Monthly Archives: May 2019

Icelandic horse DNA at breeding shows

Dear friends of the Icelandic horse

I have a young stallion, born in Iceland, good pedigree and 120 in BLUP, BUT his mother has no DNA in Worldfengur. She is dead and has no other offspring.

Matís in Iceland have done a great job in helping me, and their answer are:
“We here at Matís have been going over this case and we can see that most likely is Þorvar (IS2016187745 Þorvar frá Arabæjarhjáleigu) son of Vök (IS2009287249 Vök frá Efra-Seli) if we look at her parents DNA profile (Hnokki frá Þúfu IS2003158162 and Villirós frá Feti IS1993286913). But it is very wake because Vök frá Efra-Seli has only one offspring with DNA-profile. So the conclusion is that the maternal bloodline of Þorvar can neither be confirmed nor denied.

FEIF rules says G 7.3.1:
«All stallions presented for judgement must have proof of parentage either by blood type or DNA analysis. All stallions presented for judgement and are born from the year 2006 must have a proof of parentage by DNA analysis on both the father and the mother.»

So the problem is mine, and I am not allowed to show him at a FEIF breeding show or use him. But I still think it’s pretty strange that a horse born in Iceland, and is one of the world purest breeds, is not qualified to a breeding show for Icelandic horses.

I have done some resach in Worldfengur. Iceland have a lot of horses, and many of them have not a DNA registerd in Worldfengur.
Horses born 2016, only 11,9 % has a DNA in Worldfengur.
Horses born 2013, only 25,3 % has a DNA in Worldfengur.
Horses born 2010, only 27,6 % has a DNA in Worldfengur.

It is even more interesting when I do a search for dead mares in Iceland. In 2009 when the mother of my horse were born, 37,1 % of the mares are dead. Mares born in Iceland 2010, 34,7 % are dead. I do think Iceland do have more young stallions without a DNA on his mother…..

In Norway,  horses born in 2016: 94,6 %has a DNA in Worldfengur.
In Sweden, horses born in 2016: 99,7 % has a DNA in Worldfengur.

Denmark 2016: only 9,6 % has a DNA in Worldfengur, for horses born in 2010: 10,5% has a DNA.
Germany 2016: 21,8% has a DNA, for horses born in 2010: 28,8 % has a DNA.

I understand the FEIF rules, but for horses born in Iceland is it a bit strange? And i think it is surprising to se such low DNA numbers for some other country’s  outside Iceland.

Best regards
Anne Otneim
www.draumsyn.no

IS2016187745 Þorvar frá Arabæjarhjáleigu