Graphic User manual
Sommaire Editorial
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Explanation of the home page + rating
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The 21 criteria retained
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The “desirable grade” areas
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The probable grade of the future foal
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Individual evaluation of compatibility
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• Example of a graphic transcription
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• Example of a graphic transcription with 2 stallions
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Tips and tricks
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Inverted Pax
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Creating an account 24
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Graphic User manual
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our years after the creation of the PAX, we decided to develop it into a simplified and improved version: the PAX GRAPHIC, which features 21 criteria instead of 44 in the original program. The PAX GRAPHIC is simpler and clearer: it features graphs explaining for each criterion the probable grades of the foal born from the intended crossbreeding, and also provides the “optimal” rating area for a successful crossbreeding. An overview of the compatibilty and reliability of the output is presented, so that you can finetune your choices. The program also allows you to study in more detail the relevance of crossing your mare with each stallion. The «inverted» version of the PAX GRAPHIC enables you to select among your mares those that have the best compatibility with the GFE stallion you chose. This user manual outlines the way the program operates and offers you some tips on how to make the best use of it. Enjoy your reading 1
Starting from the “PAX GRAPHIC” area on the www.gfeweb.com website or by launching the GFE PAX app on your smartphone or tablet computer, you arrive on the home screen and just need to click on [SCREEN]
Created by Groupe France Elevage with the Cirale’s support
You can run a test (which will not be saved) by clicking on [SCREEN 2] You can sign up in order to create an account, or log in to access your existing account which will allow you to save the grades of your mares (see page 24)
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T
he 21 criteria retained in the PAX GRAPHIC all belong to the original PAX program. Their observation, their characterization and their meaning have not changed.
By clicking on inside the box of each criterion, you will access the instructions section explaining the measurement and grading modes. In order to grade a criterion, you have to move the (cursor) on the horizontal scale from 1 to 4 according to the indications outlined in the instructions section. If in doubt, you can use half points: you can therefore benefit from a choice of 7 possible grades for each criterion. This rating is not a value judgement and does not mean that 1 is “insufficient” or that 4 is “very good”. It is about measuring characteristics as accurately as possible. Be objective and in case of a serious doubt, it is better not to grade a criterion at all than to provide an inaccurate information. The program will provide results based only on the filled criteria. When a criterion is rated, the area will turn green and the signal Ø will appear at the top left, but you can still change the grade if needed.
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CONFORMATION The 11 criteria selected for the conformation are the following:
Rated from 1 for square silhouettes to 4 for the most rectangular ones.
Rated 1 for dawnhill silhouettes, up to 4 for the most uphill.
Depending on the tastes of the breeder or his customers: from 1 for the most trendy head to 4 for the most ordinary.
The neck length is compared to that of the back: from 1 for the shortest to 4 for the longest.
The angle of the humerus from the vertical is rated 1 for the smallest angle, to 4 for the widest.
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Rated 1 if it is very short, up to 4 for the longest ones.
The line from the top of the sacrum to the base of the withers is rated 1 if it is hollow, up to 4 if it is straight.
The pelvis length is appraised in relation to the size of the sacrum, starting from 1 for the shortest to 4 for the longest.
The orientation of the pelvis from the horizontal is rated 1 for the most horizontal, up to 4 for the most oblique.
The ratio between the size and the section of the long bones determines the light frames rated 1 and the heavy ones rated 4.
Measured at the withers, from 1 for the smallest size to 4 for the tallest ones.
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Locomotion The 3 criteria selected are those that we consider as being the most correlated with the ability of a horse to perform in competition.
Rated 1 for horses who under step, to a grade of 4 for those who largely overstep.
The visual assessment is from not balanced (1) to balanced (4) according to the lightness and vertical impulse.
Canter is considered short (1) below 3m30 per stride at medium canter; it is considered long beyond 3m90.
Jumping technique The 4 technical jumping criteria are measured visually at free-jumping, without the influence of the rider.
It ranges from fast (1) to slow (4) depending on the forelegs’ speed and flexibility of elevation. It ranges from being flat (1) to showing a good arch (4) depending on the quality of the arch and the mobilization of the hind limbs. 6
It ranges from elastic (1) to stiff (4) according to the degree of mobilization of the “additional engines” when the horse is in the air (cf PAX guidelines). Rated from “a lot” (1) to “a little” (4). A horse showing strength repeats the same shape of jump regardless of the fence’s height and regardless of the approach to the fence.
Behaviour The 3 selected criteria are assessed subjectively. Their characterization and the measurement of their heritability are one of the major areas of future research. Rated from 1 for “a little” blood to 4 for “a lot”. Blood is assessed through the responsiveness of the horse to external stimulus.
Ranging from 1 for “brave” to 4 for “timid”, it measures the effort made by the horse to “go to the other side” of the fence whatever the circumstances.
Ranging from 1 for “careful” to 4 for “not careful”, it measures all the various efforts made by the horse to avoid touching the fence.
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The Optimal Area
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or each criterion featuring in the PAX GRAPHIC, the GFE experts have defined an “optimal area” displayed in green, which determines the range of grades between which, all other things being equal, the energy deployed by the horse in order to jump will be the most “efficient”. This does not mean that a horse rated outside this zone will not be able to jump (the counter examples would be countless) but it is when the horse’s grades are situated within this zone that the jumping effort will be optimized. This “green zone” is expected to evolve in relation with the progress of knowledge about the link between characteristics and performance, and more specifically about the interactions between the various characteristics. Many studies have been or are currently being conducted on this subject, for instance by the Selle Français Stud Book. These studies have already been useful to us and will allow us to correct the limits of this “optimal area” if needed. Each breeder can also have their own expectations and their own “optimal area” which may differ from ours (e.g. with regards to the horse’s head, size, strength ...). They will be able to take this into account when interpreting in detail the output of the PAX GRAPHIC.
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Geometry Shape
Square
Geometry Orientation
Rectangular
The rectangular shape facilitates the trajectory yet, when excessively rectangular, makes the balance more difficult to manage.
Dawnhill
An uphill silhouette facilitates the balance, yet in excess it requires more effort from the back hand.
Head
Trendy
Uphill
Neck length
Ordinary
Short
Long
The head is a matter of taste; it affects the jump when its weight is excessive, but it is mostly a “commercial� criterion.
The neck will be hardly efficient if it is too short, and hard to handle if it is too long.
Shoulder
Withers
Vertical
Oblique
Short
Long
An oblique shoulder is always a positive criterion with regards to the orientation of the jump.
When they are too short, the withers lose their efficiency; when too long, they may make it difficult to saddle the horse correctly.
Top line form
Croup
Hollow
Straight
Back tension helps the transmission of energy but, in excess, it brings rigidity.
Short
Long
Muscular tone being equal, the length of the pelvis allows the horse to develop more energy. 9
Croup
Bones
Horizontal
Oblique
Light
The two extreme orientations of the croup will disturb the orientation of the hindlegs’ thrust. The ideal is in the middle ground.
Heavy
When the bones are too light they tend to weaken the joints; when they are too heavy, the horse will be penalized by their weight.
Size
Small
Tall
The size is a matter of taste! The scope of the horse’s canter is what matters.
Walk
Canter
Stiff
Flexible
The elasticity of the horse’s walk is a good indicator of the elasticity of his canter – the latter being sometimes hard to assess when the horse is not at work.
Unbalanced
balanced
In most situations, a good balance will facilitate the jump.
Stride
Short
Long
A scopy canter is a quality, even though it might sometimes be hard to handle for beginner-level riders. 10
Foreleg Technique
Hindleg Technique
Quick
Slow
Flat
Good arch
The arch that goes from the opening of the back to the fold of the hocks is a positive asset, yet it might penalize the trajectory of the jump when it is extreme.
If it doesn’t affect the rise of the withers during the jump, the speed of the foreleg gesture is an important asset.
Elasticity
Strength
Elastic
Staff
Scopy
Not scopy
As long as it remains manageable, strength is a prerequisite for performing at a certain level.
The elasticity of the jump, which is determined by the neck, the knees, the sacrum and the hocks is a quality, yet it might lead to a lack of straightness if it is excessive.
Blood
A littel
A lot
Whatever its definition, which usually varies depending on the author, blood is a quality that largely contributes to sporting success.
Carefulness
Brave
Willingness
Timid
Careful
Negligent
A horse cannot be simultaneously “extremely brave” and “extremely respectful”. At one point, he will choose to either stop or to have a fence down... The ideal is to have a lot of both. 11
The Probable Grade of the future Foal
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wo full brothers or sisters often have common features but never fully look like each other (except in the case of identical twins ...). This variability is mainly due to the random distribution of genes during meiosis which precedes the production of ova and sperm. The result is rarely predictable, except in the case of certain criteria controlled by a specific gene such as the horse’s coat colour. It is frequently observed that some mares and some stallions tend to “pass on� specific characteristics more than other producers do. When the differences are blatant between male and female offspring bred by the same stallion, we can assume that these differences are controlled by the genes contained in his chromosome X or Y. For the others, we still have a lot to learn and understand. Some of the characteristics that we selected in the PAX GRAPHIC show heritabilities that have been measured as significant, yet they do not seem controlled by one single gene. For other characteristics, such as behavioural criteria, studies are under way, but breeders have known for decades that there is for sure a transmissibility of blood, strength, carefulness or willingness. Therefore, what we achieved here can be considered as an enormous scientific approximation, yet it is nonetheless based on many real-life observations: we believe that, for the products of one same crossbreeding, the grades of each characteristic of one of those products most often range within the grades of both parents, and that the distribution occurs around the average according to a Gauss curve.
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Example 1 : If the stallion and the mare have very different grades
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f the characteristics of the two parents are very far apart, we will find for the same crossbreeding important differences in terms of grades from one product to another, and the curve will be flattened.
Example 2 : If the stallion and the mare have similar grades
I
f the characteristics of the two parents are very close, the measurement differences between the descendants will be smaller and the curve will be sharper. Thus in a few generations we will be able to «strengthen» and then “fix” a specific feature such as size, head, willingness ...
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Individual Compatibility Study
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fter you finish characterising your mare, you can click on “Submit and choose a stallion�: you will then access to the list of all the stallions analysed by the PAX program that are available for a graphic transcription of compatibility and reliability. You will obtain this analysis by clicking on
PAX Tips
Y
ou can also ask the program to suggest a choice of stallions based on the compatibility and reliability of the measurement. The list of stallions that were assessed as the most compatible and the most reliable is displayed, and a banner at the top of the screen reminds you the number of criteria on which the suggestion is based.
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P
lease note that you can always go back if you wish to modify the grades you assigned, or to rate more features (see tips for use). You can choose to study the transcription in more detail for one specific stallion, but you can also display the transcription with 2 stallions simultaneously to compare both more easily. In the example used in the next sections of this user manual, here are the grades allocated to the “test mare�. (They are often deliberately very high or very low)
Geometry Shape................................................................ 1 Walk......................................................................................... 1 Geometry Orientation...................................................1.5 Canter Balance...................................................................2 Head.....................................................................................2.5 Canter Scope....................................................................... 1 Neck......................................................................................... 1 Foreleg Technique.........................................................3.5 Shoulder................................................................................ 1 Hindleg Technique..........................................................1.5 Withers................................................................................1.5 Elasticity................................................................................ 3 Top line................................................................................1.5 Strength.............................................................................1.5 Croup Length...................................................................... 1 Blood.....................................................................................1.5 Croup Orientation.............................................................. 1 Willingness.......................................................................2.5 Bones..................................................................................2.5 Carefulness......................................................................2.5 Size.......................................................................................2.5 15
Example of a Graphic Transcription Test mare and Amant du Château
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Discussion
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he program shows a global compatibility of 45% with a reliability of 0.70 Compatibility is very low for the criteria of locomotion and jumping aptitude; it is low with regards to the conformation, and there is a good compatibility for the other criteria.
The shape of the shoulder, the neck length and the croup orientation are the most problematic criteria in terms of conformation. The walk, the foreleg technique and the elasticity are the likely weaknesses of the future foal. The strength, the willingness, the bones are criteria for which the complementarity is very good. The «test mare» has been characterized with extreme scores that make her difficult to cross, but the «PAX tips» indicate that CONTENDRO is the stallion with the highest compatibility.
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Example of a Graphic Transcription with 2 Stallions Test mare and Amant du Château
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Test mare and Contendro
Discussion
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t is possible to display the PAX results of two different stallions simultaneously by selecting them in the full list or in the list of PAX tips, and the graphic transcriptions will then allow you to compare both stallions.
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n the case of the test mare with AMANT DU CHATEAU and CONTENDRO, the comparison of the two graphic transcriptions immediately demonstrates that a crossbreeding with CONTENDRO is probably more relevant for the following criteria:
• Geometry orientation • Neck length • Croup orientation • Canter balance • Foreleg technique • Elasticity of the jump It is a little less relevant for: • The top line • The length of the withers
W
ith regards to blood, the 2 crossbreedings are identical. If the final choice were to be made between these two stallions, and before making his final decision, the breeder would have to question himself about how much he values the criteria on which the two crossbreedings diverge.
He would also have to take the reliability of the prediction into account. For example, it is very likely that crossing the mare with AMANT DU CHATEAU will be irrelevant for the neck length because both parents have close characteristics. The advantage goes to CONTENDRO for the orientation of the silhouette but it has a greater uncertainty than with AMANT DU CHATEAU. The reliability ratings draw our attention to these differences ... 19
Tips and Tricks Start with only a few criteria and gradually increase the number of criteria.
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till using the same test mare, if the breeder decides to grade only the 5 characteristics that seem essential to him, such as: neck length, shoulder shape, balance, foreleg technique and blood, the PAX will suggest the following stallions as most compatible with his mare: Cornet Obolensky, Quintus, Contendro, Balou du Rouet, Herald III; and the following stallions as the least compatible ones: Untouchable, Amant du Château, Ulhan du Temple ... If he then goes on to fill in 10 more criteria by adding croup orientation, size, hindleg technique and elasticity, the top 5 then becomes: Contendro, Cornet Obolensky, Balou du Rouet, Diarado, Consul de la vie... By integrating all the criteria, the top 5 will be composed of Contendro, Rebozo, President, Lauterbach and Diarado. Contendro appears every time in the list of most compatible stallions: he might therefore be one of the names to remember for the final choice. The same work can be done with the reliability criterion, especially to reinforce a positive criterion! In any case, using the program in several successive goes, and thus introducing each time the criteria according to their order of importance in the breeder’s eyes, is a useful means of optimizing the preparatory work leading to the final choice.
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Interpreting the Reliability Grade Correctly
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or a given criterion, the graphic transcription may appear in two extreme ways even though the compatibility between the mare and the stallion is the same.
In both cases the compatibility will be 50%, but in case #1 the reliability will be higher, which means that the rating of the future foal is unlikely to be very far from the optimal area, whereas this risk is higher in case #2. This analysis is very important especially when one is trying to “fix” a positive characteristic in the breeding stock.
Do not forget all the rest ...!
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he use of the PAX GRAPHIC allows the breeder, before he makes his choice, to isolate a group of stallions that show a good compatibility with their mare or, after he made his choice, to check that he has not missed a key criterion that could be an issue. But the PAX GRAPHIC has its limits ... It does not take into account – among other things - the following: • Genealogy and the “mix of bloods” • Coat colours, prices ... nor the breeder’s feeling, which remains a determining factor in the final choice.
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The Inverted PAX
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his feature is dedicated to breeders who have created an account on the website or on the PAX GRAPHIC app, and who have registered several mares. It allows breeders who wish to use one specific stallion to display the compatibility and reliability grades of each of their mares with the stallion in question.
Just as in the case of the PAX GRAPHIC, the Inverted PAX enables the transcription of the compatibility into a detailed graphic analysis, and the comparison between two mares simultaneously.
Example Stallion: Kannan
Compatibility
Reliability
Mare 1 81% 0.79 Mare 2 67% 0.66 Mare 3 49% 0.75 Mare 4 70% 0.73 Mare 5 83% 0.71
In this example, mare #1 and mare #5 are the most compatible and the reliability of the prognosis with mare #1 is superior to that of mare #5. The analysis of the various graphs then allows the breeder to go even further.
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Example of Graphic Transcription Mare 1 Mare 5 Geometry shape
Mare #1 is squarer than mare #5 and, because this is also the case for Kannan, the offspring of mare #1 is less likely than that of mare #5 to end up in the optimal area in terms of ideal geometry shape.
Top the line form
In both cases, the top line will be between 70 and 85% within the “green zone”, with a risk of being “barely enough” for mare #1 and “almost too much” for mare #5.
Bones
Kannan’s offspring with mare #5 has a high probability with a good likelihood of being “a little too robust”.
Strength
In this example, mare #1 was assessed as showing less strength than mare #5; her offspring with Kannan are likely to have more strength than their mother, yet less strength than the average of mare #5’s descendants. Using these tables and according to his personal expectations, the breeder can either choose to have a rather light-boned, square-shaped and moderately strong offspring with mare #1, or an offspring which will probably be more rectangular in shape, stronger, but also more heavy-boned if he chooses mare #5.
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Creating an Account Managing your Mares
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he PAX GRAPHIC can be used without creating an account: in that case, you will obtain a quick result after having characterized your mare. Creating an account (for free) allows you to save your mares data, and to resume characterization later if more finetuning is needed. You can create an account by starting a new PAX session and clicking on “Login” or on the “Sign in” button. This will take you to a simple form to fill out. You can also create an account after freely testing the PAX: you will find at the end of your session the “Save” button at the top right of the webpage.
Your Login details will then allow you to access the dashboard listing all your mares, which will enable you to sort them, compare them thanks to the Inverted PAX (cf p. 22-23), or modify some of the criteria. Your Login details will also allow you to connect directly to your personal space (“My account”) on the GFE website and to access all the available features such as finding GFE documents and accessing online reservation.
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Graphic
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n order to work well, the PAX GRAPHIC needs to rely on precise characterization.
The grades of our stallions are regularly adjusted according to their production, so that we can rely on what they actually transmit. In order to help you successfully characterize your mares, we would be happy to come to meet you in your stud-farm or in your insemination centre during gatherings. To plan a private or a group visit, please contact us: Contact@gfeweb.com tel 0033 231 401 988
www.gfeweb.com