Many racing Quarter Horse owners focus solely on the amount of money won when deciding which stallion to cross with their mares. Researchers suggest that broadening their selection and breeding criteria to include race times could improve breeding results around the world.
Dr. Ricardo Faria noted that in Brazil specifically, the horses with the most money earned do not necessarily denote the fastest horses. This means that the fastest racehorses could be left out of the breeding pool.
Faria and a team of researchers sought to evaluate several traits through the results of heritability, genetic correlations and trends. They used information gathered from 1978 to 2015: a total of 23,482 sprint race records from 5,861 Brazilian Quarter Horses. The scientists assessed earnings, best time, and time class at distances of 988 meters to 1,319 feet.
The results showed that the best values resulted from evaluating earnings in conjunction with other important traits. They suggest that sire and dam selection should be done in two stages: first, horses with the best times and second, horses with the most money won.
The authors report that the data found between 2006 and 2015 indicate both genetic loss and genetic stagnation in racing Quarter Horses in Brazil. Sprint race records have stagnated since 2009 around the world, the scientists said.
The team doesn't suggest discounting earnings entirely – including it in selection programs with other factors may result in positive genetic trends for both Brazil and the world, they conclude.
Read more at HorseTalk.
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