Mapping performance, genetic variation and health in the 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.

Collaborations

In addition to participants from SLU, the research group also includes the following:

• Eric Strand, Professor of Equine Surgery, NMBU

• Brandon D Velie, Former postdoctoral researcher, SLU

• Lisa S Andersson, Dr. och VD vid Capilet Genetics AB

• Kim Jäderkvist Fegraeus, former doctoral student, SLU

• Carl Fredrik Ihler, Associate professor of internal medicine in horses, NMBU

• Cathrine Fjordbakk, Associate Professor of Equine Surgery, NMBU

• Christina Olsson, Head of the Swedish Trotting Association's breeding department

Publications

Popular science:

• Artikel om nya forskningsresultat, 11 juni, 2017
• Artikel om nya forskningsresultat, Maj, 2017
• Trav og galopp-nytt, 23 mai, 2017
• SLUs Kunskapsbank, Framtiden Djurhälsa
• Notis om projektet
• VeterinärMagazinet
• Artikel om projektet i den norska trav- och galopptidningen tgn.no

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