Researchers at Nottingham Trent University have made positive steps in maximising genetic diversity among Cleveland Bays. The centuries-old English breed has teetered on the edge of extinction for many years after its use as a carriage driving and farm horse dwindled with the advent of machinery. Interbreeding has also impacted its demise, so researchers have formulated a system that provides recommendations for breeders based on a horse’s genetic background via their pedigree records. “What we’ve created is like a family tree for Cleveland Bay horses,” said Phillippe Wilson, Nottingham Trent University researcher. The work, which has been two decades in the making, has already helped reduce the rate of interbreeding from 3% to 0.5%.