This work aimed to evaluate body measures of colts and fillies of Mangalarga Marchador breed with principal components analysis. Measures were performed at birth week, in 55 colts and 41 fillies; at six months of age, in 35 colts and 37 fillies; and at twelve months of age, in 19 colts and 31 fillies. There were made 25 linear measures, including height, length, width and girth, and 11 angular measures. Evaluation of animals with 12 months of age was made with 19 linear and 11 angular measures. Analysis of linear measures in newly born reduced the number of measures from 25 to 7 and 9 in fillies and colts, respectively, while for angular measures the reduction was from 11 to 6 and 7 in the fillies and colts, respectively. Analysis of linear measures in animals with six months age reduced the number of measures from 25 to 8 and 9, in the fillies and colts, respectively, while for angular measures the reduction was from 11 to 6, in both sexes. At twelve months of age the reduction of linear measures was from 19 to 6 and 5, for fillies and colts, respectively, while for angular measures the reduction was from 11 to 6 and 5, for fillies and colts, respectively. Principal components analysis was efficient to reduce the number of linear and angular measures for morfometric evaluation of colts and fillies, with larger reduction among linear measures. The two first principal components, in the different evaluated ages, did not explained 80% of total variation available, and were not possible to judge at two-dimensional level
angular measures; horse; linear measures; morfometric
