Adiposity and weight gain in Mangalarga Marchador horses subjected to hypercaloric diet

Abstract

In recent years, several researchers have been studying obesity in national horse breeds; however, no studies demonstrating the dynamic of body and regional fat accumulation (adiposity) Mangalarga Marchador horses subjected to hypercaloric diets have been found. This study aimed to characterize the deposition of body and regional fat in horses with diet-induced weight gain. A total of nine Mangalarga Marchador adult horses with initial body condition score (BCS) of 2.9 ±1/9 (mean ±SD) were subjected to a hypercaloric, grain-rich diet for five months. Body weight and the following morphometric regional adiposity variables were analyzed: BCS, cresty neck scores (CNS), neck circumferences (NC) at 25, 50 and 75% of its length, and accumulation of subcutaneous adipose tissue at the base of the tail using ultrasonography (BTU). These data were collected at baseline and fortnightly after beginning the diet-induced weight gain until the end of the experiment. The effect of time on the variables was verified by analysis of variance (ANOVA) in randomized blocks or the Friedman’s test, and the means were compared by the Tukey’s test (p≤0.05). Exposure to hypercaloric diet promoted a mean weight gain of 27.45% (p<0.001). Significant values were observed for NC at 25 and 75% during the first 45 days of the experiment, and for NC at 50% during the first 30 days. BTU presented significant changes after 60 days, with an increase of 268% compared with the baseline value. These findings demonstrate the weight gain and the dynamic and magnitude of regional adiposity in Mangalarga Marchador horses subjected to hypercaloric diet.

Histological comparison of the lamellar tissue of Iberian origin breed horses created in semi-feral conditions or in an intensive system

“…The MM horses that received high concentrations of NSCs had lesions in the lamellar tissue, unsurprising since hormonal imbalances were previously identified [ 16 , 18 , 23 , 24 ]. The lesions included abnormal keratinization of the abaxial border of several PDLs, PEL discontinuities, and condensed nuclei of SELBCs with loss of their orientation perpendicular to the BM.…”

“…To compare animals with different environmental and management conditions, archived lamellar tissue samples from eight MM horses were used (four non-pregnant mares and four geldings), with an average weight of 402.77±58.31 kg and age of 4±0.41 years, all with a body condition score between 8 and 9 [ 16 ]. These horses were confined in stall and received digestible energy (DE) in quantities twice maintenance requirement [ 17 ], over 150 days, as described by Ribeiro et al [ 18 ]. Half of the DE was provided as concentrate and half as forage ( Cynodon dactylon (L . )…”

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“…Os resultados apresentados provavelmente têm alguma relação com o período experimental. Em 150 dias de avaliação, o uso de uma dieta hipercalórica em cavalos da raça Mangalarga Marchador indicou que são necessários pelo menos 75 dias para que haja uma diferença no PC e ECC dos cavalos induzidos por estas dietas (RIBEIRO et al, 2020), o que pode indicar que os 20 dias para cada um dos períodos experimentais foram insuficientes para causar um aumento ou diminuição sobre o PC e o ECC.…”