Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Horse Breeds
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.
Variation among stallions in sperm quality after single layer centrifugation. Although single layer centrifugation (SLC) selects robust spermatozoa from stallion semen, the effect of individual variation has not been studied in detail. The objective of this study was to determine the variation among stallions in the effects of SLC on sperm quality during cooled storage for up to 48 hr. Semen samples from seven stallions (18 ejaculates) were split, with one portion being used for SLC and the other serving as a control (CON). Sperm quality (kinematics, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, membrane integrity (MI) and chromatin integrity) were analysed at 0, 24 and 48...
Suitability of Pedigree Information and Genomic Methods for Analyzing Inbreeding of Polish Cold-Blooded Horses Covered by Conservation Programs. Traditionally, pedigree-based relationship coefficients were used to manage inbreeding and control inbreeding depression that occurs within populations. The extensive incorporation of genomic data in livestock breeding creates the opportunity to develop and implement methods to manage populations at the genomic level. Consequently, the realized proportion of the genome that two individuals share can be more accurately estimated instead of using pedigree information to estimate the expected proportion of shared alleles. To make use of this improvement, in this study we evaluated the genomic inb...
Investigating the population structure and genetic diversity of Arabian horses in Oman using SNP markers. Arabian horses were selected for metabolic efficiency, beauty, efficiency and endurance. Therefore, Bedouins have for centuries traced their prized horses' ancestries. With the establishment of the World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO), registration of Arabian horses became centralized and countries worldwide registered them in its database. Most existing Arabian horses in Oman today were imported after the 1970s and are predominantly flat-racing Arabians. This work aimed at revealing the genetic background and diversity of Omani Arabian horses by comparing them with Arabian horses from a di...
Genetic Parameters of Effort and Recovery in Sport Horses Assessed with Infrared Thermography. The way a horse activates (effort phase-EP) and recovers (recovery phase-RP) during a sport event can affect its sport performance. The aim of this manuscript was to test horses' adaptation to sport performance and its genetic basis, using eye temperature assessed with infrared thermography. EP and RP were measured in 495 Spanish Sport Horses, during a performance test, considering sex (2) and genetic lines (5) as fixed effects. The ranking position obtained on an official sport competition was also collected. Differences in variables due to genetic line and sex effects were found, showing tha...
Investigation of erythrocyte antigen frequencies in draft horse populations in Japan to assess blood donor suitability. Erythrocyte alloantigen frequencies of draft horses in Japan were investigated to assess blood donor suitability for transfusion. Here, 148 Japanese draft, 69 Percheron, and 65 Breton horses were blood-typed and subjected to an indirect antiglobulin test. Regarding the major immunogenic factors, the rates of Aa- and Qa-negative horses ranged from 0.35 to 0.49 and from 0.82 to 1.00, respectively. The rate of alloantibody-positive horses ranged from 0.12 to 0.35. Although the prevalence of alloantibodies in these horses was higher than that expected naturally, the rates of Aa- and Qa-negative ho...
Traces of Late Bronze and Early Iron Age Mongolian Horse Mitochondrial Lineages in Modern Populations. The Mongolian horse is one of the most ancient and relatively unmanaged horse breeds. The population history of the Mongolian horse remains poorly understood due to a lack of information on ancient and modern DNA. Here, we report nearly complete mitochondrial genome data obtained from five ancient Mongolian horse samples of the Khereksur and Deer Stone culture (late 2nd to 1st third of the 1st millennium BC) and one ancient horse specimen from the Xiongnu culture (1st century BC to 1st century AD) using target enrichment and high-throughput sequencing methods. Phylogenetic analysis involving a...
Exploratory Behaviours of Primitive Horses Based on Konik: A Preliminary Study. This study aimed at assessing the behaviour of Konik geldings and mares, kept in a stable and in a free-range system, during behavioural tests regarded as a determinant of the exploration urge. A total of 19 Konik horses kept in individual stables and in a free-range system were included in the study. The experiment was conducted in five phases separated by five-day breaks. A one-stage passive human test was performed during the first phase, a three-stage active human test-2nd phase, a three-stage unknown object test-3rd phase, a two-stage unknown surface test-4th phase, and a one-stage test o...
Genetic Variation in the Glycoprotein B Sequence of Equid Herpesvirus 5 among Horses of Various Breeds at Polish National Studs. Equid herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) is one of two γ-herpesviruses that commonly infect horses worldwide. The objective of the study was to estimate the genetic variability within EHV-5 viruses circulating among horses in Poland. Partial glycoprotein B (gB) sequences from 92 Polish horses from 13 studs throughout Poland were compared to each other and to three EHV-5 sequences from other countries. Despite the overall high level of conservation, considerable variability was observed around the putative furin cleavage site. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the viruses clustered within two major lineages ...
Determination of Positional Parameters of the Distal Phalanx Within the Hoof Capsule in Sound Colombian Paso Horses. The economic relevance, populational importance and expansion of the Colombian Paso Horse to other latitudes calls for a growth in studies based on this type of horse. Lack of written reports about the relationship of the distal phalanx (DP) within the hoof in this gaited horse makes it important to establish a baseline to determine hoof health and possible alterations. The purpose of this study was to report, for the first time, the positional parameters of the distal phalanx, and its relationship within the hoof in sound Colombian Paso Horses. A latero-medial radiographic image of each dig...
The Reported Use of Tongue-Ties and Nosebands in Thoroughbred and Standardbred Horse Racing-A Pilot Study. This article reports on the results of a survey of racehorse trainers (n = 112) outlining the reasons for tongue-tie (TT) and noseband (NB) use by Thoroughbred trainers (TBTs) (n = 72) and Standardbred trainers (SBTs) (n = 40). The study also investigated the reported effectiveness of TTs and possible complications arising from their use. Tongue-tie use was reported by 62.5% (n = 70) of racehorse trainers. The reasons for TT use varied between TBTs and SBTs. For TBTs, the most common reason for TT use was to prevent or reduce airway obstruction (72.3%, n = 34), followed closely by to prevent o...
Evaluation of key miRNAs during early pregnancy in Kazakh horse using RNA sequencing. miRNA has an important role in cell differentiation, biological development, and physiology. Milk production is an important quantitative trait in livestock and miRNA plays a role in the amount of milk produced. Methods: The role of regulatory miRNAs involved in equine milk production is not fully understood. We constructed two miRNA libraries for Kazakh horse milk production from higher-producing (H group) and lower-producing (L group) individuals, and used RNA-Seq technology to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs between the two milk phenotypes of Kazakh horses. Results: A total of ...
Current genetic conservation of Chinese indigenous horses revealed with Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms. To investigate the genetic diversity of Chinese indigenous horses and determine the genetic status of extant horse breeds, novel Y chromosomal microsatellite markers and known Y chromosomal SNPs and mtDNA loop sequences, were employed to study the genetic diversity levels of 13 Chinese indigenous horse populations and four introduced breeds. Sixteen Y-chromosomal microsatellite markers, including seven newly identified loci, were used in the genotyping. The results showed that 4 out of the 16 loci were highly polymorphic in Chinese indigenous horse populations, in which the polymorphisms of 3 ...
Comparison of gluteus medius muscle activity in Haflinger and Noriker horses with polysaccharide storage myopathy. Type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy caused by genetic mutation in the glycogen synthase 1 gene is present in many breeds including the Noriker and Haflinger horses. In humans, EMG has already been used to document changes in the muscle activity patterns of patients affected by human glycogen storage disorders. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe gluteus muscle activity with surface electromyography (sEMG) in Haflinger and Noriker horses with known GYS1 mutation status during walk and trot. Thirty-two horses (11 Haflinger and 21 Noriker horses) with homozygous non-affecte...
Influence of coat color on genetic parameter estimates in horses. The aim of this study was to verify the effect of the inclusion of coat color on the genetic parameter estimation for linear measurements in Campolina horses. Two models (1 and 2) were applied. For model 1, coat color effect was not included as variable of the contemporary group formation; in model 2, it was included. Model 2 presented the best fitting with a Deviance Information Criterion (DIC) of -979,459.020 compared with -1,818,458.572 DIC from model 1. The average of heritability estimates ranged from low to high magnitude (0.15 to 0.53) for model 1 and from moderate to high magnitude for...
Nonlinear Models to Describe the Testicular Size Growth Curve of Mangalarga Marchador Stallions. This study aimed to describe the testicular growth curve in Mangalarga Marchador stallions fitting nonlinear models to data of total scrotal width (TSW) and testicular volume (TV). A cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 stallions, aging from 1.75 to 21.93 years. The parameters of nonlinear models (Brody, Gompertz, Hill, Logistic I and II, Meloun I and II, Michaelis-Menten, Mitscherlich, and von-Bertalanffy) were estimated by Gauss-Newton iterative process. Goodness of fit was evaluated by the corrected Akaike (AICc) and Bayesian (BIC) information criteria, adjusted R, error sum of squa...
Genomic comparisons of Persian Kurdish, Persian Arabian and American Thoroughbred horse populations. The present research aimed to characterize the Persian Kurdish horse population relative to the Persian Arabian and American Thoroughbred populations using genome-wide SNP data. Fifty-eight Kurdish, 38 Persian Arabian and 83 Thoroughbred horses were genotyped across 670,796 markers. After quality control and pruning to eliminate linkage disequilibrium between loci which resulted in 13,554 SNPs in 52 Kurdish, 24 Persian Arabian and 58 Thoroughbred horses, the Kurdish horses were generally distinguished from the Persian Arabian samples by Principal Component Analyses, cluster analyses and calcul...
Impaired Reproductive Function in Equines: From Genetics to Genomics. Fertility is one of the key factors in the economic and productive success of the equine industry. Despite this, studies on the genetic causes affecting reproductive performance are scarce, especially in mares, where the genetic architecture of the reproductive traits is extremely complex. Today, with the increasing availability of new genomic methodologies for this species, we are presented with an interesting opportunity to understand the genetic basis of equine reproductive disorders. These include, among others, novel techniques for detecting chromosomal abnormalities, whose association wi...
Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, semen quality and sperm longevity in fractionated stallion semen. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 are gelatinases that take part in several reproductive processes. The aim of this study was to measure levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in fractionated stallion ejaculates, and to evaluate the association between these components and semen quality, and sperm longevity during cooled storage. Semen quality were assessed separately for sperm-rich fractions (HIGH), sperm-poor fractions (LOW), and whole ejaculate samples (WE) from 33 stallions. After cooled storage with SP either present or removed, sperm motility and DFI were determined. The relative activity of...
Genetic parameters for canalization analysis of morphological traits in the Pura Raza Español horse. Measurements from 13 different morphological traits of importance in the Pura Raza Español (PRE) horse were used to estimate genetic and environmental parameters following a heteroscedastic model in which data were assigned to stallions. Data sets used ranged from 20,610 (height at withers) to 48,486 measurements (length of shoulder), and the number of animals analysed in the pedigrees varied from 17,662 (height at withers) to 23,962 (dorsal-sternal diameter). Results of heritabilities of the traits varied from 0.09 (width of chest and upper neck line) to 0.30 (muscular development). Further,...
Metabolic impact of weight variations in Icelandic horses. Insulin dysregulation (ID) is an equine endocrine disorder, which is often accompanied by obesity and various metabolic perturbations. The relationship between weight variations and fluctuations of the insulin response to oral glucose tests (OGT) as well as the metabolic impact of ID have been described previously. The present study seeks to characterize the concomitant metabolic impact of variations in the insulin response and bodyweight during repeated OGTs using a metabolomics approach. Methods: Nineteen Icelandic horses were subjected to five OGTs over one year and their bodyweight, insuli...
Genetic Diversities and Historical Dynamics of Native Ethiopian Horse Populations (Equus caballus) Inferred from Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphisms. Matrilineal genetic diversity and relationship were investigated among eight morphologically identified native Ethiopian horse populations using polymorphisms in 46 mtDNA D-loop sequences (454 base pairs). The horse populations identified were Abyssinian, Bale, Borana, Horro, Kafa, Kundido feral horses, Ogaden and Selale. Mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequences were characterized by 15 variable sites that defined five different haplotypes. All genetic diversity estimates, including Reynolds' linearized genetic distance, genetic differentiation () and nucleotide sequence divergence (), revealed a lo...
Discriminant Canonical Analysis of the Contribution of Spanish and Arabian Purebred Horses to the Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Hispano-Arabian Horses. Genetic diversity and population structure were analyzed using the historical and current pedigree information of the Arabian (PRá), Spanish Purebred (PRE), and Hispano-Arabian (Há) horse breeds. Genetic diversity parameters were computed and a canonical discriminant analysis was used to determine the contributions of ancestor breeds to the genetic diversity of the Há horse. Pedigree records were available for 207,100 animals born between 1884 and 2019. Nei's distances and the equivalent subpopulations number indicated the existence of a highly structured, integrated population for the Há ...
Influence of osteochondrosis on the longevity and racing performance of standardbred trotters and pacers. To determine the influence of clinical osteochondrosis (OC) on the short-term (2, 3, and 4-year-old) and long-term racing performance and longevity of standardbred racehorses. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: Standardbred racehorses from a single breeding farm born between 2009 and 2017 that survived to racing age (n = 2711). Three hundred eighty-two (14%) horses were OC-affected (829 lesions confirmed arthroscopically during surgical treatment), and 2329 (86%) horses were nonaffected. Methods: Racing performance data were obtained from an online database and evaluated with ...
Differences in the proteome of stallion spermatozoa explain stallion-to-stallion variability in sperm quality post-thaw†. The identification of stallions and or ejaculates that will provide commercially acceptable quality post-thaw before cryopreservation is of great interest, avoiding wasting time and resources freezing ejaculates that will not achieve sufficient quality to be marketed. Our hypothesis was that after bioinformatic analysis, the study of the stallion sperm proteome can provide discriminant variables able to predict the post-thaw quality of the ejaculate. At least three ejaculates from 10 different stallions were frozen following a split sample design. Half of the ejaculate was analyzed as a fresh ...
Analysis of the Pedigree and Ancestors of the Cutting Population of the Quarter Horse Breed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic diversity and to identify the most influential ancestors in the population of Brazilian Quarter Horses participating in cutting competitions. Data from 1,590 elite horses born between 1970 and 2015, which participated in cutting competitions between 1981 and 2018, were evaluated based on the pedigree file that contained 5,832 animals born since 1834. Evaluation of the quality of the pedigree data showed a mean number of known equivalent generations of 5.4 ± 1.5 and a mean generation interval of 11.7 ± 8.8 years. The inbreeding coefficient (1...
In vitro maturation of equine oocytes followed by two vitrification protocols and subjected to either intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or parthenogenic activation. The aim of this study was determine the viability and developmental competence of equine oocytes after IVM and vitrification using the Rapid-I method, as part of an effort to develop an effective equine oocyte vitrification protocol. Equine oocytes were collected by scraping ovarian follicles of slaughtered mares. A total of 1052 ovaries were used in this study, from which 3135 oocytes were obtained. Of the 2853 oocytes retrieved, 2557 underwent in vitro maturation for approximately 36 h. After in vitro culture, 1202 oocytes (47%) had a first polar body. To evaluate the toxicity of the solu...
Stored Stallion Sperm Quality Depends on Sperm Preparation Method in INRA82 or INRA96. Removal of seminal plasma facilitates stallion sperm survival during storage, but washing may damage sperm chromatin. Therefore, sperm quality was compared in samples following single-layer centrifugation (SLC) or sperm washing and controls (extension only) in two extenders, INRA82 and INRA96. Ejaculates from six stallions were split among six treatments: SLC, sperm washing, and controls, in INRA82 and INRA96. Sperm motility and acrosome status were evaluated at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours; morphology at 0, 24, 48, 72 hours and chromatin integrity at 0 and 96 hours, with storage at 6°C. Sperm ...
A Retrospective Study of Cryptorchidectomy in Horses: Diagnosis, Treatment, Outcome and Complications in 70 Cases. The aim of the study was to investigate the breed predisposition and the diagnostic and surgical management of horses referred for cryptorchidism. The breed, localization of retained testis, diagnosis, type of surgical treatment and complications were analyzed. Seventy horses were included in the study; the Western Riding horse breeds were the most affected (Quarter Horse 34/70, 48.5%; Appaloosa 9/70, 12.8%). In unilateral cryptorchids (65/70, 92.8%) the most common location for a retained testis was the left abdomen (28/65, 43%), while in bilateral cryptorchids (5/70, 7.1%), bilateral abdomin...
Whole-genome resequencing using genomic DNA extracted from horsehair roots for gene-doping control in horse sports. Gene doping is prohibited in horseracing and equestrian sports. In previous studies, we developed non-targeted transgene and genome editing detection methods based on whole genome resequencing (WGR) using genomic DNA extracted from whole blood. In this study, we aimed to develop a WGR method using DNA extracts from hair roots. Hair roots are a preferred substrate because their collection is less invasive than blood collection. Hair is also easier to store for long periods of time. Although almost all genomic DNA extracted from hair root samples stored for years at room temperature was degraded...
Distribution of the Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome Type 1 Mutation (PLOD1 c.2032G>A) in Different Horse Breeds from Europe and the United States. Warmblood fragile foal syndrome (WFFS) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a single nucleotide variant in the procollagen-lysine-2-oxoglutarate-5-dioxygenase 1 gene (PLOD1:c.2032G>A, p.Gly678Arg). Homozygosity for the PLOD1 variant causes an Ehler-Danlos-like syndrome, which has to date only been reported in warmblood breeds but the WFFS allele has been also detected in the Thoroughbred. To investigate the breed distribution of the WFFS allele, 4081 horses belonging to 38 different breeds were screened. In total, 4.9% of the horses representing 21 breeds carried the WFFS allele. Th...
