Morphological Characterization of Turkish Ambling Horses.

Overview

• This study provides a detailed physical (morphometric) characterization of ambling horses from different breeding origins in Türkiye, analyzing how factors such as breeding origin, age, and sex influence their body measurements.
• The research establishes baseline phenotypic data for these horses, identifying significant differences within the population and correlations between various body traits.

Introduction and Objective

• The study addresses the limited information available on the morphometric traits of ambling horses raised in Türkiye.
• The main objective was to characterize the physical traits of these horses based on breeding origin (location and type), age, and sex.
• The study also aimed to provide baseline phenotypic data to help with future research and conservation efforts.

Study Population and Data Collection

• A total of 102 naturally ambling horses were examined.
• Three groups were identified based on breeding origin:
  • Indigenous horses raised in Bursa (28 horses)
  • Indigenous horses raised in Nazilli, Aydın Province (65 horses)
  • Afghan-origin horses raised in Bursa (9 horses)
• Measurements were taken on various body parts, including the head, body, and limbs, to capture comprehensive morphological data.

Methods and Analysis

• A general linear model was used to analyze the effects of breeding origin, age, and sex on morphometric traits.
• Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 to identify meaningful differences.
• Correlations between specific body measurements were calculated to understand relationships among traits.

Main Findings

• Significant differences were found among horses from different breeding origins for several morphometric traits.
• Afghan-origin horses generally exhibited larger body measurements, including:
  • Withers height (WH)
  • Body length (BL)
  • Chest depth (CD)
  • Chest width (CW)
  • Heart girth (HG)
• Age and sex also influenced various morphometric traits, with some differences observed between male and female horses and among age groups.
• The strongest correlations among traits were:
  • Chest height (CH) and body height (BH): r = 0.920, p < 0.001
  • Withers height (WH) and body height (BH): r = 0.873, p < 0.001
  • Withers height (WH) and chest height (CH): r = 0.860, p < 0.001
  • Inner thigh height (ITH) with body height (BH), chest height (CH), and withers height (WH) showing correlations of 0.825, 0.808, and 0.744 respectively (all p < 0.001)

Interpretation and Importance

• This research highlights morphometric variability within ambling horses raised in different regions of Türkiye, reflecting genetic or environmental differences related to breeding origin.
• The established morphometric profiles contribute important baseline data for future breeding programs, conservation, and identification of breeds.
• The strong correlations between several body measurements suggest consistent patterns of growth and conformation within the population.

Limitations

• Small sample size of the Afghan-origin group (only 9 horses), which limits the generalizability of findings related to this subgroup.
• Unequal distribution across groups—indigenous horses from Nazilli had a larger sample size compared to other groups—potentially impacting statistical robustness.
• The findings should therefore be interpreted with caution due to these sample imbalances.

Recommendations for Future Research

• Further studies with larger and more balanced sample sizes across breeding origins are necessary to confirm and expand upon these findings.
• Additional genetic and environmental assessments could help explain the differences observed in morphometric traits.
• Longitudinal studies may clarify how age-related changes affect these horses over time.