Researchers from the University of Exeter have found that parental age at conception had a detrimental effect on a racehorse's speed. On average, the speed of a Thoroughbred racehorse declines as the age of its parents when it was conceived increases.
Dr. Patrick Sharman and other scientists at the Centre for Ecology and Conservation in the University of Exeter analyzed nearly 25 years of British racing results: 906,027 races from 101,257 Thoroughbreds that were the offspring of 2,887 stallions and 41,107 mares.
The scientists found a “significant effect” of maternal age on speed, with each additional year at conception decreasing offspring speed by 0.017 yards per second. This could mean a one second difference between horses born to a 5-year-old mare and a 15-year-old mare in a race covering a mile.
Paternal age was found to decrease at 0.011 yards per second for every increasing year of age of the stallion.
The scientists hope their findings will prompt further research into how parental age influences are transmitted to offspring.
Read more at Equine Science Update.
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