Tag: domestic horses

Stop Press ! Urgent Petition to Oppose Live Export of Horses and Donkeys

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You may have heard that there are moves in the federal government to open up a market in the live export of ponies, horses and donkeys for slaughter overseas. Under questioning in Senate Estimates from Senator Derryn Hinch, Departmental officials confirmed that a number of enquiries had been made about exporting horses and donkeys “in large numbers for slaughter”. Various groups, including Canberra’s rspca and the Australian Equine Unification Scheme groups have worked to raise awareness about this – but until Senate Estimates there was nothing recorded in the public domain to share. With Darren Hinch, raising this issue in the… Continue reading

Ponies, Horses and Donkeys on Live Export Hit List

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BREAKING NEWS: We need your urgent support. Australia’s ponies, horses and donkeys are next on the Australian Government’s live export hit list. This means ponies, horses and donkeys – that have been taken from the wild, retired from the racing industry, or bought from their owners in Australia – could be sent on a perilous journey before being slaughtered overseas for their skin and meat. We’re calling on the Australian Government to stop this cruel trade before it starts, and prohibit the live export of ponies, horses and donkeys once and for all. Join us, and sign the petition now… Continue reading

Research reveals domestication’s effects on horse genes

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A study, carried out by scientists at the University of Copenhagen’s Center for GeoGenetics, detailed some 125 genes related to physical and behavioral traits favored by humans. By comparing the genomes of modern domesticated horse varieties to DNA sampled from now-extinct wild horse species, researchers were able to isolate genes that control skeletal muscles, balance, coordination, cardiac strength, fear response, and more. Read more: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2014/12/16/Research-reveals-domestications-effects-on-horse-genes/4501418747928/#ixzz3MOKCWUBB   Continue reading

Lack of Genetic Diversity in Modern Horse Populations

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WA Horse Council News – Extract October 2011 Newsletter     LACK OF GENETIC DIVERSITY   An international team of researchers has used ancient DNA to produce compelling evidence that the lack of genetic diversity in modern stallions is the result of the domestication process. The published results suggest the almost complete absence of genetic diversity in modern male horses is not based on properties intrinsic to wild horses, but on the domestic process itself. Researchers sequenced Y chromosomal DNA from eight ancient wild horses dating back from around 15,000 to more than 47,000 years and a 2,800 year old… Continue reading