Is Sustainability a Heritable Trait in Thoroughbreds?

While environmental factors, such as nutrition and training, shape sustainability, genetics influence it, as well.
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Breeding for speed? New research shows that, for better welfare—and for better economics—you might also want to breed for sustainability in your Thoroughbreds.

Australian and Swedish researchers have determined that sustainability (how long the horse can keep racing without illness or injury) is just as heritable a trait as performance. And while environmental factors, such as nutrition and training, also shape sustainability and performance, the genetic influences are there, said Brandon D. Velie, BSc, MSc, PhD, a researcher in the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, in Uppsala, who was previously with the University of Sydney, in Australia.

“I don’t know of anyone in the industry who doesn’t think winning performance is heritable, and sustainability is no more complex than winning performance,” Velie said. “The industry has had great success with breeding for performance and, if united in their effort, would likely be just as successful in improving the sustainability of the breed.”

Velie and colleagues at the University of Sydney examined the racing records and bloodlines of 168,993 horses racing in Australia and Hong Kong. They looked at the heritability of several elements related to sustainability, such as the length of the horse’s racing career (longevity), the number of events the horse raced in (persistence), and how many spells (breaks of longer than 90 days between performance events) the horse had

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Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

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