Sandra Bonow

I completed my MSc in Animal Science at SLU in 2014. In my master thesis I analyzed the results from the newly introduced linear descriptions at the young horse performance test for Swedish Warmblood (SWB). In the study heritabilities for several traits were estimated, as well as genetic correlations.

I have always had a big horse interest and today I compete in show jumping up to S class level. I‘m also educated at the national equestrian center in Flyinge and since 2014 I have run my own business with breaking and educating young horses. Horse breeding is also an interest and I have bred several SWB horses.

At the moment I am working at a licentiat project with the title “Selection strategies in Swedish Warmblood”. The last decades there have been some major changes in  the SWB organization and the breeding has become more specialized. In this project I am going to investigate if it is possible to split the population in two groups, jumping and dressage, and still get genetic improvement in both groups. Nowadays the breeding is also driven by the breeders in a larger extent, while it previously was controlled by the breeding organization. In this project the effects of these changes are analyzed and different scenarios for the future will be simulated. The aim is to be able to give recommendations for the future, so the SWB can remain as a competitive horse at national and international level.

This project is made in collaboration with Swedish Warmblood Association (SWB).