The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for pathologic changes in the navicular bone in Hanoverian
warmblood horses. Seventeen paternal half-sib groups comprising 192 individuals were analyzed in a whole-genome scan. These
families included 144 progeny and grandchildren, which were randomly chosen from the Hanoverian warmblood. Three different
traits were considered: deformed canales sesamoidales and radiographic changes in the contour and in the structure of the
navicular bone. The genome scan included in total 214 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. The putatively linked genomic
regions on equine chromosomes (ECA) 2, 3, 10, and 15 were refined using 53 additional microsatellites. Chromosome-wide significant
QTLs were located on five different equine chromosomes (ECA2, 3, 4, 10, and 26). Genome-wide significant QTLs were on ECA2
at 48 cM and on ECA10 from 45.5 to 49.8 cM. This study was a first step to get more insight into the molecular genetic determination
of radiologic changes in the equine navicular bone.