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Conservation of an equine feral breed: the Asturcón Pony

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2011

J.L. Vega ,
A. Molina ,
M. Valera  and
P. P. Rodriguez-Gallardo
J.L. Vega
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de grupos sanguíneos, Servicio de Cría Caballar, Córdoba, Spain
A. Molina
Affiliation:
Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Veterinaria, Medina Azahara s.n., 14005 Córdoba, Spain
M. Valera
Affiliation:
Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Veterinaria, Medina Azahara s.n., 14005 Córdoba, Spain
P. P. Rodriguez-Gallardo
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de grupos sanguíneos, Servicio de Cría Caballar, Córdoba, Spain
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Summary

The Asturcón Pony was on the verge of disappearing during the decade of the 1970. The creation of A. C. P. R. A (Breeders Association of Asturcón Ponies) and the measures undertaken by this association have made possible the present population of 400 of these animals and future perspectives for them to be bred at large for agrotourism and children's training in horseback riding and other equestrian sports. In spite of the fact that the recovery of the breed is being carried out with few individuals, our results show a high genetic variability. Analysing the allelic frequencies of blood polymorphism, we have obtained an average heterozygosity of 0.3649±0.1070 akin to that of other ponies such as the Dartmoor (0.3396±0.1060), Shetland (0.3158±0.1246 or the Connemara (0.3797±0.1000) and even superior to breeds such as the P. S. I. (0.2857±0.1194) and the Arabian (0.2299±0.0969).

Resumen

El poney Asturcón es una raza que estuvo a punto de desaparecer en la década de los 70. La creación de A. C. P. R. A. (Asociación de criadores de Poneys de Raza Asturcón) y las medidas acometidas por esta asociación, han hecho que en la actualidad se cuente con unos 400 ejemplares y unas buenas perspectivas de futuro como animal criado en libertad y dedicado al agroturismo y la iniciación de los niños en los deportes ecuestres. A pesar de que la recuperación de la raza se está llevando a cabo a partir de muy pocos ejemplares, nuestros resultados muestran una elevada variabilidad genética ya que analizando las frecuencias alélicas del polimorfismo sanguineo, hemos obtenido una heterocigosidad media de 0,3649±0,1070 semejante a la de otros ponies como el Dartmoor (0,3396±0,1060), Shetland (0,3158±0,1246) o el Connemara (0,3797±0,1000) e incluso superior a razas como el P. S. I. (0,2857±0,1194) y el Árabe (0,2299±0,0969).

Keywords

Genetic profileGenetic variability conservationAutochthonous breedsHandlingBehaviour and environment.
Type
Research Articles
Information
Animal Genetic Resources/Resources génétiques animales/Recursos genéticos animales , Volume 22 , April 1997 , pp. 29 - 42
Copyright
Copyright © Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 1997

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