Science & Equine

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Written by Anouk van Breukelen
Posted in Breeding

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Cresty neck in Pura Raza Español horses

Cresty neck is a morphological defect in Pura Raza Español (PRE) horses and other baroque type breeds. The causes underlying  the condition are currently unknown. However, it seems that they relate to dysfunction of the neck muscles and accumulation of fat deposits in the dorsal neck. The expansion of tissue in the neck may be associated with metabolic states like insulin resistance.

Cresty neck is a prevalent defect in PRE horses, with nearly 9% of the population showing the defect (score > 5). The cresty neck is associated with: age, sex, coat colour and other conformational traits. It has a moderate level of heritability, which means that breeding to select against this trait is possible.

> From: Sánchez et al., Equine Veterinary Journal 49 (2016) 196-200. All rights reserved to EVJ Ltd.. Click here for the online summary.

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