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Home / Equine Research Bank / Acta Vet Scand / A 15-year survey of reproductive efficiency of Standardbred ...
Acta veterinaria Scandinavica2010; 52(1); 40; doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-52-40

A 15-year survey of reproductive efficiency of Standardbred and Finnhorse trotters in Finland–descriptive results.

Abstract: The major horse breeds in Finland are the Finnhorse (FH) and the American Standardbred (SB). The foaling rates of the FH have consistently been lower than those of the SB. During the last years, a decreasing trend in foaling rates of both breeds has been observed. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the structure of these two mare populations for age, reproductive history and mating type. In addition, changes over the years were studied that could explain the decline in foaling rates. Methods: In Finland, the mating statistics and foaling rates per stallion are published yearly by Suomen Hippos, which is the Finnish trotting and breeding association authorized by the EU. The studied material was the electronic breeding data of Suomen Hippos in 1991-2005 which contained 69 180 cases (one mare bred in one year with one stallion), 20 168 mares, 2 230 stallions and 5 397 stud managers. The effect of mare age and type, mating type and changes during the study period were examined separately for FH and SB using SAS 9.1 for descriptive statistical analyses (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations and confidence intervals). The outcome of the last mating per season (foal or not) was used in the calculation of the foaling rates. Results: The FH mares were on average one year older and belonged to the older age groups more often than the SB mares. Ageing decreased foaling rates and even more in FH; the foaling rates were the following: young FH 68.6 and SB 72.1%, middle-aged FH 66.1 and SB 71.9%, ageing FH 61.2 and SB 68.4%, and very old FH 52.8 and SB 61.8%. The foaled mares were more frequent in the SB (45%) than in the FH (37%), but the barren and rested mares were more common in the FH. Natural mating was more commonly practiced in the FH as compared to the SB. The foaling rates decreased from 1991 to 2005 in SB from 75.1 to 65.9% and in FH from 66.5 to 60.8%. For both breeds, the proportion of young mares decreased and the proportion of very old mares increased over the years. Similarly, the proportion of foaled mares in both breeds decreased and the proportion of barren mares increased during the study period. In both breeds, insemination (AI) by transported cooled semen increased, diminishing the on-site AI in the SB and the natural mating in the FH. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that mare age and type and mating type all affect foaling rates and that the structural differences in the mare populations can explain differences in the foaling rates between the horse breeds and between the time periods.
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Publication Date: 2010-06-14 PubMed ID: 20546559PubMed Central: PMC2907380DOI: 10.1186/1751-0147-52-40Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

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The research article discusses a 15-year survey on the reproductive efficiency of Standardbred and Finnhorse trotters in Finland. The main focus was to investigate the differences in population structure, reproductive history, and mating type of these breeds, as well as to identify changes that may account for the decreasing trend in foaling rates.

Study Methodology

  • The research capitalized on the breeding data of Suomen Hippos, the authorized Finnish trotting and breeding association, spanning from 1991 to 2005.
  • This data set comprised 69,180 instances of mares bred with stallions, involving 20,168 mares, 2,230 stallions, and 5,397 stud managers.
  • Various statistical analyses were conducted to investigate the influence of several factors on foaling rates, including mare age, type, and mating type.

Results of the Study

  • The Finnhorse mares were found to be generally older than the Standardbred mares and more often belonged to older age groups.
  • Foaling rates were lower in older mares, particularly for the Finnhorse breed.
  • Standardbred mares that had previously foaled were more common than their Finnhorse counterparts. However, barren and resting mares were more frequent in the Finnhorse population.
  • In terms of mating methods, natural mating was more common in Finnhorses as compared to Standardbreds.
  • The study observed a decrease in foaling rates for both breeds during the 15-year study period. The Standardbred breed saw a decrease from 75.1% to 65.9% and in Finnhorse from 66.5% to 60.8%.
  • There was also a noted increase in the proportion of older mares and a decrease in younger ones over the years.
  • The research found a rise in insemination by transported cooled semen, reducing the on-site insemination in the Standardbred breed and the natural mating in the Finnhorse breed.

Conclusions from the Research

  • The various influential factors identified such as mare age, type, and mating type each had an impact on the foaling rates.
  • Structural discrepancies between the mare populations could elucidate differences in the foaling rates both between the horse breeds and over different time periods.

Cite This Article

APA
Katila T, Reilas T, Nivola K, Peltonen T, Virtala AM. (2010). A 15-year survey of reproductive efficiency of Standardbred and Finnhorse trotters in Finland–descriptive results. Acta Vet Scand, 52(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-52-40

Publication

Acta veterinaria Scandinavica
ISSN: 1751-0147
NlmUniqueID: 0370400
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 52
Issue: 1
Pages: 40

Researcher Affiliations

Katila, Terttu
  • Department of Production Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Paroninkuja 20, 04920 Saarentaus, Finland. terttu.katila@helsinki.fi
Reilas, Tiina
    Nivola, Kaisa
      Peltonen, Terttu
        Virtala, Anna-Maija

          MeSH Terms

          • Age Factors
          • Animals
          • Breeding / methods
          • Female
          • Finland
          • Horses / physiology
          • Male
          • Pregnancy
          • Reproduction / physiology
          • Retrospective Studies

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          Citations

          This article has been cited 10 times.
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