Morphological Characteristics of Pacing Horses and Examination of Breeding Conditions

Morphological Characteristics of Pacing Horses and Examination of Breeding Conditions

The purpose of this study was to examine the morphologicalcharacteristics and breeding conditions of pacing horses inthe Afyonkarahisar province. A total of 117 head of pacing horses, as well as farm operations and opinions of horse owners,were evaluated. The overall means of height at wither, bodylength, rump length, chest depth, chest circumference, headlength, and forehead width were measured: 142.42, 145.15,49.77, 55.43, 161.44, 51.94, and 21.52 cm respectively. It wasdetermined that horses with Turkish native genotypes and 1-3elder horses had the lowest body measurements. It was determined that the pacing horses had the bay, chestnut, gray,black, and chestnut paint coat colors. It has been determinedthat, in the choosing of pacing horses, horse owners pay greatattention to the parent information (71.1%), the temperament(71.1%), body condition (68.9%), and the foot-nail structure(62.2%) of horses. As a result, it was concluded that the pacinghorses with native genotypes in the Afyonkarahisar provincewere smaller than those who were crossbred and of foreignorigin. Also, it was determined that the horses examined wereof the bay, chestnut, gray, and black coat colors. In addition, itwas concluded that the breeding conditions of pacing horsesshould be improved, and the horse owners should be informed about horse training and exercising.

___