<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The evaluation of horse conformation is a changeable characteristic and knowledge of its character is essential in horse breeding. The effect of the age was investigated based on the analysis of a subjective evaluation of eight conformation and movement traits according to the 70 points scale of registered 857 Polish Trakehner. The analysis of variance included fixed effects of sex (mares and stallions), age (up to 1 year, yearlings, 2-year-old, 3-year-old and older) and the kind of breeder (private/national) and the random effect of the sire. The effect of the sire was statistically significant for all traits. The effect of the sex was significant only for the movement traits – the walk and canter in stallions reached higher notes. The effect of the kind of breeder was also statistically significant but only for the movement traits. The considered effect of the age was the most surprising result as it was statistically significant for all traits, but the only differences between age classes were found between very young horses (up to 1 year) and all other groups. The phenotypic correlations between traits suggest that traits such as overall impression, type, trunk and limbs (feet and legs) are overvalued in the youngest group of horses.</p></abstract>

The evaluation of horse conformation is a changeable characteristic and knowledge of its character is essential in horse breeding. The effect of the age was investigated based on the analysis of a subjective evaluation of eight conformation and movement traits according to the 70 points scale of registered 857 Polish Trakehner. The analysis of variance included fixed effects of sex (mares and stallions), age (up to 1 year, yearlings, 2-year-old, 3-year-old and older) and the kind of breeder (private/national) and the random effect of the sire. The effect of the sire was statistically significant for all traits. The effect of the sex was significant only for the movement traits – the walk and canter in stallions reached higher notes. The effect of the kind of breeder was also statistically significant but only for the movement traits. The considered effect of the age was the most surprising result as it was statistically significant for all traits, but the only differences between age classes were found between very young horses (up to 1 year) and all other groups. The phenotypic correlations between traits suggest that traits such as overall impression, type, trunk and limbs (feet and legs) are overvalued in the youngest group of horses.

Effect of the Age on the Evaluation of Horse Conformation and Movement

Department of Horse Breeding and Riding, University of Warmia and Mazury, Prawocheńskiego 2, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland

Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland

Annals of Animal Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Effect of the Age on the Evaluation of Horse Conformation and Movement"}

The evaluation of horse conformation is a changeable characteristic and knowledge of its character is essential in horse breeding. The effect of the age was...

Effect of the Age on the Evaluation of Horse Conformation and Movement

Published Online: Aug 02, 2016

Page range: 863 - 870

Received: Sep 25, 2015

Accepted: Jan 08, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2015-0092

Keywords
conformation and movement traits, horse, age effect

© 2016 Janusz Wejer et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Effect of the Age on the Evaluation of Horse Conformation and Movement

Published Online: Aug 02, 2016

Page range: 863 - 870

Received: Sep 25, 2015

Accepted: Jan 08, 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/aoas-2015-0092

Keywordsconformation and movement traits, horse, age effect

© 2016 Janusz Wejer et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
conformation and movement traits, horse, age effect