RESUMO: Conhecido como um animal de múltiplas funções, o Equus asinus sempre foi utilizado para diversos fins, tais como entretenimento, cavalgadas, meios de transporte, tração agrícola e produção de leite. Embora os asininos estejam associados a um vasto patrimônio social, cultural, econômico e ecológico, eles perderam importância nas atividades das propriedades rurais, tanto nas economias desenvolvidas dos países europeus como na região Nordeste do Brasil. Não existem estudos específicos de sistemas de produção visando a exploração racional das espécies de asininos no Brasil. Novas perspectivas para o uso do asno na região semiárida brasileira através da indústria leiteira despertou o interesse científico e o interesse dos investidores. O asinino, aliado ao baixo custo de produção e à rusticidade da espécie, tem a capacidade de contribuir para a economia com produtos de alto valor biológico e características terapêuticas. Assim, esta revisão forneceu uma visão ampla do asinino criado no Nordeste do Brasil, observando suas características e relevância para a região. Os benefícios do leite asinino e a necessidade de promover a produção e comercialização deste leite na cadeia produtiva do leite também serão discutidos.

ABSTRACT: Known as an animal of multiple functions, the Equus asinus has always been used for various purposes, such as entertainment, horseback riding, means of transport, agricultural traction and dairy farming. Although, donkeys are associated with a vast heritage of social, cultural, economic and ecological importance, they have lost their importance in the activities of rural properties, both in the developed economies of European countries and in the Northeast region of Brazil. Specific studies of production systems aimed rational exploitation of the donkey species in Brazil do not exist. New perspectives for the use of donkey in the Brazilian semiarid region through the dairy industry has aroused scientific interest and the interest of investors. The donkey, allied to the low production costs and rusticity of the species, has the capacity to contribute to the economy with products of high biological value and therapeutic characteristics. Thus, this review provided a broad view of the donkey bred in the Northeast of Brazil, observing its characteristics and relevance for the region. The benefits of donkey milk and the need to promote the production and marketing of this milk in the dairy production chain will also be discussed.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess a training protocol employed in the Brazilian Northeast region for fitness conditioning of vaquejada horses. For 12 months, 24 Quarter Horses were evaluated under a completely randomized split-plot experimental design in which the plots comprised three age groups: horses at two, three, and four years of age. The split plots were made up of six fitness tests carried out every other month. The fitness test protocol consisted of five levels of protocol exercises on a standard vaquejada track. Prior to the tests with fasted animals, we collected blood samples to determine muscle enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase). During the tests, heart rate, speed, and distance run were recorded using a heart rate monitor. Next, the results were used to calculate speed at which each horse reached 150 bpm (V150), speed at which each horse reached 200 bpm (V200), maximum heart rate (HRmax), maximum speed (Vmax), recovery time needed for the heart rate of horses to return to half the maximum value reached during the fitness tests (HR50%), and recovery time needed for the heart rate of horses to return to baseline values (HRbasal). No difference was found among the age groups for V150, HRmax, Vmax, HR50%, HRbasal, or muscle enzymes. By the final stage of training, the V200 of the three-year-old horses was higher than that of the four-year-old foals. During training, all groups exhibited increases in serum concentrations of muscle enzymes and reductions in efficiency to recover heart rate after exercise. The training protocol assessed is unable to maintain proper fitness for competitions throughout the year.

RESUMO: Objetivou-se analisar as alterações demográficas e biométricas dos animais registrados da raça Mangalarga, ao longo das décadas. Foram utilizadas informações de 206.428 equinos Mangalarga, extraídas do sistema de registro genealógico da Associação Brasileira de Criadores de Cavalos da Raça Mangalarga. Dos animais nascidos entre 1930 e 2018, foram consideradas informações referentes ao sexo, data de nascimento, pelagem, localização do criatório, pontuação obtida no ato do registro genealógico e três medidas corporais dos equinos. Utilizando a medida de altura à cernelha e os perímetros torácico e de canela foram calculados cinco índices morfométricos. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância, utilizando delineamento inteiramente ao acaso em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, sendo as parcelas compostas pelos sexos e as subparcelas constituídas pelas décadas de seleção. Entre 1930 e 1990 houve aumento progressivo na emissão de registros genealógicos, com destaque para as décadas de 70 e 80, quando se registrou maior taxa de crescimento do rebanho. Em 2018 identificou-se criatórios da raça Mangalarga em 23 estados brasileiros, sendo o Estado de São Paulo detentor do maior rebanho, seguido de Minas Gerais e Bahia. Entre 1970 e 2018 registrou-se aumento na altura à cernelha das fêmeas, garanhões e machos castrados, que se tornaram 5,1 cm, 3,1 cm e 2,1 cm mais altos, respectivamente. Enquanto o perímetro torácico dos garanhões aumentou 3,3 cm, o perímetro de canela das fêmeas reduziu 0,34 cm. Concluiu-se que a raça Mangalarga está distribuída por todo o Brasil, com destaque para a região sudeste. Independente do sexo, a seleção aplicada à raça tornou os equinos Mangalarga mais altos. Além disso, os garanhões ficaram mais pesados e com maior perímetro torácico e as fêmeas tornaram-se hipométricas.

ABSTRACT: This study analyzed the demographic and biometric changes in registered animals of the Mangalarga breed over the decades. Information from 206,428 Mangalarga horses born between 1930 and 2018 extracted from the genealogic registry system of the Associação Brasileira de Criadores de Cavalos da Raça Mangalarga was employed. The data referred to sex, birth date, fur coat, breeding site location, score achieved at genealogic registration, and three body measurements. Height at withers and the thoracic and cannon bone circumferences were used to calculate five morphometric indices. Results were submitted to analysis of variance using a completely randomized split-plot design where the plots comprised the sexes and the split-plots comprised the decades of selection. Between 1930 and 1990, genealogic registrations progressively increased, particularly in the 1970s and 80s, when the herd experienced the highest growth rate. In 2018, Mangalarga breeding sites were reported in 23 Brazilian states and the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Bahia held the largest herds. Between 1970 and 2018, the height at withers of mares, stallions, and geldings increased by 5.1, 3.1, and 2.1 cm, respectively. The thoracic circumference of stallions increased by 3.3 cm and the cannon bone circumference of mares decreased by 0.34 cm. It is concluded that the Mangalarga breed is found across Brazil, especially in the Southeast region. Irrespective of sex, the selection of the breed has led to taller Mangalarga horses. In addition, the stallions became heavier and gained thoracic circumference, while mares became hypometric.

ABSTRACT The present study used mobile bags to estimate horse nutrient digestibility of tropical grasses found in semi-arid areas of the Brazilian Northeast region. Five female mixed-breed horses with a mean weight of 400±23 kg were assigned to a 5×5 Latin square design with five periods of seven days and five grasses: Tifton 85 hay ( Cynodon spp. ), sixweeks threeawn ( Aristida adscensionis Linn.), Alexandergrass ( Brachiaria plantaginea (Link) Hitchc), capim-de-raiz ( Chloris orthonoton Doell), and Sabi grass ( Urochloa mosambicensis ). The nutrient content of forages was determined prior to inoculation in horses and after recovery of mobile bags from feces. The digestibility coefficients were determined from the difference between the inoculated and recovered material. The dry matter, organic matter, mineral matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber contents of the grass species were analyzed. Digestibility data were subjected to analysis of variance using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS, version 9.0) software. Higher dry matter digestibility coefficients were observed in Tifton 85 (74.61%), Alexandergrass (74.30%), and capim-de-raiz (68.88%) than in sixweeks threeawn (48.40%) and Sabi grass (52.89%). The highest crude protein digestibility coefficients were found for Alexandergrass (95.70%), Tifton 85 (93.50%), and sixweeks threeawn (93.35%). Sixweeks threeawn had lower apparent mineral matter digestibility than the other grasses. The digestibility coefficients of Alexandergrass and capim-de-raiz indicate that those grasses have potential to be used in equine feed.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the participation frequency and competitive performance of Campolina and Mangalarga Marchador horses in national shows concerning marcha type, sex, and age. To that end, the trial results of national horse shows between 2007 and 2017, comprising 1,781 Campolina and 5,239 Mangalarga Marchador animals, were extracted from the databases of the breeders’ associations of each breed. The results regarding participation frequency in these events and the performance achieved by horses were grouped by breed, marcha type, sex, and age group and then subjected to frequency distribution tests. In both breeds, most animals attended only one national show. However, when the specimens were separated by marcha type, sex, and age, it was observed that 54.39% of marcha batida Campolina males competed twice, with greater participation of adult horses (41.41%) than of young ones (22.22%). For Mangalarga Marchador, irrespective of gait type, the proportion of adult horses (67.22%) that competed was higher than that of young ones (25.63%). For marcha picada competitors, the proportion between young (13.97%) and adult (81.91%) was even higher. It was concluded that, over their competitive careers, most horses of either breed attended only one national show, that marcha picada animals usually compete only when adults, and that marcha batida females compete more often when young. In addition, the age group in which competitors achieve their best performances varies according to the specimen.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to verify whether the criterion of exhibition contests adopted for Campolina and Mangalarga Marchador breeds has been successful in recent years, i.e., if the subsequent generations have the morphology recommended by the standard of the breed allied with high-quality marcha, a four-beat ambling gait. The classifications achieved by each horse during national horse shows in morphology and gait contests underwent Spearman's correlation to verify the number of contests with a correlation between the classifications in the two judgments and those with no correlation. Next, the number of contests with or without such correlation underwent a frequency distribution test considering the variables breed, year, age, marcha category, and sex. Spearman's correlation coefficient (r) of contests with a correlation was also used as a parameter. A difference was observed among years of evaluation only for Mangalarga Marchador horses, with a greater number of contests with correlations between morphological and ambling gait performances between 1998 and 2004. On both breeds, the correlation was found in more contests among foals than adult horses. When Spearman's correlation coefficients were compared, Campolina contests exhibited a higher r than Mangalarga Marchador, 68.14 and 63.68%, respectively. Only Mangalarga Marchador males had higher r value than females, 67.27 and 59.73%, respectively. The contest criterion adopted by Campolina and Mangalarga Marchador associations to select superior individuals does not correlate, in subsequent generations, with the morphology recommended by the standard of the breeds with high-quality marcha progress in the same individuals.