Higher levels of inbreeding in thoroughbreds result in fewer racehorses, according to new research published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
A study carried out by scientists at University College Dublin, the University of Edinburgh, and the Irish equine science company Plusvital, examined samples from over 6,000 thoroughbred horses from Europe and Australia, and found those animals with the highest levels of DNA-measured inbreeding had a 13% lower probability of ever competing.
