Variations in the fecal microbiota and their functions of Thoroughbred, Mongolian, and Hybrid horses.
Authors: Wen Xiaohui, Luo Shengjun, Lv Dianhong, Jia Chunling, Zhou Xiurong, Zhai Qi, Xi Li, Yang Caijuan
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Breed-Related Variations in Equine Gut Microbiota Genetic background significantly shapes the equine hindgut ecosystem, with important implications for nutritional management and performance across different horse types. Researchers compared faecal microbiota composition in Thoroughbreds, Mongolian horses, and their F1 hybrids using high-throughput sequencing, revealing distinct microbial communities and associated metabolic capabilities for each group. Thoroughbreds demonstrated the highest microbial diversity and abundance, whilst hybrids occupied an intermediate position phenotypically but clustered more closely with Mongolian horses in actual microbial composition—a distinction highlighted by breed-specific bacterial markers including Prevotellaceae and Rikenellaceae in Thoroughbreds, Planococcaceae in Mongolian horses, and Moraxellaceae and Enterobacteriaceae in hybrids. Most strikingly, carbohydrate metabolism pathways were proportionally lowest in hybrid horses, which instead showed elevated energy metabolism capacity, suggesting fundamental differences in how these animals process dietary substrates. These findings underscore that one-size-fits-all nutritional and management protocols may be suboptimal; practitioners should consider breed-specific microbial profiles when formulating diets, particularly when dealing with crosses, as their intermediate genetic status does not necessarily confer intermediate microbiota function.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Breed genetics directly influence gut microbiota composition and function; management and nutritional strategies may need breed-specific optimization
- •Hybrid horses display metabolic characteristics distinct from both parent breeds, suggesting they may have different forage utilization and nutritional requirements than purebreds
- •Understanding individual horse breed microbiota profiles could inform precision nutrition and digestive health management approaches in training and performance settings
Key Findings
- •Thoroughbred horses demonstrated significantly more abundant and diverse gut microbiota compared to Mongolian and Hybrid horses
- •Hybrid horses (F1 Mongolian × Thoroughbred) showed intermediate microbiota diversity but composition more similar to Mongolian horses
- •Distinct bacterial biomarkers identified for each breed: Thoroughbred (Prevotellaceae, Rikenellaceae, Fibrobacteraceae), Mongolian (Planococcaceae), and Hybrid (Moraxellaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Ruminococcaceae)
- •Significant breed-associated differences in metabolic pathways, with Hybrid horses showing lowest carbohydrate metabolism and highest energy metabolism proportions