Mapping performance, genetic variation and health in the Coldblooded trotter

Last changed: 28 December 2017

This is a collaborative study between The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitetet (NMBU) in Norway. The aim of the project is to improve the performance, health and welfare of the Norwegian and Swedish Coldblooded trotter.

Experts in Equine clinical veterinary medicine, performance evaluation and genetic testing will analyze the genome of this horse breed.

The genetic evaluation has the potential to improve the health and sustainability of the Coldblooded trotter and aids in setting objective goals regarding the breeding of these horses in Norway and Sweden.

Project goals:

To identify novel genes associated with athletic performance and conformation in Coldblooded trotters.
To determine the genetic diversity and level of inbreeding in Coldblooded trotters.
To perform a pilot study on mapping genes for upper respiratory tract (URT) obstructive disorder “dynamic laryngeal collapse”. The results from this part of the proposal will serve as the foundation for a larger genome scan for dynamic laryngeal collapse in the future.

Project blog - News

20 October 2017

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala
PhD defense by Kim Jäderkvist Fegraeus
“Exploring the Horse Genome to Elucidate the Genetics of Gaits and Athletic Performance”

20 – 21 September 2017

Delårsprojektmöte på Stockholm, Sverige.

6 September 2017

Två seminarier i Friiberghs (möte arrangerat av Svensk Travsport):

" En kartläggning av den svenska och norska kallblodspopulationen: Hur presterar egentligen hästarna och skiljer sig resultaten mellan Sverige och Norge " med Kim Jäderkvist
“Inbreeding in the Coldblooded trotter” med Brandon D Velie

28 Augusti - 1 September 2017

The 68^th Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP)
Tallin, Estland

16 - 21 Juli 2017

36th International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG) Conference
Dublin, Irland

13 – 14 Juni 2017

Delårsprojektmöte på Norges miljø- og biovitenskapelige universitet i Oslo, Norge.

30 Maj - 2 Juni 2017

Equine Science and Society 2017
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

9 - 13 Maj 2017

The Biology of Genomes
Cold Spring Harbour, NY, USA

30 Mars 2017

Svensk Travsport, Avelsrådet
Nya forskningsrön om DMRT3 och prestation hos kallblodstravare. Kim Fegraeus och Brandon Velie

31 Mars 2017

Alumndag för hippologer
Nya forskningsrön om DMRT3 och prestation hos kallblodstravare. Kim Fegraeus.

9 – 10 Februari 2017

Delårsprojektmöte på VHC, SLU, Uppsala, Sverige.

September 15-16, 2016

Semi-annual project meeting: Norwegian University of Life Sciences - Oslo, Norway

August 18, 2016

Two seminars in Märsta (meeting arranged by Svensk Travsport): “Mapping performance, genetic variation, and health in the Coldblooded trotter” by Brandon D Velie
"Nya Forskningsresultat" by Kim Jäderkvist

August 17, 2016

Seminar at Svensk Travsport: “Mapping performance, genetic variation, and health in the Coldblooded trotter: A Project Overview” by Brandon D Velie

July 2, 2016

Two seminars at the World University Equestrian Championship, Flyinge, Sweden:

“Association of the DMRT3 nonsense mutation with performance in Coldblooded trotters” by Chameli Lawrence
“The role of Myostatin in Coldblooded Trotter harness racing performance” by Katrine Petäjistö

May 27, 2016

Seminar for horse ID controllers and inspectors, Upplands Väsby: "Nya Forskningsresultat" by Kim Jäderkvist

May 23, 2016

Open lecture at Wången: "Genetiken bakom hästars gångarter och prestation" by Kim Jäderkvist

May 18, 2016

Sample collection continues in Järvsö and Gävle; however, not all horses had samples taken. Some were just given cuddles.

February 17, 2016

Sample collection kicks off with over 100 samples collected. Photos from sampling visits in Knivsta and Hudiksvall:

February 11-12, 2016

A kick-off meeting for the project will take place at SLU in Uppsala on February 11-12, 2016.

Popular Science

Scientific

Jäderkvist Fegraeus K, Lawrence C, Petäjistö K, Johansson MK, Wiklund M, Olsson C, Andersson L, Andersson LS, Røed KH, Ihler CF, Strand E, Lindgren G, Velie BD (2017), Lack of significant associations with early career performance suggest no link between the DMRT3 "Gait Keeper" mutation and precocity in Coldblooded trotters. PlosOne DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0177351
Velie BD, Bas Con L, Petäjistö K, Røed KH, Ihler CF, Strand E, Fegraeus KJ, Lindgren G. (Feb 2018), The importance of MSTN for harness racing performance in the Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded Trotter and the Finnhorse. Proc. World Congress On Genetics Applied To Livestock Production
Velie BD, Jäderkvist Fegraeus K, Ihler CF, Lindgren G, Strand E. (Expected early 2018), Competition lifespan survival analysis in the Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded Trotter racehorse

Participants in the project

Gabriella Lindgren, Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Domestic Animal Genomics, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Division of Molecular Genetics, SLU

Eric Strand, Full Professor of Equine Surgery, NMBU

Brandon D Velie, Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Division of Molecular Genetics, SLU

Lisa S Andersson, Dr. and VD at Capilet Genetics AB

Kim Jäderkvist Fegraeus, PhD Student at the Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Division of Molecular Genetics, SLU

Carl Fredrik Ihler, Associate Professor of Equine Internal Medicine, NMBU

Cathrine Fjordbakk, Associate Professor of Equine Surgery, NMBU

Christina Olsson, Head of the Swedish trotting association, section for breeding

Facts:

Time period of the project: January 2016 - December 2018
Financial support: The project is funded by the Swedish-Norwegian Foundation for Equine Research (SHF)

Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics

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