The ability to race barefoot is a heritable trait in Standardbred and Coldblooded trotters
Authors: P. Berglund, S. Andonov, Anna Jansson, Christina Olsson, Therese Lundqvist, Erling Strandberg, Susanne Eriksson
Journal: Genetics, Selection, Evolution : GSE
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Barefoot Racing Ability in Trotting Horses Has a Heritable Genetic Basis Swedish trotting horses that race barefoot typically achieve faster times than their shod counterparts, yet not all individuals have hooves capable of tolerating unshod competition—a difference that appears to have underlying genetic merit. Researchers analysed racing records from nearly 25,000 Standardbred and 4,000 Coldblooded trotters using mixed animal models to estimate heritability and genetic correlations for three novel traits: two measures of the proportion of barefoot races completed and a binary "barefoot status" trait reflecting the likelihood of racing unshod. Heritability estimates for the proportion of barefoot races ranged from 0.17 to 0.28 across both breeds, whilst barefoot status showed lower heritability (0.07–0.08), suggesting that whilst environmental management influences individual race decisions, underlying hoof quality has a meaningful genetic component amenable to selective breeding. Estimated breeding values for the three traits showed moderate to strong correlations (0.63–0.82 for stallions), indicating that selection based on one measure would effectively shift the others. For breeders seeking to develop lines with superior hoof integrity for barefoot racing, these findings provide the first quantified breeding parameters; however, practitioners should recognise that further investigation into genetic trade-offs with performance and career longevity is essential before implementing selection strategies.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Barefoot racing ability can be improved through selective breeding—consider pedigree and estimated breeding values when selecting breeding stock for trotting programs
- •The trait is moderately heritable, meaning environmental management (farriery, hoof care, training) remains important alongside genetics for developing horses capable of racing barefoot
- •Before implementing barefoot breeding strategies, evaluate whether barefoot racing affects career longevity and overall performance, as these relationships have not yet been studied
Key Findings
- •Heritability of barefoot racing ability ranges from 0.17-0.28 for proportion of barefoot races and 0.07-0.08 for barefoot status across both breeds studied
- •Estimated breeding values for barefoot status show moderate to strong correlations (0.63-0.82) with proportion of barefoot races traits in stallions
- •Barefoot racing ability is a heritable trait with moderate to high accuracy of estimated breeding values for use in selective breeding programs