Background:

Equine breeding systems are not frequently studied in their general operation. The objective of the work was to fully characterize equine farms in the province of Azuay, Ecuador.

Methods:

45 equine breeding units were sampled, of more than five animals and with more than two years of establishment, of a total of 63 that are registered by the authorized state agency of the province of Azuay. The information considered area, pasture, animal, zootechnical, reproductive, health and expense variables. The analyzes provided the basic statisticians, the main components with Varimax rotation and the analysis of k-means type conglomerates and the statisticians of each conglomerate.

Results:

The first component explained more than a third of the total variation and related the determinant variables in infrastructure, total area, pasture and the area of facilities. The second component is correlated with the number of births and the repetition of jealousy. The third component is correlated with care and greater welfare for the animals. Two conglomerates were found, differentiated essentially by their areas, number of animals, availability of resources and reproductive behavior.

Conclusions:

Nowadays, the equine systems of the province of Azuay have in the improvement of the grasslands, the care of the animals and the reproductive behavior the main factors to attend to improve their functioning.