Effect of Gender on Meat Quality from Adult Obsolescent Horses.
Authors: Razmaitė Violeta, Šveistienė Rūta, Račkauskaitė Alma, Jatkauskienė Virginija
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Gender Effects on Horse Meat Quality Researchers in Lithuania examined how gender influences meat composition and quality in adult horses slaughtered at the end of their working lives, analysing deep pectoral muscle samples from 26 animals ranging from 3 to 21 years old. Stallions produced notably leaner meat than mares and geldings, with significantly lower intramuscular fat content (p<0.001) and reduced dry matter, alongside higher cholesterol levels—characteristics reflecting their endocrine profile and muscular phenotype. Whilst stallion meat demonstrated superior tenderness and a more favourable polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio (suggesting better cardiovascular health benefits), it exhibited higher pH and less favourable omega-6 to omega-3 ratios compared with female and castrated animals. Age proved insignificant in determining muscle properties despite the wide span studied, indicating that meat quality remains consistent across older horses. For equine professionals involved in end-of-life decisions or marketing of horse meat products, these findings suggest that gender—rather than age alone—should inform expectations of carcass composition and nutritional profile, though all groups demonstrated commercially acceptable quality standards.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Gender influences meat composition in obsolescent horses, with stallions producing leaner meat with favorable fatty acid profiles—relevant for producers considering end-of-life options
- •Advanced age alone does not compromise meat quality in horses, suggesting viability of utilizing older horses for meat production
- •Horse meat demonstrates nutritional benefits with favorable polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles compared to other livestock, potentially relevant for equine nutrition discussions with owners
Key Findings
- •Stallions had significantly lower dry matter content and intramuscular fat compared to mares and geldings (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001 respectively)
- •Stallion meat demonstrated higher cholesterol content than mares (p < 0.01) and lower toughness than mares and geldings (p < 0.01)
- •Stallions showed higher polyunsaturated fatty acid proportion and more favorable PUFA/SFA ratio compared to mares and geldings (p < 0.05)
- •Horse age (3-21 years) did not significantly affect meat quality properties despite end-of-life status