Genetic analysis of clinical findings at health examinations of young Swedish warmblood riding horses.
Abstract: Soundness is important for welfare and utility of the riding horse. Musculoskeletal disorders are the most common causes of interruption in training and of culling. Despite great importance, heritability of a majority of health traits in horses has previously not been estimated. The objective was to perform genetic analyses of medical and orthopaedic health traits in young riding horses, including estimates of heritability and genetic correlations between health traits, and to reveal possibilities for genetic evaluation of stallions for progeny health. Results: The heritability of health traits was estimated using records from 8,238 Swedish warmblood riding horses examined as 4-5 year olds at the Riding Horse Quality Test in 1983-2005. The analyses were performed using multi-trait linear mixed animal models. The heritabilities of palpatory orthopaedic health (PALP), including effusion, swelling, heat, soreness and stiffness/atrophy, and hoof examination results (HOOF), of hoof shape and hoof wall quality, were 0.12 and 0.10, respectively. The genetic variation in these traits resulted in distinct health differences between progeny groups of stallions. The highest heritability among clinical signs of PALP was found for synovial effusions at 0.14. For systemic locations, joint related findings had the highest heritability; 0.13. The heritabilities of medical health and locomotion examination results were low, 0.02 and 0.04, respectively. A genetic improvement of health status has occurred over time but accounts only partly for the decrease in clinical findings of health during the studied period. Conclusions: The genetic variation found in PALP and HOOF implies distinct differences between progeny groups. Thus, there are possibilities for improvement of these traits in the population through selection. The weak and non-significant correlation between PALP and HOOF suggests that both traits need to be selected for in practical breeding to improve both traits. Some genetic improvements over time have already been achieved, possibly due to regular stallion health inspections and an indirect selection for lifetime performance. For further improvements stallion breeding values for health may be introduced, based on RHQT examinations, complementary to present breeding values for performance.
Publication Date: 2013-03-08 PubMed ID: 23510509PubMed Central: PMC3606462DOI: 10.1186/1751-0147-55-22Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research studied the genetic components of health issues found in young Swedish warmblood riding horses, particularly focusing on musculoskeletal disorders. It found that such health traits had distinct genetic variations, hinting at potential for improvement through selective breeding.
Research Context and Objective
- The study was conducted with Swedish warmblood riding horses, a breed often used for sporting and recreational riding.
- The researchers focused on health attributes that were previously unexplored in terms of their genetic heritability.
- Specifically, they explored medical and orthopedic health traits in these young horses and examined the genetic correlation between various health traits.
- The aim was to identify potential for genetic evaluation of stallions in terms of their offspring’s health.
Research Method and Results
- The research utilized records of 8,238 Swedish warmblood riding horses that were tested during the Riding Horse Quality Test conducted between 1983 and 2005.
- Multivariate linear mixed animal models were used to estimate the heritability of health traits.
- The study identified that palpatory orthopaedic health (PALP), which encompasses effusion, swelling, heat, soreness, and stiffness, had a heritability of 0.12.
- Hoof examination results (HOOF), relating to hoof shape and hoof wall quality, had a heritability of 0.10.
- The highest heritability among clinical signs of PALP was found for synovial effusions (0.14).
- Joint-related findings had the highest heritability among systemic locations at 0.13.
- Medical health and locomotion examination results had lower heritabilities of 0.02 and 0.04, respectively.
- Despite some decrease in clinical findings of health issues, this was not entirely due to genetic improvement over time.
Conclusions and Implications
- The PALP and HOOF traits showed appreciable genetic variations indicating differences between progeny groups.
- This suggests potential for improvement in these traits through selective breeding.
- However, a weak and non-significant correlation between PALP and HOOF suggests that selecting for improvements in one trait may not result in improvements in the other, indicating the need for them both to be considered in selection processes.
- Though some genetic improvements have naturally occurred over time, perhaps due to regular health inspections of stallions and an indirect selection for longevity.
- For further improvements, the study suggests introducing breeding values for health based on Riding Horse Quality Test examinations, in addition to current breeding values for performance.
Cite This Article
APA
Jönsson L, Näsholm A, Roepstorff L, Egenvall A, Dalin G, Philipsson J.
(2013).
Genetic analysis of clinical findings at health examinations of young Swedish warmblood riding horses.
Acta Vet Scand, 55(1), 22.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-55-22 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7023, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden. Lina.Jonsson@slu.se
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Foot Diseases / genetics
- Foot Diseases / veterinary
- Genetic Variation
- Hoof and Claw
- Horses / genetics
- Lameness, Animal / genetics
- Locomotion
- Male
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Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Graide H, Duysens J, Frank T, Mouithys-Mickalad A, Niesten A, Sandersen C, Ceusters J, Serteyn D. A Simplified 3D-Plasma Culture Method for Generating Minimally Manipulated Autologous Equine Muscle-Derived Progenitor Cells. Bio Protoc 2025 Dec 5;15(23):e5526.
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