Inbreeding and reproductive performance in Standardbred horses

The relationship between inbreeding and both conception and foaling rates in Standardbred horses (trotters and pacers) was examined for 1194 breeding years. There was a statistically significant (P less than 0.05) trend for conception and foaling rates to decrease with increased inbreeding; however, this relationship accounted for less than 2 percent of the variation. Additionally, the relationship between reproductive performance and inbreeding was not consistent between trotters and pacers. For trotters (F = 0.103) there was a trend for an increase in conception and foaling rates with increased inbreeding, while for pacers (F = 0.074), reproductive performance decreased with increased inbreeding. Overall, inbreeding does not appear to be a significant factor influencing reproductive performance of Standardbred horses.