UN SDG
Livestock Studies 1959, Vol 1, Num, 3     (Pages: 005-034)
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A study the genetic cause of contracted heels in pure breed and half blood Arabian horses at Çifteler State Farm

Selahattin BATU ,Alaettin KUTSAL

- Contracted heels were observed in 51 of 250 (20.4 %) pure bred Arabian horses and in 19 of 208 (9.1 %) half blood Arabian horses present at Çifteler State Farm, as we had controlled all he foals and horses of different ages in November 1958 . There upon we have done this work in order to expose to wiev the possible genetic causes of the affect and its genetic picture, also to find out the possibilities of reducing cases of contracted heels in the subsequent generations.

The data involved 459 foals born in the Farm during 1955-58 and their parents. Among the animals, there were some individuals which showed contracted heels at birth and some others which were affected later because of the anatomic malformation of their hooves. It was observed in pure breeds much more than in half bloods that had rised in the same environment conditions. These reasons seem to be sufficient to express the hereditary character of the contracted heels.

459 foals were groupped with their parents according to whether they had showed the affect and the groups were given with the table 4. In conclution the contracted heels were found to be controlled by two pairs of genes with a double recessive epistatic mode in inheritance accordingly the genetic make up of soundness is to be A – B and that of affected animals αα B-, A – bb or αα bb. These results should be proved afterwards on the generation out of our material.

Few accestors which might have transmitted contracted heels to their progeny in Çifteler State Farm were searched but several ancestors were found to have the genes for this condition. A grodual culling was recommended among the stallions transmitting the contracted heels. Keywords :