Abstract
Abstract. Crossbreeding between individuals of different breeds and introgression, the transfer of genes between breeds and/or populations mediated primarily by backcrossing, have been characteristic tools used in the refinement or optimisation of practical horse breeding. In this study we analysed the genetic contribution of the Arabian horse to the gene pool of the Lipizzan horse and its association with the overall type via shape regression analysis in 158 Lipizzan horses from the Austrian federal stud farm of Piber and the Spanish Riding School. Although crossbreeding with Arabian horses took place between 1776 and 1945, we found a significant association between Lipizzan body shape (p < 0.003) and individual coefficients of Arabian gene proportion, which varied from 21 to 29 %. In order to compare and interpret the estimated Lipizzan shape transitions from Iberian type towards the oriental type, we included a sample of 32 Shagya Arabians from the Slovak National stud farm Topol'ćianky. The estimated shape transitions in Lipizzans due to an increasing proportion of Arabian genes are similar to those we observed in the population comparison study of Lipizzan and Shagya Arabian horses. The main morphometric differences due to increasing Arabian genetic contributions in Lipizzans were found in the conformation of head, neck, withers, and legs. Although selection in the Austrian Lipizzan breed favours the Iberian type, Arabian shape characteristics are still present, indicating the segregation of Arabian founder haplotypes in the population. We also demonstrated that techniques of shape analysis are able to differentiate phenotypes associated with the gene pool and can be applied for phenotypic evaluation and prediction in crossbreeding programs.
Highlights
Within the refinement processes of horse breeding, throughout the 19th century oriental horses were commonly used for crossbreeding and introgression of positive performance and character traits
Crossbreeding with Arabian horses took place between 1776 and 1945, we found a significant association between Lipizzan body shape (p < 0.003) and individual coefficients of Arabian gene proportion, which varied from 21 to 29 %
We demonstrated that techniques of shape analysis are able to differentiate phenotypes associated with the gene pool and can be applied for phenotypic evaluation and prediction in crossbreeding programs
Summary
Within the refinement processes of horse breeding, throughout the 19th century oriental horses were commonly used for crossbreeding and introgression of positive performance and character traits. Whereas the English Thoroughbred represents the current meliorator breed for warmblood sport horses, Arabian horses played this important role a century before. The Lipizzan horse is known as a classical baroque riding horse, a classification that is supported by the fact that 60 % of founder genes come from baroque Spanish and Italian ancestors born in the 18th century. Arabian breeding animals were used in the Lipizzan breed between 1776 and 1945, and their founder gene proportion comprised about 23 % in the populations of eight European Lipizzan state stud farms (Zechner et al, 2002). In the 19th century the breeding of Arabian horses was supported by the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the state stud farms Radauti, Bábolna, and Mezohegyes.
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