Genetic parameters for traits evaluated at field tests of 3- and 4-year-old Swedish Warmblood horses.
Abstract: There are two types of 1-day field tests available for young Swedish Warmblood sport horses; one test for 3-year olds and one more advanced test for 4-year olds. Conformation, gaits and jumping ability are evaluated at both tests. Studies on various genetic parameters were based on about 20 000 tested horses. The data for 4-year olds consisted of 30 years of testing. The aims of the study were to estimate genetic parameters for results from different time periods, and to estimate heritabilities for, and genetic correlations between, traits scored in the two tests. The judgement of traits was shown to have been changed during the 30 years of testing, resulting in changes in higher heritabilities in, and stronger genetic correlations between, later time periods. In the first time period, records showed higher residual and lower genetic variances than in the subsequent time periods. Genetic correlations between traits recorded in the first and last time period deviated considerably from unity. Further studies are needed to investigate how to treat data from the early period in genetic evaluations. Heritabilities were moderate to high for conformation traits (0.24 to 0.58) at both types of tests, except for correctness of legs (0.08). The heritabilities for gait traits were also moderate to high (0.37 to 0.53). For jumping traits, the heritabilities ranged between 0.17 and 0.33. The highly positive genetic correlations (0.82 to 0.99) between corresponding traits tested at the simpler test for 3-year olds and at the ridden test of 4-year olds implied that it would be desirable to include the test results of 3-year olds into the genetic evaluation as breeding values for Swedish Warmbloods for many years has only been based on results from 4-year olds.
Publication Date: 2008-12-01 PubMed ID: 22444090DOI: 10.1017/S1751731108003030Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research has studied the genetic parameters of 3- and 4-year-old Swedish Warmblood sport horses, taking into consideration their traits, especially in relation to conformation, gaits, and jumping abilities. An assessment of variations over time has also been done, noticing substantial changes over a period of 30 years in how certain traits are understood and evaluated, creating differing heritability levels and genetic correlations between time periods.
Objective, Data and Results
- The research strives to estimate the genetic parameters resultant from varying time periods. It further seeks to establish the heritabilities for, and genetic correlations between the traits that were scored in the 3 and 4-year-old horse tests.
- The studied sample consists of approximately 20,000 tested horses, with data stretching to 30 years for the 4-year old horses.
- From this study, it is noticed that the judgement of specific traits has evolved over 30 years of testing, leading to increased heritabilities and stronger genetic correlations in the later periods. The early periods generally had higher residual and lower genetic variances as compared to succeeding time periods. There are also significant deviations in genetic correlations between traits recorded in the first and last time period.
Required Further Studies
- Given the considerable deviations and the changes in evaluations over time, the research highlights a need for further studies to understand the best way to manage data from the initial periods during genetic evaluations.
Heritabilities and Correlations
- The heritabilities of conformation traits were found to be moderate to high at both types of the test, viz. 0.24 to 0.58, excluding correctness of legs which stood at 0.08.
- Heritabilities for gait traits were between 0.37 and 0.53, representing again a moderate to high range.
- However, for jumping traits, heritabilities ranged between 0.17 and 0.33 which is comparatively lower.
Impact and Implications
- The correlations between corresponding traits tested at the simpler test for 3-year-olds and at the ridden test for 4-year-olds were found to be very high, ranging between 0.82 and 0.99. This highlights the desirability of including the test results of 3-year olds in the genetic evaluation, given that the breeding values for Swedish Warmbloods has traditionally been based only on results from 4-year olds.
Cite This Article
APA
Viklund A, Thorén Hellsten E, Näsholm A, Strandberg E, Philipsson J.
(2008).
Genetic parameters for traits evaluated at field tests of 3- and 4-year-old Swedish Warmblood horses.
Animal, 2(12), 1832-1841.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731108003030 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- 1Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, S-75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Gelinder Viklund Å, Blom Y, Eriksson S. To Start or Not to Start-A Matter of Genetics in Swedish Warmblood Horses?. J Anim Breed Genet 2026 Jan;143(1):130-139.
- Borowska A, Lewczuk D. Comparison of Conformation and Movement Characteristics in Dressage and Jumping Sport Warmblood Mares Based on Point Evaluation and Linear Scoring System. Animals (Basel) 2023 Oct 4;13(19).
- Ricard A, Crevier-Denoix N, Pourcelot P, Crichan H, Sabbagh M, Dumont-Saint-Priest B, Danvy S. Genetic analysis of geometric morphometric 3D visuals of French jumping horses. Genet Sel Evol 2023 Sep 18;55(1):63.
- Novotna A, Birovas A, Vostra-Vydrova H, Vesela Z, Vostry L. Genetic Parameters of Performance and Conformation Traits of 3-Year-Old Warmblood Sport Horses in the Czech Republic. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 27;12(21).
- Bonow S, Eriksson S, Thorén Hellsten E, Gelinder Viklund Å. Consequences of specialized breeding in the Swedish Warmblood horse population. J Anim Breed Genet 2023 Jan;140(1):79-91.
- Doyle JL, Carroll CJ, Corbally AF, Fahey AG. An overview of international genetic evaluations of show jumping in sport horses. Transl Anim Sci 2022 Apr;6(2):txac038.
- Ničová K, Bartošová J. Still beyond a chance: Distribution of faults in elite show-jumping horses. PLoS One 2022;17(3):e0264615.
- Ablondi M, Johnsson M, Eriksson S, Sabbioni A, Viklund ÅG, Mikko S. Performance of Swedish Warmblood fragile foal syndrome carriers and breeding prospects. Genet Sel Evol 2022 Jan 21;54(1):4.
- Ripolles M, Sánchez-Guerrero MJ, Perdomo-González DI, Azor P, Valera M. Survey of Risk Factors and Genetic Characterization of Ewe Neck in a World Population of Pura Raza Español Horses. Animals (Basel) 2020 Oct 1;10(10).
- Folla F, Sartori C, Mancin E, Pigozzi G, Mantovani R. Genetic Parameters of Linear Type Traits Scored at 30 Months in Italian Heavy Draught Horse. Animals (Basel) 2020 Jun 25;10(6).
- Ablondi M, Viklund Å, Lindgren G, Eriksson S, Mikko S. Signatures of selection in the genome of Swedish warmblood horses selected for sport performance. BMC Genomics 2019 Sep 18;20(1):717.
- Gmel AI, Druml T, Portele K, von Niederhäusern R, Neuditschko M. Repeatability, reproducibility and consistency of horse shape data and its association with linearly described conformation traits in Franches-Montagnes stallions. PLoS One 2018;13(8):e0202931.
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