Morphological characterization of remaining specimens of the Curraleiro horse in Central Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to carry out the morphological characterization of the remaining specimens of the Curraleiro horse in municipalities of the state of Goiás, Brazil. Forty male horses were evaluated using the age of five years as a criterion. Sixteen linear measurements and 13 zootechnical indices were obtained. Subsequently, the mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, and covariances of these measures and indices were obtained using the software IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows. The measures withers height (WH), croup height (CH), midback height (MH), sternum-to-ground height (SH), chest index (CI), and estimated weight (W) allowed characterizing Curraleiro horses as small-sized, light, and fast, with proportional measures. The dactyl-thoracic index (DTI), body index (BI), conformation index (CFI), load index 1 and 2 (LOI1 and LOI2), and compactness index 1 and 2 (COI1 and COI2) showed that the Curraleiro horse has an intermediate capacity for speed and strength, bearing considerable weight on the back, with saddling aptitude and fast work. These results represent the beginning of the formation of a database that may contribute to future studies and the conservation of the Curraleiro horse in the state of Goiás.