Health
Polygenic Score in Horses: Lessons from Racehorse Fractures
Can a polygenic score alter a horse's genetic makeup? Short answer: no. A polygenic score doesn't change a horse's DNA. It adds up the tiny effects of hundreds to thousands of genetic variants into a single number that estimates predisposition – a risk, not a diagnosis. Nowadays, scientists know that some of the complex conditions in horses are due to the combined effect of a number of variants rather than the result of a single faulty gene mutation, and one of the most interesting examples currently available is that of Thoroughbred racehorses.
Horses and Heat Stress
If you’ve ever been around horses during the summer when the temperatures are high, you might have noticed a few things, such as changes in behaviour, seeking shade, drinking more water, sweating, more visible veins under the skin, or a higher respiratory rate. All of these changes are the horses’ way of adapting to the heat.
Equine Blood Types
Horses, just like humans and other animal species, have blood types. Blood types are determined by antigen structures on red blood cells and are based on genetic information inherited from one’s parents. You’ve almost certainly heard about the ABO blood group system in humans, which divides our population into four groups – A, B, AB, and O. However, in some animal species, the blood group systems are not as straightforward, and horses are not an exception.
MIM – P8, Px, K1 Variants
MIM (Muscle Integrity Myopathy), previously also known as PSSM2, is a term connected to myopathic episodes in horses. Six different variants have been described in relation to this term.
MIM – P2, P3, P4 Variants
MIM (Muscle Integrity Myopathy), also known as PSSM2 (Polysacharide Storage Myopathy Type 2), is a term connected to myopathic episodes in horses.
Genetic Health Panel Tests
If you’ve ever been around Paint or Quarter Horses, you have probably heard of health panel tests, more specifically, 5-, 6-, or 7-panel tests. A genetic health panel test is an umbrella term for multiple tests targeting several diseases, with the exact number of covered diseases varying between different panels. The respective associations overseeing these breeds may require these panel tests when registering horses for breeding, especially in the case of stallions.
Leopard Complex and Eye Health Issues
The leopard complex is a group of white spotting patterns, including the leopard, few-spot leopard, snowcap blanket, lace blanket, spotted blanket, varnish roan, snowflake, and frosted, speckled, and mottled patterns.