Effect of the glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) mutation on performance traits in 169 Noriker draft horse stallions – a retrospective study

Abstract. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) mutation on performance traits in Noriker draft horse stallions. Individual scores of 32 performance traits and the final performance score were obtained from 169 stallions that took part in the standardized stationary 30-day performance test throughout the years 2002 to 2014. In 2014 the stallions have been genotyped for the GYS1 mutation resulting in 105 non-mutation-carriers, 57 heterozygous, and 7 homozygous animals. The mean frequency of animals carrying the mutation was 38 % (64 of 169). The final performance score and 32 single performance traits were analyzed using a linear model including the GYS1 mutation genotype, the testing year and age as fixed effects. For the final performance score no effect of the GYS1 mutation was found. In three single traits – driving ability, drafting manner, and kindness in the discipline heavy-load lodging – significantly lower scores for heterozygous horses than for non-carrier animals were obtained. Homozygous animals did not differ significantly from both groups. Our results from this retrospective study suggest no effect of the GYS1 mutation on performance traits and on the final performance score.