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Genetic parameters for earnings in Quarter Horse
A P A Silva1, R A Curi2, B Langlois3
1Departamento de Zootecnia, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil.
Genetics and Molecular Research : GMR
|August 14, 2014
Summary
Earnings in Quarter Horses are heritable, with estimates around 0.21. This suggests that earnings can be a valuable trait for selection in breeding programs to enhance racing performance.
Area of Science:
- Animal Genetics
- Quantitative Genetics
- Equine Science
Background:
- Heritability estimation is crucial for identifying traits suitable for selective breeding in animal populations.
- Earnings in Quarter Horses are influenced by various factors, making their genetic basis important to understand for breeding program development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the heritability of earnings in Quarter Horses.
- To determine if earnings can be effectively incorporated into breeding programs to improve racing performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a multi-trait model and Gibbs sampling with a dataset of 14,754 races from 2,443 Quarter Horses (1978-2009).
- Analyzed log-transformed performance measures (LPM) for horses aged 2, 3, and 4 years, and their entire careers.
- Compared models including sex, year of race, animal effects, and maternal effects, with LPM_cNPS including maternal effects identified as the best model.
Main Results:
- Heritability estimates (h²) for earnings ranged from 0.19 ± 0.08 (at 2 years) to 0.22 ± 0.09 (at 4 years), with an overall career estimate of 0.21 ± 0.07.
- The model incorporating maternal effects and accounting for number of prizes and starts (LPM_cNPS) provided the best fit.
Conclusions:
- Earnings in Quarter Horses exhibit moderate heritability, indicating a significant genetic component.
- The trait of earnings is subject to selection and can be beneficially included in Quarter Horse breeding programs to enhance overall racing performance.
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