Dr Amy R. Holtby

Amy joined ARU in December 2025 with a background in equine behavioural genetics, and lab and field-based research experience. After completing her undergraduate degree with first-class honours in Cirencester (2013) she was awarded her Ph. D from University College Dublin in 2021. Following her doctoral research with Equinome, she worked commercially translating and applying insights from genomics discoveries to develop digital products for industry, before returning to England to join the ARU Equine department.

Amy has worked across major genomics projects, leading biobanking processes, supporting field-based sample collection teams, and contributing to laboratory method development, verification and quality management. In 2023 a paper published from her thesis was ranked in the top 10 viewed papers in Animal Genetics.

• Equine stress and early life/training
• Equine welfare
• Equine neurobiology
• Equine behaviour
• Equine health
• Genetics and genomics for health incl. personalised medicine
• Equine Assisted Learning (EAL)
• Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL)
• Equine performance
• Genetics and genomics for performance
• Thoroughbred and Bloodstock industry
• Sports Horse industry
• Digital product development

Amy welcomes applications from students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study with an interest in conducting research projects in the field of equine science.

Find out more about our Writtle School of Agriculture, Animal and Environmental Sciences research programme.

• BSc (Hons) Equine Science
• BSc (Hons) Equine Business Management
• BSc (Hons) Equine Therapy, Rehabilitation and Performance
• MSc Equine Performance Science

• Professional Diploma Digital Product Management, (Distinction) UCD Professional Academy
• Doctor of Philosophy -- Ph. D Genetics of Equine Behaviour, University College Dublin
• B.Sc. (hons) Equine Management (Science), (First-class) Royal Agricultural University

• Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Equine Genome Foundation
• EUPATI Fellow (cohort 9)
• Genome of Ireland project PPI panel member
• Genomic Data Infrastructure project PPI panel member

Alexandra L. Moss, Orlagh O’Reilly, Amy Rand, Amy R. Holtby, Siobhan Mullan, Katharyn Mitchell, Emmeline W. Hill, Michael Salter-Townshend, Lisa M. Katz,. Prospective categorisation of maternal care style in Thoroughbred broodmares, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, (300), 2026, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2026.107004

Hill, E. W., H. Han, A. R. Holtby, H. Anhold, and B. A. McGivney. 2026. “Polygenic Prediction of Equestrian Sport Discipline Among Horses Bred for Jumping and Dressage.” Animal Genetics57, no. 3: e70146. https://doi.org/10.1002/age.70146

Haige Han, Tiffany A. Blackett, Madeleine L. H. Campbell, Amy Rebecca Holtby, Beatrice A. McGivney, Emmeline Wynne Hill; Genomic diversity and selection in the racing greyhound of Great Britain. Proc Biol Sci 1 April 2026; 293 (2069): 20252552. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.2552

Charlotte L. McGivney, Beatrice A. McGivney, Gabriella Farries, Katie F. Gough, Haige Han, Amy R. Holtby, David E. MacHugh, Lisa Michelle Katz, Emmeline W. Hill. A genome-wide association study for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy in the Thoroughbred horse identifies a candidate gene that regulates myelin structure. Equine Vet J. 2025; 57(4): 943–952 https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14461

Amy R. Holtby, Beatrice A. McGivney, John A. Browne, Lisa M. Katz, Keith J. Murphy, Emmeline W. Hill. Variation in salivary cortisol responses in yearling Thoroughbred racehorses during their first year of training. PLOS ONE  (2023) doi: 18(4): e0284102. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284102

Amy R. Holtby, Thomas J. Hall, Beatrice A. McGivney, Haige Han, Keith J. Murphy, David E. MacHugh, Lisa M. Katz, Emmeline W. Hill. Integrative genomics analysis highlights functionally relevant genes for equine behaviour. Animal Genetics (2023) Mar 27. https://doi.org/10.1111/age.13320

Haige Han, Beatrice A. McGivney, Lucy Allen, Dongyi Bai, Leanne R. Corduff, Gantulga Davaakhuu, Jargalsaikhan Davaasambuu, Dulguun Dorjgotov, Thomas J. Hall, Andrew J. Hemmings, Amy R. Holtby, Tuyatsetseg Jambal, Badarch Jargalsaikhan, Uyasakh Jargalsaikhan, Naveen K. Kadri, David E. MacHugh, Hubert Pausch, Carol Readhead, David Warburton, Manglai Dugarjaviin & Emmeline W. Hill. Common protein-coding variants influence the racing phenotype in galloping racehorse breeds. Nature – Communications Biology  (2022) 5, 1320.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-04206-x

Lisa M. Katz, Jessica Stallard, Amy Holtby, Emmeline W. Hill, Kate Allen, James Sweeney. Inspiratory muscle training in young, race-fit Thoroughbred racehorses during a period of detraining. PLOS ONE (2020) Apr 10;15(4):e0225559. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225559

Alexandra L. Moss, Gina Duggan, Megan L. Power, Orlagh O’Reilly, Amy Holtby, Emmeline W. Hill, Lisa M. Katz. “Plasma concentrations of Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor profiled over the first year of life in Thoroughbreds.” (Poster) ACVIM Forum, Seattle, 2026.

Han*, T. A. Blackett, M. L. H. Campbell, A. R. Holtby, B. A. McGivney, E. W. Hill. “Genomic diversity and selection in the racing Greyhound of Great Britain.” (Talk) ISAG, Korea, July 2025.

Han*, T. A. Blackett, M. L. H. Campbell, A. R. Holtby, B. A. McGivney, E. W. Hill. “Genomic diversity and selection in the racing Greyhound of Great Britain.” (Poster) ISAG, Korea, July 2025.

Alexandra L. Moss*, Orlagh O’Reilly, Amy Holtby, John Browne, Megan Power, Emmeline W. Hill, Lisa M. Katz “Blood leukocyte telomere length dynamics in the first year of life in Thoroughbred horses.” (Abstract, Oral presentation) ACVIM Forum, Louisville, 2025.

Amy R. Holtby*, Beatrice A. McGivney, Lisa M. Katz, Keith J. Murphy, Emmeline W. Hill. “A comparison of phenotypes for assessing stress behaviours in the Thoroughbred horse” (Poster presentation)      Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Workshop, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA, July 2022.

Amy R. Holtby*, Lisa M. Katz, Beatrice A. McGivney, Emmeline W. Hill. “Genetic markers for behaviour in yearling Thoroughbred horses” (Poster presentation) International Conference of Equine Exercise Physiology, 11th International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology, Uppsala, Sweden, June 26-July 1st, 2022.

Hill EW*, Hall TJ, Holtby AR, McGivney BA, MacHugh DE, Katz LM. “Amygdala and hippocampus gene expression highlights functionally relevant genes for equine behaviour.” (Abstract, oral poster presentation) 11th International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology, Uppsala, Sweden, June 26-July 1st, 2022.

Katz LM*, McGivney CL, Corduff L, Gough K, Holtby A, McGivney BA, Hill EW. “Genetic risk markers for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) in Flat racing Thoroughbred horses.” (Abstract, oral presentation) 11th International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology, Uppsala, Sweden, June 26-July 1st, 2022.

Hill EW*, Holtby AR, Corduff LR, Griffin ME, McGivney BA, Katz LM. “Genetic risk markers for dorsal metacarpal disease (sore/bucked shins) in Thoroughbred horses.” (Abstract, oral presentation) 11th International Conference on Equine Exercise Physiology, Uppsala, Sweden, June 26-July 1st, 2022.

Amy has consulted on several public and private commission outreach, media, film and translation projects including UCD artist in residence Maria McKinney’s ‘SIRE’ Welcome Trust funded project in 2018 Maria McKinney on ‘Sire’ | Wellcome Collection.

A number of articles across industry publications including; the TDN, Horse and Hound, The Horse, Paulick Report, Racing Post, and Horsetalk NZ have followed Amy’s peer reviewed work outputs.