Corbally Alison F, Mulligan Finbar J, Sweeney Torres, Fahey Alan G
School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland.
School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Jul 29;15(15):2227. doi: 10.3390/ani15152227.
This study examines the associations between linearly scored phenotypic traits and auction sales prices of young event horses in Ireland, aiming to identify key traits influencing market value. Data from 307 horses sold at public auctions (2022-2023) were analysed using regression analysis, binary optimisation, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Regression identified Head-neck Connection, Quality of Legs, Walk length of Stride, and Scope as highly significant predictors of sales price ( < 0.001), with Length of Croup, Trot Elasticity, Trot Balance, and Take-off Direction also significant ( < 0.05). Optimised regression reduced the number of relevant traits from 37 to 8, streamlining evaluation. PCA highlighted eight principal traits, including Scope, Elasticity, and Canter Impulsion, explaining 61.19% of variance in the first four components. These results demonstrate that specific conformation, movement, and athleticism traits significantly affect auction outcomes. The findings provide actionable insights for breeders and stakeholders, suggesting that targeted selection for high-impact traits could accelerate genetic progress and improve market returns. Furthermore, these traits could underpin the development of economic or buyer indices to enhance valuation accuracy and transparency, with potential application across equestrian disciplines to align breeding objectives with market demands.
本研究考察了爱尔兰年轻赛事用马线性评分的表型特征与拍卖销售价格之间的关联，旨在确定影响市场价值的关键特征。使用回归分析、二元优化和主成分分析（PCA）对2022年至2023年在公开拍卖中售出的307匹马的数据进行了分析。回归分析确定头颈连接、腿部质量、步幅长度和跳跃幅度是销售价格的高度显著预测因素（<0.001），臀部长度、快步弹性、快步平衡和起跳方向也具有显著性（<0.05）。优化回归将相关特征的数量从37个减少到8个，简化了评估。主成分分析突出了八个主要特征，包括跳跃幅度、弹性和跑步驱动力，解释了前四个成分中61.19%的方差。这些结果表明，特定的体型、运动能力和竞技特征会显著影响拍卖结果。研究结果为育种者和利益相关者提供了可操作的见解，表明针对高影响力特征进行有针对性的选择可以加速遗传进展并提高市场回报。此外，这些特征可以为经济或买家指数的发展提供支撑，以提高估值的准确性和透明度，并有可能应用于各个马术项目，使育种目标与市场需求保持一致。
