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Giontella A, Silvestrelli M, Cocciolone A, Pieramati C, Sarti FM. Breeding Value Estimation Based on Morphological Evaluation of the Maremmano Horse Population through Factor Analysis. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:2232. [PMID: 39123761 PMCID: PMC11310958 DOI: 10.3390/ani14152232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Morphological scoring is a common evaluation method for domestic animals. The National Association of Maremmano Breeders (ANAM) has provided a dataset containing the records of 600 horses, four metric measurements (cm) and 24 traits with a continuous evaluation scale, each one with 15 classes. Moreover, a body condition score (BCS) with five classes is included. In this study, factor analysis was conducted to create a small number of informative factors (3) obtained from these traits, and a new BLUP-AM-MT index was established. The New Estimated Breeding Value (NEBV1) of each horse was computed by adding the genetic indexes of the three factors, with each one multiplied using a coefficient indicated by ANAM. The practical feasibility of the NEBV1 was evaluated through Spearman correlations between the rankings of the NEBV1 and the rankings of the BLUP-AM-MT, estimated through the four biometric measures and the morphological score (MS) assigned to each horse by the ANAM judges. The factorial analysis was used to estimate three factors: the "Trunk Dimension", "Legs" and "Length". As the explained variance was only 32%, the model was rotated, and the heritability of the three factors were 0.51, 0.05 and 0.41, respectively. After rotation, the estimated correlations between the new NEBV1 and the biometric measures were improved. These results should encourage breeders to adopt a breeding value index that takes into consideration the factors derived from all the variables observed in the morphological evaluation of the Maremmano. In this way, breeders can use it to select the best animals for breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Giontella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine—Sportive Horse Research Center, University of Perugia, Via S. Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (M.S.); (C.P.)
| | - Maurizio Silvestrelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine—Sportive Horse Research Center, University of Perugia, Via S. Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (M.S.); (C.P.)
| | - Alessandro Cocciolone
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy; (A.C.); (F.M.S.)
| | - Camillo Pieramati
- Department of Veterinary Medicine—Sportive Horse Research Center, University of Perugia, Via S. Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy; (M.S.); (C.P.)
| | - Francesca Maria Sarti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy; (A.C.); (F.M.S.)
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Perdomo-González DI, Sánchez-Guerrero MJ, Bartolomé E, Guedes dos Santos R, Molina A, Valera M. Designing an early selection morphological traits index for reproductive efficiency in Pura Raza Española mares. J Anim Sci 2024; 102:skad409. [PMID: 38118055 PMCID: PMC10762892 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skad409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The low rate of reproductive efficiency in horses may be linked to the equine industry's practice of maintaining breeding stock that stands out for its athletic or morphological performance but exhibits poor reproductive efficiency. In this study, the age at first foaling, age at last foaling, interval between first and second foaling, average interval between foaling, foaling number and reproductive efficiency, and their relationship with the morphological records in 19,758 Pura Raza Española (PRE) mares were analyzed. After a partial least squares analysis height at withers, lateral hock angle, dorsal-sternal diameter, perimeter of anterior cannon bone, angle of shoulder, thoracic perimeter, hip-stifle distance, and angle of croup were the most important traits related with reproductive traits in PRE mares. A multivariate animal model with both morphological and reproductive traits was applied, including age, geographical area, coat color, and average stud size in the decade of the mare's first foaling. The results indicate that reproductive selection is feasible, and is enhanced by the use of morphological traits, given the moderate to high magnitudes of heritability values in both types of traits, which oscillated between 0.1 (interval between first and second foaling) and 0.95 (height at withers). The resulting genetic parameters were used to develop a series of selection indexes based on morphological or morphological and reproductive combination traits to improve reproductive efficiency traits in PRE mares and thus compute the expected genetic response (EGR) for the different strategies. The increase in EGR, when comparing EGR using only reproductive traits as selection criteria vs. using a combined index of both morphological and reproductive traits, oscillated between 4.0% for the age at first foaling to 46.8% for the interval between first and second foaling. In addition, two precocity indexes showed positive EGR when the age at last foaling and the interval between first and second foaling, both with and without morphological traits, were used as selection criteria. Therefore, this analysis reveals that the preselection of reproductive traits based on morphological traits is possible in PRE mares. Ultimately, this knowledge will help breeders achieve genetic progress in reproductive traits, leading to healthier and more successful breeding outcomes in horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davinia I Perdomo-González
- Departamento de Agronomía, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agromómica, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain
| | - María J Sánchez-Guerrero
- Departamento de Agronomía, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agromómica, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain
| | - Ester Bartolomé
- Departamento de Agronomía, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agromómica, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain
| | - Rute Guedes dos Santos
- Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, Portalegre 7300-110, Portugal
- Research Centre for Endogenous Resource Valorization (VALORIZA), Portalegre 7300-555, Portugal
| | - Antonio Molina
- Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Córdoba, Córdoba 14014, Spain
| | - Mercedes Valera
- Departamento de Agronomía, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agromómica, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla 41013, Spain
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Cardinali I, Giontella A, Tommasi A, Silvestrelli M, Lancioni H. Unlocking Horse Y Chromosome Diversity. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13122272. [PMID: 36553539 PMCID: PMC9777570 DOI: 10.3390/genes13122272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The present equine genetic variation mirrors the deep influence of intensive breeding programs during the last 200 years. Here, we provide a comprehensive current state of knowledge on the trends and prospects on the variation in the equine male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY), which was assembled for the first time in 2018. In comparison with the other 12 mammalian species, horses are now the most represented, with 56 documented MSY genes. However, in contrast to the high variability in mitochondrial DNA observed in many horse breeds from different geographic areas, modern horse populations demonstrate extremely low genetic Y-chromosome diversity. The selective pressures employed by breeders using pedigree data (which are not always error-free) as a predictive tool represent the main cause of this lack of variation in the Y-chromosome. Nevertheless, the detailed phylogenies obtained by recent fine-scaled Y-chromosomal genotyping in many horse breeds worldwide have contributed to addressing the genealogical, forensic, and population questions leading to the reappraisal of the Y-chromosome as a powerful genetic marker to avoid the loss of biodiversity as a result of selective breeding practices, and to better understand the historical development of horse breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Cardinali
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
- Correspondence: (I.C.); (A.G.)
| | - Andrea Giontella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy
- Correspondence: (I.C.); (A.G.)
| | - Anna Tommasi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “L. Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Hovirag Lancioni
- Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy
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Klein R, Oláh J, Mihók S, Posta J. Pedigree-Based Description of Three Traditional Hungarian Horse Breeds. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12162071. [PMID: 36009663 PMCID: PMC9405318 DOI: 10.3390/ani12162071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The most important purpose of animal conservation programs is to maintain genetic variability. The Furioso-North Star, the Gidran, and the Nonius are indigenous Hungarian horse breeds from the Mezőhegyes Stud. In the last century, the role of the horses was changed, the technical innovations and motorization replaced them, so the population size and the genetic variability of these breeds were reduced. Nowadays these breeds are endangered. The aims of this study were to give information about the current breeding population and support breeder associations during their gene conservation work. The pedigree quality, generation intervals, probability of gene origin, and inbreeding were evaluated. We found that breeds had a large bottleneck effect during breeding history. The level of inbreeding was measured with different methods, such as Ballou’s, Wright’s, and Kalinowski’s coefficient. Most of the current inbreeding coefficient was the result of previously fixed alleles for each breed. Effective population size was also estimated, and the status of the breeds was found to be not critical according to FAO criteria. Abstract The Mezőhegyes Stud was founded in 1784 where three different horse breeds were developed: the Furioso-North Star, the Gidran, and the Nonius. These breeds were based on the same mare population, but each breed had different utilization purposes. Our aim was to analyze the pedigree information of these three indigenous breeds. The genealogical information was traced back from the actual breeding population back to the founder animals, and the final database contained more than 47,000 horses. The reference populations were defined as the registered breeding animals in 2019. The complete generation equivalent was 16.45 for the Gidran breed, 15.18 for Furioso-North Star, and 12.64 for Nonius, respectively. Due to the utilization of English Thoroughbred during the breeding history, the average maximum generations were close to 36 generations for each breed. The average relatedness was approximately 4%. The average Wright’s inbreeding coefficient was the highest for the Nonius breed (5.59%). Kalinowski’s decomposition of inbreeding showed that inbreeding is originated mainly from the past; the current fixation of alleles was higher for the Nonius horse breed. There was a reasonable bottleneck effect for each breed. The estimated effective population sizes suggest that there is no problem with the maintaining of Mezőhegyes horse breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renáta Klein
- Department of Animal Husbandry, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Animal Science, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - János Oláh
- Farm and Regional Research Institute of Debrecen, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Sándor Mihók
- Department of Animal Husbandry, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - János Posta
- Department of Animal Husbandry, Institute of Animal Science, Biotechnology and Nature Conservation, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
- Correspondence:
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Mitochondrial Whole D-Loop Variability in Polish Draft Horses of Sztumski Subtype. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12151870. [PMID: 35892520 PMCID: PMC9332387 DOI: 10.3390/ani12151870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Polish draft horse (PDH) breed is a result of crossing local mares with imported cold-blooded stallions, such as Belgians, Ardennes, Fjords, and others. A part of the broodmare stock investigated in this study was also imported from various countries, such as Denmark. In this study, we investigate the genetic composition of the PDH by analyzing the whole mitochondrial d-loop variability and comparing it to previously demonstrated whole d-loop sequences of other cold-blooded breeds: Ardennais, Belgian, Breton, Clydesdale, Noriker, Norwegian Fjord, Percheron, and Suffolk. Our results show high nucleotide diversity within the PDH population (π = 0.011), and the existence of two main haplogroups: one of relatively concise origin, with strong kinship to the Belgian breed, and the second showing close relation to the majority of other analyzed cold-blooded breeds. Some of the PDH maternal strains clustered separately, which can be a result of the influence of other unidentified breeds that served as a foundation stock for the present population. This present study explains the genetic relationship of the PDH to other cold-blooded breeds and indicates the high genetic diversity of the breed.
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Criscione A, Mastrangelo S, D'Alessandro E, Tumino S, Di Gerlando R, Zumbo A, Marletta D, Bordonaro S. Genome-wide survey on three local horse populations with a focus on runs of homozygosity pattern. J Anim Breed Genet 2022; 139:540-555. [PMID: 35445758 PMCID: PMC9541879 DOI: 10.1111/jbg.12680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Purosangue Orientale Siciliano, Sanfratellano and Siciliano represent the Sicilian equine genetic resource. This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity, population structure and the pattern of autozygosity of Sicilian horse populations using genome‐wide single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data generated with the Illumina Equine SNP70 array. The genotyping data of 17 European and Middle East populations were also included in the study. The patterns of genetic differentiation, model‐based clustering and Neighbour‐Net showed the expected positioning of Sicilian populations within the wide analysed framework and the close connections between the Purosangue Orientale Siciliano and the Arab as well as between Sanfratellano, Siciliano and Maremmano. The highest expected heterozygosity (He) and contemporary effective population size (cNe) were reported in Siciliano (He = 0.323, cNe = 397), and the lowest were reported in Purosangue Orientale Siciliano (He = 0.277, cNe = 10). The analysis of the runs of homozygosity and the relative derived inbreeding revealed high internal homogeneity in Purosangue Orientale Siciliano and Arab horses, intermediate values in Maremmano and Sanfratellano and high heterogeneity in the Siciliano population. The genome‐wide SNP analysis showed the selective pressure on Purosangue Orientale Siciliano towards traits related to endurance performance. Our results underline the importance of planning adequate conservation and exploitation programmes to reduce the level of inbreeding and, therefore, the loss of genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Criscione
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mastrangelo
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Serena Tumino
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosalia Di Gerlando
- Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zumbo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università di Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Donata Marletta
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Salvatore Bordonaro
- Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy
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Pira E, Vacca GM, Dettori ML, Piras G, Moro M, Paschino P, Pazzola M. Polymorphisms at Myostatin Gene ( MSTN) and the Associations with Sport Performances in Anglo-Arabian Racehorses. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:964. [PMID: 33808485 PMCID: PMC8065447 DOI: 10.3390/ani11040964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
One hundred and eighty Anglo-Arabian horses running 1239 races were sampled for the present study. DNA was extracted from the blood and myostatin gene, MSTN, was genotyped. Moreover, prizes won and places were achieved for the 1239 races to perform association analyses between the different genotypes and sport traits. Two SNPs already reported in previous studies regarding the Thoroughbred breed, rs69472472 and rs397152648, were revealed as polymorphic. The linkage disequilibrium analysis investigating the haplotype structure of MSTN did not evidence any association block. Polymorphism at SNP rs397152648, previously known as g.66493737 T>C, significantly influenced sport traits, with heterozygous horses TC showing better results than homozygotes TT. The portion of variance due to the random effect of the individual animal, and the other phenotypic effects of sex, percentage of Arabian blood and race distance, computed together with the genotype at MSTN in the statistical models, exerted a significant influence. Hence, this information is useful to improve knowledge of the genetic profile of Anglo-Arabian horses and a possible selection for better sport performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuela Pira
- Local Health Authority 7 Pedemontana, Via dei Lotti 40, 36061 Bassano del Grappa, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Massimo Vacca
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (G.M.V.); (M.L.D.); (P.P.)
| | - Maria Luisa Dettori
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (G.M.V.); (M.L.D.); (P.P.)
| | - Gianpiera Piras
- Local Health Authority of Oristano, Via Carducci 35, 09170 Oristano, Italy;
| | - Massimiliano Moro
- Local Health Authority of Nuoro, Via Amerigo Demurtas 1, 08110 Nuoro, Italy;
| | - Pietro Paschino
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (G.M.V.); (M.L.D.); (P.P.)
| | - Michele Pazzola
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy; (G.M.V.); (M.L.D.); (P.P.)
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A Genetic Window on Sardinian Native Horse Breeds through Uniparental Molecular Systems. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10091544. [PMID: 32882901 PMCID: PMC7552234 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The horse is a mammalian species showing a high variation among maternal lineages but a limited variability in the paternal inheritance. The female phylogenetic history is commonly investigated by analyzing the maternally transmitted mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), while the male perspective is provided by the paternally inherited portion of the Y chromosome (NRY). Here we explored the variation of both non-recombining genetic systems in three horse breeds present in Sardinia: Giara, Sarcidano, and Sardinian Anglo-Arab. The analysis of 34 stallions revealed three differentially distributed NRY types: (i) the first and most ancestral one is typical of Sarcidano; (ii) the second is well represented in Giara and seems to derive from Neapolitan/Oriental stallions; (iii) the third confirms the Thoroughbred influence in the Sardinian Anglo-Arab breed. By extending the analysis to 178 mtDNAs, we observed a common maternal origin for Giara and Sarcidano. Contrarily, the outlier behavior of the Sardinian Anglo-Arab is due to its higher mitochondrial variability, testifying for multiple maternal lineages in its current population. Our preliminary findings highlight the importance of a parallel molecular screening of NRYs and mtDNAs to reconstruct both paternal and maternal phylogenetic histories and to fully evaluate the extent of autochthonous genetic resources in the island. Abstract Sardinia, an island located to the west of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea, boasts three native horse breeds: Giara, Sarcidano, and Sardinian Anglo-Arab. Here, we have investigated for the first time three loci of the non-recombining region of the Y chromosome (NRY) in 34 stallions from these breeds and performed a phylogenetic analysis of the maternal relationships among 178 previously published mitochondrial control regions. We found that the current NRY diversity of Sardinian horse breeds is linked to three haplotypes (HT), all identified within Sarcidano. Each breed showed a typical HT: HT1 (ancestral) was the most represented in Sarcidano, HT2 (Neapolitan/Oriental wave) in Giara, and HT3 (Thoroughbred wave) in Sardinian Anglo-Arab. The specificity of each haplotype suggests the influence of independent breeding strategies and the effect of genetic drift in each Sardinian population. The female counterpart, extended to 178 horses, showed a low genetic variability and a common maternal origin for Giara and Sarcidano. The higher variability of the Sardinian Anglo-Arab indicates multiple mare lineages in its current population. Further genetic analyses will be crucial to understand the paternal history of male horses, preserve the endangered mares’ and stallions’ lineages, and improve the enhancement of autochthonous genetic resources on this island.
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Elo Method and Race Traits: A New Integrated System for Sport Horse Genetic Evaluation. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10071145. [PMID: 32640698 PMCID: PMC7401530 DOI: 10.3390/ani10071145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The current selection of the Sardinian Anglo-Arab horse (SAA) for racing is not based on any scientific method because the breeders decide only on their knowledge of pedigree and on the comparison of racing results. The comparison between competitors is a common situation in sports and games, and it might cause problems in horse performance evaluation. To overcome this problem in the game of chess, Elo suggested using a method based on winning chances. Elo’s system assumed that ranking probability for two competitors could be estimated from their rating difference. Even in horse races, the ranking of each horse, and consequently its earnings, depends on the level of its competitors. A genetic index based on Elo’s rating can clearly show the value of each animal. The strength of this method is that it allows evaluation of a horse by considering various different traits such as wins, placings, earnings over the entire career altogether. Abstract This first survey on Sardinian Anglo-Arab horse (SAA) race traits highlights important aspects for the breeding purpose of this population. The heritability of the race traits were estimated through a trivariate model; the estimates were 0.39, 0.33, and 0.30 for the number of placings, total earnings and Elo rating, respectively. The genetic progress could be improved by using an MT genetic evaluation of stallions and mares, combining information from competition traits.
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10
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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; 10:E1099. [PMID: 32630510 PMCID: PMC7341255 DOI: 10.3390/ani10061099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Italian Heavy Draught Horse (IHDH) breed is selected based on linear type traits (LTT) evaluated at young age on six-month-old foals. However, animals retained for reproduction are scored also at adults age (about 30 months), and the evaluation is mandatory for the final official admission to the stud book of candidate mares and stallions. This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters of LTT scored at 30 months to consider if they are feasible for selection instead of using foal data and to reduce costs of selection plan. Data included 19 years of evaluation for 14 LTT and an overall score. Analyses were performed on 5835 females and 856 males via animal model. The heritability ranged from 0.03 (upper line length) to 0.40 (frame size). Traits of selection interest (head size and expression; temperament/movement; fleshiness; fore diameter; rear diameter) reported heritability between 0.21 and 0.31. High genetic correlations were obtained among traits related to muscular development, 0.73 on average. Positive genetic trends were found in traits of selection interest, already selected from foal type trait data. Accounting for genetic parameters estimated in adult animals instead in foals is feasible in IHDH selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Folla
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment—DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy; (F.F.); (E.M.); (R.M.)
| | - Cristina Sartori
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment—DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy; (F.F.); (E.M.); (R.M.)
| | - Enrico Mancin
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment—DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy; (F.F.); (E.M.); (R.M.)
| | - Giuseppe Pigozzi
- Italian Heavy Draught Horse Breeders Association (ANACAITPR), 37068 Vigasio (VR), Italy;
| | - Roberto Mantovani
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment—DAFNAE, University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020 Legnaro (PD), Italy; (F.F.); (E.M.); (R.M.)
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11
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Giontella A, Sarti FM, Biggio GP, Giovannini S, Cherchi R, Pieramati C, Silvestrelli M. Genetic Parameters and Inbreeding Effect of Morphological Traits in Sardinian Anglo Arab Horse. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E791. [PMID: 32370302 PMCID: PMC7277675 DOI: 10.3390/ani10050791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to estimate the heritability and genetic correlations of four biometric measurements and an overall score (OS) in the Sardinian Anglo-Arab horse (SAA); moreover, the effect of inbreeding on these traits was investigated. A dataset with 43,624 horses (27,052 females and 16,572 males) was provided by the Agricultural Research Agency of Sardinia (AGRIS). Cannon bone circumference (BC), chest girth (CG), shoulder length (SL), and withers height (WH) were measured on 6033 SAA horses born in Sardinia between 1967 and 2005; beside the measurements, an overall score (OS) was taken comparing the morphology of each horse to an "ideal type" that is scored out of 100. The mean value is 20.5 cm for BC, 185.9 cm for CG, 67.6 cm for SL, 160.8 cm for WH, and 73.2 for the OS. The heritability estimates ranged from 0.78 to 0.23. The results allow to foresee high genetic progress through the breeding programs. The most affected trait by the inbreeding rate seems to only be the withers height.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Giontella
- Department of Veterinary Medicine—Sportive Horse Research Center, University of Perugia, via S.Costanzo 4, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (C.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Francesca Maria Sarti
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy; (F.M.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Giovanni Paolo Biggio
- AGRIS, Servizio Ricerca Qualità e Valorizzazione delle Produzioni Equine, piazza D. Borgia, 4, Ozieri, 07014 Sassari, Italy; (G.P.B.); (R.C.)
| | - Samira Giovannini
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy; (F.M.S.); (S.G.)
| | - Raffaele Cherchi
- AGRIS, Servizio Ricerca Qualità e Valorizzazione delle Produzioni Equine, piazza D. Borgia, 4, Ozieri, 07014 Sassari, Italy; (G.P.B.); (R.C.)
| | - Camillo Pieramati
- Department of Veterinary Medicine—Sportive Horse Research Center, University of Perugia, via S.Costanzo 4, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (C.P.); (M.S.)
| | - Maurizio Silvestrelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine—Sportive Horse Research Center, University of Perugia, via S.Costanzo 4, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (C.P.); (M.S.)
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