ELEMENTAL PROFILE OF YAKUTIAN HERD HORSE MANES UNDER EXTENSIVE MANAGEMENT CONDITIONS

The aim of the study is to evaluate the elemental profile of the mane of herd horses in Yakutia under extensive management conditions. The study was conducted in March 2025 in five districts of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). The objects of the study were five groups of fertile mares (n = 25, 5 animals per group): the Prilensky breed (Khangalassky District), the Megezheksky breed (Nyurbinsky District), the indigenous type of the Yakut breed (Amginsky and Megino-Kangalassky Districts), and the Indigirka type of the Yakut breed (Abyisky District). The content of 25 elements in mane samples was determined using atomic emission and mass spectrometry. Statistical processing was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn's test with Bonferroni correction. Statistically significant differences between the groups in the content of 21 elements were revealed (p < 0.05). Horses of the Prilenskaya breed had higher concentrations of Ca (1447.2 μg/g), Mg (431.2), P (347.8), Cu (6.55), Co (0.187), Li (0.377 μg/g), as well as As, Cd, Pb and Ni. The heat map showed excess of standard values for Mn (15.01 μg/g), Si (60.4–93.1), Hg (0.022), As (0.151), Cd (0.103), Pb (0.151–1.17), Ni (0.626) and Co (0.187 μg/g), which was most pronounced in the Prilenskaya breed. All groups showed a deficiency of Na and K. The identified specific elemental status of Prilenskaya horses is due to year-round grazing on island floodplain pastures with flooded soils, where anaerobic conditions increase the bioavailability of toxic elements. The heavy metal content in the mane reflects the environmental characteristics of the pastures and long-term geochemical exposure.