Effect of cross breeding and amount of finishing diet on growth parameters, carcass and meat composition of foals slaughtered at 15Â months of age

► Effects of cross breeding and finishing feed on growth, performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of foals. ► Meat production yield was higher in HB × GM foals. ► Carcass indexes, related to carcass and leg conformation were also higher in crossed foals. ► Genotype did not affect any physical-chemical trait, while finishing foals with 3 kg of fodder quadrupled intramuscular fat value. ► Nutritive profiles (both fatty and amino acids composition) were not influenced by genotype whereas finishing effect modified almost all fatty acid finding.