<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> Coat colour has always been a valuable trait for horse breeders. However, preferences for this feature have changed over the years. In this research, the Pura Raza Español horse (PRE) population was divided into four subpopulations (Grey, Bay, Black and Others), according to the most frequent coat colours and those of their ancestors. The purpose was to analyse genetic variability, reproductive parameters and distances among subpopulations during three key periods in the history of the breed: before 1960, from 1960 to 2000 and after 2000. The subpopulations composed of animals with ancestors with the same coat colour showed higher values of recent inbreeding (ranging from 7.13% to 10.44%) and a greater Nei’s minimum distance between them, as a result of more inbred matings than those carried out in families with members with different coat colours. Non-pure subpopulations also showed more similar recent inbreeding values (between 6.63% and 6.74%). Strikingly, the productive life of Pure bay, Pure black and other subpopulations with minority coat colours was considerably longer (10.79, 10.08 and 9.11 years, respectively) compared to the values of grey PRE horses (6.01 and 7.98 years), which is the subpopulation with the highest census. These results, together with shorter generation intervals of black stallion-offspring (5.51 years via father-son and 6.39 years via father-daughter) and the fact that this coat colour was not present in the breed until two decades ago, highlight the recent trend towards the breeding of black animals.</p></abstract>

Coat colour has always been a valuable trait for horse breeders. However, preferences for this feature have changed over the years. In this research, the Pura Raza Español horse (PRE) population was divided into four subpopulations (Grey, Bay, Black and Others), according to the most frequent coat colours and those of their ancestors. The purpose was to analyse genetic variability, reproductive parameters and distances among subpopulations during three key periods in the history of the breed: before 1960, from 1960 to 2000 and after 2000. The subpopulations composed of animals with ancestors with the same coat colour showed higher values of recent inbreeding (ranging from 7.13% to 10.44%) and a greater Nei’s minimum distance between them, as a result of more inbred matings than those carried out in families with members with different coat colours. Non-pure subpopulations also showed more similar recent inbreeding values (between 6.63% and 6.74%). Strikingly, the productive life of Pure bay, Pure black and other subpopulations with minority coat colours was considerably longer (10.79, 10.08 and 9.11 years, respectively) compared to the values of grey PRE horses (6.01 and 7.98 years), which is the subpopulation with the highest census. These results, together with shorter generation intervals of black stallion-offspring (5.51 years via father-son and 6.39 years via father-daughter) and the fact that this coat colour was not present in the breed until two decades ago, highlight the recent trend towards the breeding of black animals.

Population study of the Pura Raza Español Horse regarding its coat colour

Annals of Animal Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"article-title":"Population study of the Pura Raza Español Horse regarding its coat colour"}

Coat colour has always been a valuable trait for horse breeders. However, preferences for this feature have changed over the years. In this research, the Pura...

Population study of the Pura Raza Español Horse regarding its coat colour

Article Category: The biology, physiology, reproduction, and health

Published Online: Aug 01, 2018

Page range: 723 - 739

Received: Sep 06, 2018

Accepted: Mar 19, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2018-0016

Keywords
equine, genetic diversity, inbreeding, reproductive parameters

© 2018 María José Sánchez-Guerrero, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Population study of the Pura Raza Español Horse regarding its coat colour

Article Category: The biology, physiology, reproduction, and health

Published Online: Aug 01, 2018

Page range: 723 - 739

Received: Sep 06, 2018

Accepted: Mar 19, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2018-0016

Keywordsequine, genetic diversity, inbreeding, reproductive parameters

© 2018 María José Sánchez-Guerrero, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
equine, genetic diversity, inbreeding, reproductive parameters