Samband mellan linjär beskrivning av gångartsegenskaper och senare tävlingsprestation i dressyr hos svenska varmblodiga hästar

Abstract: The equestrian sport is mostly dominated by warmblood horses when it comes to dressage, jumping and eventing. Breeding organizations are actively working to produce horses with traits that match the needs of equestrian top sport. Being internationally competitive in dressage is part of the Swedish Warmblood Association (SWB) breeding goal. According to previous studies, there are clear genetic relationships between gait traits scored at young horse tests and dressage performance later in life. There are, however, no studies on which qualities of individual gait traits that are important for the Swedish dressage horse. The aim of this study was to investigate which linearly described gait characteristics at young horse tests that are related to later competition performance in dressage. The data in this study consisted of 903 SWB-horses who completed their three-year-old test in 2014 and a follow-up of their competition results in dressage until October 2019, when the horses were eight years old. In the assessment protocol, a total of 15 characteristics that were linked to the three gaits walk, trot and canter were studied. The linear description in the assessment protocol were translated from A-I to 1-9. The horses were divided into two different groups based on if they had competition results in dressage or not and if they had competed with placement in easy class or intermediate class. Quantitative methods were used for descriptive statistics and significance tests in Windows Excel. The results showed highly significant differences (''') between horses that had competition results and horses that did not have competition results, and between horses with placement in easy class compared to horses with placement in intermediate class. According to our study, the most important gait characteristics of the young dressage horse which later in life are expected to perform in dressage is a large, elastic and active step, with active hind legs well under the body in the gait trot. Elastic trot with shoulder free foreleg activity in trot has proven to be extra important. The results of this study can be used both for riders who are looking for a future competition horse in dressage and for breeders who breed the next generation of dressage horses.