Using high-density SNP data to unravel the origin of the Franches-Montagnes horse breed.
Annik Imogen GmelSofia MikkoAnne RicardBrandon D VelieVinzenz GerberNatasha Anne HamiltonMarkus NeuditschkoPublished in: Genetics, selection, evolution : GSE (2024)
The FM remains the last native Swiss breed, clearly distinguishable from other historically introgressed breeds, but it suffered bottlenecks due to intensive selection of stallions, restrictive mating choices based on arbitrary definitions of pure breeding, and selection of rare coat colours. To preserve the genetic diversity of FM horses, future conservation managements strategies should involve a well-balanced selection of stallions (e.g., by integrating OF stallions in the FM breeding population) and avoid selection for rare coat colours.