Characterization of reporoductive parameters in different horse breeds

ISABEL CERVANTES; MARIA DOLORES GOMEZ; SEBASTIÁN DEMYDA PEYRÁS; MARIA JOSE SANCHEZ GUERRERO; MERCEDES VALERA; ESTER BARTOLOMÉ MEDINA; JULIA POYATO BONILLA

Dubrovnik

Congreso; 69th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science; 2018

European Federation of Animal Science

Reproductive traits are crucial for the survival of species in natural populations. In domestic species, they have major influence on economical effectiveness of breeding. Reproductive efficiency in horses is usually described as low due to several limits in reproductive techniques and fertility problems lead to profitability difficulties as breeding animals are expensive. Thus, the objective of this study was the characterisation of the main reproductive parameters in 8 Spanish horse breeds, 5 of them used for sport performance: Pura Raza Española (PRE), Pura Raza Árabe (PRÁ), Spanish Sport Horse (SSH), Anglo-Arab Horse (AAH) and Spanish Trotter Horse (STH) and 3 endangered populations: Purebred Menorca Horses (PRMe), Jaca Navarra (JN) and Burguete (BUR). Pedigree data used ranged from 2,315 (JN) to 307,831 (PRE) horses. A total of 10 reproductive parameters were estimated for each breed. Age at first foaling, which varied from 1,937.63 (PRE) to 3,446.99 (STH) days in dams and 1,789.93 (BUR) to 3,744.76 (STH) days in stallions. Age at last foaling, ranging from 3,770.40 (PRE) to 4,179.00 (PRMe) days in dams and 3,395.32 (BUR) to 4,926.55 (STH) days in stallions. Average interval between foaling was estimated exclusively in dams and ranged from 431.83 (PRE) to 1,086.22 (AAH) days. Interval between first and second foaling, calculated only in dams, showed results from 598.85 (PRE) to 1,097.76 (AAH) days. Average reproductive life ranged from 1,255.78 (BUR) to 2,657.72 (PRÁ) days in dams and from 1,564.34 (BUR) to 2,225.55 (STH) days in stallions. Generational intervals ranged from 8.01 (via stallion-son, BUR) to 13.26 years (via stallion-daughter, STH). Sexual rate of the descendants was approximately 50%, except in the case of JN and BUR, where the percentage of daughters was higher. Differences observed between breeds could be explained more by zootechnical than by physiological reasons.