Caracterização morfológica e proporções lineares do equino "baixadeiro"

Abstract

The equine’s herd "Baixadeiro" represents to the Baixada Maranhense, an important element of socioeconomic status in the development of livestock farming, where the management of herds, and the access to many areas becomes possible thanks to the ability and work carried out by the horse native to the region. Brazil has the fourth largest horse’s herd in the world, with 5,514,253 million horses. With approximately a dozen equine’s races naturalised, the majority is under the threat of extinction, mainly due to indiscriminate breeding with animals of exotic breeds. However, the integrity of the racial group "Horse Baixadeiro" is threatened due to constant crossing with animals from other races and the lack of adequate management of the flock. With the objective of characterizing the morphology of the horse "Baixadeiro", aiming the recognition of this group as a race, visits were made to properties located in the municipality of Pinheiro-MA, in the region of Baixada Maranhense. The morphometric measurements of quantitative character were measured with the aid of an adapted hipometer. Subsequently, for the elaboration of the results, all the averages of each measure were found. The morphometrics measures of quantitative character with the one aid had been surveyed adapted hipometro. Later, for the elaboration of the results, all the averages of each measure had been found. Found the averages, the same ones had been analyzed and compared with the values considered for the Eclectic System of Lesbre. The results had demonstrated however that the “Baixadeiro” soon presented few changes in its linear measures to of these the 12 years, in the long run, this grouping run a serious risk of extinguishing. In accordance with the Ecletic System of Lesbre (1920) and cited by Torres and Jardim (1981), the horse “Baixadeiro” is an animal totally disproportionate, presenting discrepantes values in relation to the Eclectic System.