Morphofunctional diversity of equine of varied genetic compositions raised in the Pantanal biome of Brazil.

The essence of this study concerns the investigation of different horse breeds and crossbreeds raised in the Pantanal biome of Brazil. The research highlights the impact of genetic differences on the physical and functional attributes of the horses and further shifts focus towards evaluating the aptitude variances for better understanding of adaptive abilities among different horse populations.

Research Methodology

• The researchers evaluated 452 male and female adult horses from diverse breeds, including Arabian, Quarter Mile, Pantaneiro, Criollo, and undefined crossbreeds of horses and mules.
• Linear measurements of these equines were carried out to estimate their conformation indexes (structure & body proportions).
• A series of analytical approaches were used, beginning with a discriminant analysis irrespective of the animal’s size. Factor analysis was subsequently conducted.
• All factors were characterized and implemented as fresh variables. Multivariate analysis was then used to evaluate the relationship between these factors and the diversity among equines.

Findings and Results

• The order of decreasing importance for measuring elements showed the following characteristics: balance, rusticity (adaptation to local conditions), and robustness. For index factors, it was: load capacity, ability, conformation, and equilibrium.
• Each equine genetic group exhibited unique morphofunctional characteristics.
• The main differences between the groups were based on rusticity and ability typologies in contrast to those focused on performance.

Significance and Implications

• Horses imported into the Pantanal biome presented a more compact and robust body with a good conformation, potentially giving them superior athletic performance during equestrian activities compared to local breeds like Pantaneiro.
• However, despite their athleticism, these imported horses showed less adaptability or “rusticity”. This could mean that local breeds could be equally or more effective in equestrian activities than imported breeds in the biome.
• These findings suggest that breeders could consider crossing horses from local breeds as an alternative to importing breeds.
• The research also noticed that undefined crossbred male equines exhibited a different profile from Pantaneiro breed which might indicate that crossbreeds aren’t heavily used in breeding.