ABSTRACT
Genetic improvement in horses involves the same basic principles as genetic improvement in beef cattle, sheep, hogs, and dogs. In addition to a lack of concrete genetic knowledge, the horse industry faces other major deterrents in its quest for genetic improvement. Genetic improvement in horses is attained through the use of mating systems and the selection of superior individuals in a given generation to be the progenitors of the succeeding generation. The major selection practiced in horses has been based on their ability to walk or run. Economics ensures that other farm animals are selected heavily on the basis of reproductive efficiency. Genetic improvement in horse breeding is slow, at best, and the responsibility for breed improvement rests upon the shoulders of the few tried-and-true breeders who have bred for specific goals over a period of generations. Breeding superior horses may well be the greatest challenge in the livestock industry.
