British Breeder Magazine May 2021

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Feature Article - DNA carriers, which brings a 25% chance of breeding an affected foal. These tests look for a specific single gene that is responsible for the problem. Recently, Warmblood Fragile Foal Syndrome (WFFS) has received much attention in the press. It is caused by a mutation in the gene responsible for collagen biosynthesis. WFFS causes lesions and malformations of the skin in neonatal foals, who are unable to survive. To find this mutation, testing needs to drill down to SNP level. It will not show up in the STR parentage tests currently performed as part of equine passporting. While diagnostic tests are reliable in testing for an individual disease, by telling us if a horse or pony is or is not a carrier of a particular mutation, it is quite cumbersome, and expensive, to have to run individual additional tests for each possibly relevant genetic mutation that could affect our breeding programmes. SNP profiles – depending on their design – can, on the other hand, show tens of thousands of pieces of information at once, thus providing parentage verification and all this additional information in one test. The potential of SNP profiles goes further. Not only can they be used for showing up known conditions, but they could also help us identify further correlations between genetics and known problems that can affect a breed in future by allowing us to identify patterns between the occurrence of the problem and commonalities and differences in SNP profiles of affected and not affected animals. Experienced breeders already know, for example, that laminitis and EMS seem to be running in particular families, with some ponies affected, when others develop no issues, with the same management. Studies are already underway to help us identify which genes may be responsible for a predisposition for this problem, but much more work, and much more SNP data, is needed. The potential for welfare improvement is obvious: if we know that a pony is genetically more likely to contract laminitis, we can prevent the problem occurring through management. One word of caution: While the potential of this is very exciting, we need to be very careful about how we use the information it provides. For a start, in diseases like laminitis, the genetic component is always going to be only one of a range of factors. There is a danger that owners and keepers would think themselves “safe” from laminitis if their pony tested free from the genetic component, and as a result take their eye off the ball. Secondly, we may experience unintended consequences, such as a narrowing of the gene pool, if certain, otherwise valuable lines, are less likely to be used due to an association with laminitis. Quite often, problems occur because we unwittingly selected for them over the centuries, because they were also associated with desirable attributes. What this tells us that while DNA testing and genomic selections can be powerful tools in battling disease and improving welfare, we need to use them responsibly and ensure breeders and owners are well informed about their potential, but also about their limitations. Selection for Desirable Attributes While the benefit of screening against potential diseases and conditions is obvious, we can also think about Genetic Analysis in terms of specifically selecting for positive attributes. This can be achieved by comparing our physical observations of equines (their “phenotypes”) with their SNP profiles, and again by looking for patterns and correlations. In horseracing this has famously already been achieved in the identification of the “speed gene” Myostatin. Admittedly, racing is a sport in which success can easily attributed to quite a narrow range of factors (speed, distance), whereas other equestrian sports have a more complex range of requirements. 44 | BRITISH BREEDER
Feature Article - DNA Nevertheless, the potential for breeders looking for specific attributes from a mating is considerable by adding more predictability. In this country especially, we are still in the very early stages of unlocking the potential of genomic selection in breeding. To start with, breeding programmes driven by genomics need a large amount of data, not only in the form of detailed SNP profiles, but also in the form of reliable data on physical attributes that these profiles can be related to. In horseracing, this is relatively simple. Racehorses perform already at a very young age, the measurements of performance are very easy to standardise and therefore compare (speed over set distances), and it is a very large sport with thousands of animals, providing a large volume of data relatively quickly. In showing, driving, leisure or in the Olympic Disciplines, the story is a bit more complicated. The number of successful equines in some of these areas is far smaller than in racing. For reliable studies of genetic correlations, however, we need as much data as possible. Secondly, in some disciplines it can take a long time for equines to reach the top of their sport, slowing down potential studies quite significantly. Thirdly, performance data is perhaps not as reliable as it seems. Environmental factors no doubt play a hugely important role, and increasingly, so the older the horse or pony is. Sometimes performance is down to sheer luck, in terms of a horse or pony finding the right owner or rider at the right time. Performance data might not always be objective. While in horseracing and showjumping, the goal is very easily defined, in others, such as showing, or dressage, the human eye and subjective likes and dislikes may be more important and more difficult to quantify objectively. But, above all, our equestrian sports and activities are complex, and rely on the interplay of a wide range of attributes. Just as it is important to “drill down” in terms of SNP profiling, perhaps we equally need to look more specifically at individual, specific traits that as experienced breeders we know to be associated with the performance attributes we want. In the right hands, and with the right systems and infrastructure to support, however, the potential of SNP profiling is very exciting, and far exceeds the current, rather limited, approaches focusing merely on parentage verification. Homozygous for black and tobiano gene. Guaranteed to produce a coloured foal from any mare. Started his ridden career and showing a really trainable temperament. First year at stud in <strong>2021</strong>, only available to a limited number of mare. BD scores up to 76% and won Championship classes. Now working at PSG and showing talent for piaffe and passage. Proving to breed big, powerful foals with exceptional temperaments. DBM Zuperhero Zumanji Décor Caprice Zospecial Florenza le Duc Casablanca Special D Rozemarijn Davignon I Wera Anduc Liga Epik Coloured Beauty Zumanji Decor Zospecial Florenza Special D Rosemarijn Davignon Wera Metyall Zandigo Gribaldi Rossini Donerhall Pik Bube World Cup I Pik Bube BRITISH BREEDER| 45
Page 1 and 2: BRITISH BREEDER May 2021 The Brexit
Page 3 and 4: May Issue - Index Welcome from the
Page 5 and 6: News British Equestrian EHV-1 updat
Page 7 and 8: Maximise FOR STALLIONS Address Moti
Page 9 and 10: News - Obituries Prince Philip, Duk
Page 11 and 12: News - Obituries Sir Shutterfly Lea
Page 13 and 14: News - Brexit Receiving Semen from
Page 15 and 16: START PREGNANCY BIRTH START STRONG
Page 17 and 18: British Breeding - Futurity & Equin
Page 19 and 20: Studbook - News Thoroughbred and Ar
Page 21 and 22: FUTURE IN MIND From the foals of Mo
Page 23 and 24: Studbook - News Sport Horse Breedin
Page 25 and 26: Studbook - News Buzz Lightyear (in
Page 27 and 28: Avant Techno (UK) Ltd sales@avant.c
Page 29 and 30: Studbook - News Organisation (WAHO)
Page 31 and 32: Features - Nasta Inside NaStA by Vi
Page 33 and 34: Studbook - News BRITISH BREEDER| 33
Page 35 and 36: The best approach to managing a foa
Page 37 and 38: Breeder Spotlight - Breen Equestria
Page 39 and 40: Breeder Spotlight - Breen Equestria
Page 41 and 42: Classic Opera & Churchill III Churc
Page 43: Feature Article - DNA DNA-Testing i
Page 47 and 48: Feature Article - PSSM2 available f
Page 49 and 50: Industry leaders in Equine Reproduc
Page 51 and 52: Nutrition Feature - Spillers Feeds
Page 53 and 54: Feature Article - Westgate Labs Why
Page 55 and 56: Cavalor Colostra From - cavalordire
Page 57 and 58: Corpus Luteum Following collapse of
Page 59 and 60: MOLENKONING IS THE WORLDS LEADING M

British Breeder Magazine May 2021

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?