Analysis of growth dynamics of the Czech warm-blood based on results of grading of colts in rearing facilities for testing young horses

Abstract

The objective of the study was to analyse the dynamics of growth of the Czech warm-blood young horses and to evaluate the effect of rearing facilities for testing young horses (RFT) on the increase in body measurements of the young horses. Groundwork data were obtained from the database of the Czech Warm-Blood Horse Breeders Association which contains data on the regular grading of the young horses in the RFT facilities. Data from the year 2001 to 2011 from 7 RFT facilities for young horses of the Czech warm-blood were entered in the basic database. Statistical processing of the database using the GLM method revealed that the RFT had a statistically significant effect on the tape-measure, heart-girth and bone. By multiple comparisons of the individual effects using the Tukey-B method we discovered statistically significant differences in body measurements of the young horses among the respective rearing facilities for testing young horses. The growth dynamics of young horses in the individual RFT considerably differed. The growth of young horses from the RFT Železnice was the most balanced showing no marked fluctuations. In the other rearing facilities the growth of the young horses fluctuated considerably in the course of the testing period; particularly in the Albertovec, Tlumačov and Luka-Týn rearing facilities for testing young horses the growth of the young horses was retarded in the second half of the testing period.