Genetic contribution of the Arabian to the Italian Haflinger horse

In the Haflinger, traditionally a pack horse, breeding has more recently turned to leisure riding. The largest populations are found in the countries where the breed originates, Austria, Germany and Italy. Following the opening of markets within the European Union there are debates on the standardization of registration criteria in the national stud books. A major issue concerns the number of Haflinger generations required for registration and the presence of Arabian ancestors. Those breeder associations that support the presence of the Arabian in later generations appeal to an 'Arabian origin' of the breed through the stallion Folie. Born in South Tirol in 1874 and considered the progenitor of the breed, he was an Arabian half-breed. The progeny of a few Arabian horses were in the past introduced into the Italian Haflinger. Arabian progenitors of Arabian half-breeds that were registered in the Italian stud book can be considered founders of the Arabian gene pool in the breed. The genetic contribution of Arabian founders to the whole population can then be studied. Changes of the Arabian gene pool in the registered Haflinger are of considerable interest to the present 'Haflinger Arabian' debate. The Haflinger founders of the Italian stud book can be divided by their country of origin, Italy, Austria or Germany. In this paper the genetic contributions of the founder populations to the Italian Haflinger stud book with particular reference to the Arabian horse, are analysed.