Characteristics of the Donkey's Dorsal Profile in Relation to Its Functional Body Condition Assessment.
Authors: Maśko Małgorzata, Wierzbicka Małgorzata, Zdrojkowski Łukasz, Jasiński Tomasz, Pawliński Bartosz, Domino Małgorzata
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Donkey Dorsal Profile Assessment and Body Condition Geometric morphometric analysis of 40 donkeys' dorsal profiles reveals that fatty neck score and body condition score significantly alter both the size and shape of the back, with these two parameters showing the strongest correlations (p < 0.0001 for shape changes), whilst dental condition, sex, and breed primarily affect profile shape rather than overall dimensions. The study employed digital photograph analysis to quantify back contours using principal component analysis, demonstrating that fatty neck score produced the most pronounced morphological variation between categories (Mahalanobis distances ≥ 13.26), substantially exceeding differences between sexes or breeds. Notably, body condition scores 1 and 2 showed minimal dorsal profile separation (Mahalanobis distance = 4.70), suggesting limited distinction between these adjacent categories when assessed via back conformation alone. For equine professionals undertaking welfare assessments or monitoring donkeys' metabolic health, incorporating both neck and body condition scoring alongside visual dorsal profile evaluation provides a more comprehensive diagnostic picture than relying on back shape in isolation—particularly important given donkeys' predisposition to cresty necks and regional fat deposition that may mask or amplify underlying skeletal changes.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Donkey welfare assessments should incorporate both body condition and fatty neck scoring alongside dorsal profile evaluation, as these significantly influence back conformation
- •Fatty neck score is the most sensitive indicator of dorsal profile changes and should be prioritized when assessing donkey body condition and potential back problems
- •When evaluating donkey dorsal profiles for saddle fit, workload capacity, or welfare concerns, consider that BCS and FNS are the primary drivers of back shape variation across individuals
Key Findings
- •Fatty neck score (FNS) and body condition score (BCS) significantly affected both size and shape of donkey dorsal profiles (FNS p < 0.0001, BCS p < 0.0001)
- •Dental condition score, sex, and breed affected only dorsal profile shape, not size (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0264, p < 0.0001 respectively)
- •FNS showed the greatest morphometric distances between categories (MD ≥ 13.26; PD ≥ 0.044), making it the strongest predictor of dorsal profile deformation
- •First three principal components explained 74.18% of total variance in dorsal profile geometry (PC1 = 37.41%, PC2 = 23.43%, PC3 = 13.34%)