Correctly matching a horse to a rider is almost an art. Though horses are often bred for specific jobs – like trail riding, racing, or jumping — each horse is an individual and as such may express certain behaviors (temperament) that don't align with what a rider wants in a mount. Often this discrepancy isn't found until the horse is further along in his training.
A rider might have thought she bought a horse to jump, but it really wants to be a dressage horse. Pushing a horse to do a job it doesn't enjoy often leads to unhappiness for the rider and a welfare issue for the horse.
The University of New England in Australia has created a project to try to determine whether there are genetic roots to some equine behaviors. By specifically engaging American Quarter Horse owners, the University hopes that determining these genetic markers might make matching horses with the discipline they enjoy the most more of a science.
Dr. Paul McGreevy, a professor of animal behavior, is collaborating with animal behavior expert Temple Grandin of Colorado State University on the study. The duo hope to identify the genes that make a horse likely to act a certain way under specific conditions. This would establish a scientific foundation that would allow for horses to be bred that have a more reliable temperament for the work they will be asked to do.
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), the breed registry for Quarter Horses, is the world's largest equine breed registry and membership organization. It boasts 280,000 members engaged in multiple disciplines. The study team will ask specific horse-behavior questions of Quarter Horse owners involved in six disciplines: cutting, halter, racing, reining, western pleasure, and working cow. Owners will also be asked to submit a tail hair sample.
These will be used in conjunction in an effort to identify highly heritable, relevant differences in Quarter Horse behavior. The data may be able to be used in the future to predict behavioral traits on a genetic level.
Grandin noted that being able to predict behavior could radially enhance breeding programs and advance equine welfare while reducing behavioral issues. Once complete, Quarter Horse owners and breeders will have a basic foundation for a powerful genetic selection system similar to those used in other domestic livestock production spheres.
Read more at HorseTalk. https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2023/02/19/genetic-clues-horse-temperament-citizen-science-project/
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