut horses are born. Chestnut coat color is caused by two recessive alleles, e and e(a), of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene, whereas the presence of the dominant, wild-type E allele produces black or bay coat horses. Because black or bay colored coats are considered as the purebred phenotype for most of the breeds from this region, it is important to have a fast and reliable method to detect alleles caus...
Aouane N, Nasri A, Bekara MAA, Metref AK, Kaidi R.The Barb horse occupies a prominent place in the history, culture, and equestrian traditions of the Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia). Although many studies on the breed standard and morphometry have been published, there are no studies on its fertility and reproductive potential. Thus, this work aimed to study the fertility of Barb, Arabian Purebred, and Thoroughbred horses in Algeria. Methods: A total of 168 stallions and 1202 mares at the Chaouchaoua Stud farm in Tiaret, Algeria, were included in the study. The reproductive performance during 1592 cycles over 10 consecutive mating sea...
Oehler UM, Janzen EG, Betteridge K, Fyfe C, Towner RA, Savage N, Scodras J.Results are presented which illustrate the usefulness of Magnetic Resonance Imaging as applied to the study of living embryos. Nitroxide spin labels were employed as contrast agents to study the structure and properties of the embryos. These spin labels offer the additional advantage that they may potentially be bound to biologically important molecules thereby imparting the ability to produce contrast in the MR images to these new molecules. The horse conceptus was chosen over other embryos due to its large size. Whereas the embryos of cattle and swine are sub-millimetre in size, the horse co...
Pascoe RR.A total of 2187 Thoroughbred and Standardbred mares was examined over a 4-year period to determine the location of the fetus at 42 days, the location of the previous fetus as determined by examination 5-15 days after foaling, and pregnancy location the next season. Maiden mares showed 44 and 56% of pregnancies in the left and right horns respectively. No transuterine migration was observed in 139 maiden mares examined after their first foal. Lactating mares showed 62% implantations and full-term pregnancies on one side of the uterus with the next season's pregnancy being in the opposite uterin...
Serafini R, Varner DD, Love CC.Flow cytometry procedures can be used for evaluation of both spermatogenic efficiency and diagnose disorders of stallion spermatogenesis. Aims of this study were to compare two testicular sample acquisition techniques (needle aspirate-N and tissue wedge-T) and results when using flow cytometry and histology procedures. Testicular cell types were stained with acridine orange, and nine regions (R2 to R10) were identified and enumerated following acquisition by either N or T. Testes were also grouped and analyzed by size and sexual maturity (Small [immature] compared with Large [mature]) and used...
Braun J, Hochi S, Oguri N, Sato K, Torres-Boggino F.Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of different macromolecule components (egg yolk, skim milk, and BSA) in a widely employed extender for cryopreservation of horse semen. Spermatozoal motility (MOT) and the percentage of spermatozoa with an intact plasma membrane (IPM) were evaluated in frozen-thawed samples. In the first experiment (four Draft Horse stallions, four ejaculates each) a standard freezing extender containing 20% whole egg yolk was modified by replacing extender components (glucose-EDTA solution, 11% lactose solution) with an increasing volume of a skim milk d...
Tekin N, Yurdaydin N, Klug E, Yavas Y, Aksu A, Gülyüz F.Within a German-Turkish university partnership documentation of reproductive data of brood-mares was performed as a part project of the cooperation contract. In the study Arab, Haflinger and cross-breed mares were included. The mares mainly were housed in big studfarms and a smaller part was kept under small private farms. Almost three quarters of both the Arab and Haflinger mares exhibited an estrous length of 1-4 days, whereas the others showed a heat duration of a period of 5-10 days. In the same group of probands a mean length of sexual cycle of 18-24 days could be observed in 38.2% of the...
Dusek J.Inbreeding was used in the regeneration process in the breeding of the Kladrub Black Horse. Inbreeding rate is realized in practice, as related to the manifestation of the selected characteristics of this unique horse population. The evaluation of the effect of inbreeding on conception rate and fertility did not demonstrate any differences between the group of inbred mares and non-inbred mares. The study was conducted in mares used for breeding for 10 years. The results provide evidence that inbreeding causes no depression in this characteristics in the Kladrub Black Horse which would otherwis...
Fousse SL, Stern JA.There have been some advances in understanding the genetic contribution to ventricular septal defects in Arabians, sudden death in racehorses, and atrial fibrillation in racehorses. No genetic analyses have been published for aortic rupture in Friesians or atrioventricular block in donkeys despite strong evidence for a genetic cause. To date, no genetic mutation has been identified for any equid cardiac disease. With the advancement of genetic tools and resources, we are moving closer to discoveries that may explain the heritable basis of inherited equid cardiac disease.
