MORPHOLOGICAL GENETIC DIVERSITY OF IRAQI-ARABIAN HORSES

Abstract

Forty Iraqi- Arabian mare and 37 stallion in ages of 2 years and above used to study 26 qualitative and quantitative characters and to calculate the genetic diversity behind these characters and the inbreeding coefficient for this breed which the indicators specified it as endanger of extinction. The results showed that the breed as general characterized with black average size eyes, average size ears, dished face, tapered muzzle, large nostrils, matched lips, arched neck, level legs with sharply slanted shoulder in the forelimbs and narrow knee joints, the legs form right angle with the hoof which is concaved and seldom came in one colour for the for legs. The chestnut is the dominant colour in females while the gray is dominant in males. The means for the quantitative characters (body measurements) are; 149.78cm for the wither height, 34.53 cm chest width, 128.29 cm chest circumference, 62.67 cm back length, 8.74 cm saddle cavity, 56.35 cm head length, 20.06 cm forehead measure, 61.33 cm neck length, 32.89 cm front hoof measure, 33.50 cm back hoof measure, 48.38º front hoof angle, 51.37º back hoof angle and 46.36 cm for the tail length. The mean of Shannon Weaver index (H) for measuring genetic diversity for the qualitative characters reached 0.43 and 0.531 while for the quantitative characters reached 2.037 and 2.04 for females and males respectively. The inbreeding coefficient (F) was 2.45%. We can conclude from this study that the Iraqi – Arabian horse breed still has suitable genetic diversity but (F) was high and alarm us that the negative impacts of inbreed could appears if we did not implemented a policy to reduce this danger.