title: Correlations between cresty neck scores and post-mortem nape fat measurements in horses, obtained after photographic image analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity and emaciation in horses have major detrimental effects on health and morbidity, reproductive failure, work performance or carcass quality. Scoring is a current management tool used to assess and monitor equine body condition due to its simplicity and low cost. However, accurate assessment of obesity remains a challenge, even though a number of approaches have been tested, particularly for research purposes on adiposity. Their merit is usually validated by comparison with standard scoring methods. The overall aim of this study was to establish the correlation between post-mortem nape fat measurements obtained after photographic image analysis and cresty neck score (CNS) in horses. Data were collected from seventeen horses with a hot carcass weight of 165 ± 51 kg. Pre-slaughter CNS measurements were obtained using a six-point scale (from 0 to 5). Image capture was performed post-mortem, in the slaughter line; for each carcass, images of the dorsal and medial views were collected and afterwards transferred to a computer for analysis. After outlining the cresty neck fat, its area, major axis and thickness were determined. Correlation coefficients between nape fat measurements, CNS and carcass fatness were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The horses in the study show similar variation for CNS and hot carcass weight [Coefficient of variation (CV) = 32 and 31 %, respectively], but a high variation for carcass fattening (CV = 41 %). The nape fat area measurement was the parameter exhibiting the greatest variation (CV = 50 %). Correlations established between CNS and the variables tested revealed the existence of moderate to strong correlations among CNS, nape fat measurements, and carcass fatness. The highest correlation coefficients were found between CNS and nape fat thickness (r = 0.882; P < 0.01). The linear regression between CNS and nape fat thickness accounted for 77 % of the recorded variation for nape fat thickness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed that there is a strong correlation between horse CNS and post-mortem nape fat measurements or carcass fatness.
authors: Zootecnia Department, Centro de Ciência Animal E Veterinária, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors: Severiano R
authors: SR
authors: Silva
authors: Zootecnia Department, Centro de Ciência Animal E Veterinária, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal. rtpayan@gmail.com.
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Payan-Carreira
authors: Zootecnia Department, Centro de Ciência Animal E Veterinária, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors: Cristina M
authors: CM
authors: Guedes
authors: Zootecnia Department, Centro de Ciência Animal E Veterinária, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors: Simão
authors: S
authors: Coelho
authors: EUVG-Escola Universitária Vasco da Gama, Campus Universitário, Bloco B, Lordemão, 3020-210, Coimbra, Portugal.|CITAB, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors: Ana Sofia
authors: AS
authors: Santos
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D006736:Horses / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D010781:Photography / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Adiposity; Body condition; Cresty neck score; Horses; Image analysis; Obesity