Horse Genetics Resources
Did you know that nearly thirty different types of dominant white have been found in horses so far? They are all different mutations in one gene, called the KIT gene. Horses are unique among domesticated animals in having so many different variants…
Our latest monthly mystery horse is a gorgeous part-bred Arab/TB called Tanlee Romeo. He has a chocolate coat that is lighter than most smokey blacks (black buckskins) but more evenly coloured that most dark buckskins. He also has a very large blaze,…
For our next mystery coat colour project we’ve chosen Tanlee Romeo, an Anglo Arab. Romeo is dark brown with a wide blaze, four high socks and a white tail tip. His eyes are brown. Romeo’s dam is dark brown or black with…
Chromosomal abnormalities can cause untreatable infertility and happen in all horse and pony breeds. We are looking a few different technologies so that you can test your horse or pony for chromosomal abnormalities without needing to send samples overseas. The most common…
One of the frequently asked questions here is “Do I need to put in a new order to get more tests done?” The answer is no, you don’t. Just email us with your request, and we’ll check we have enough DNA left…
One of the tests we are working on at the moment is Splashed White 3 (SW3). When that’s up and running we will have the full SW1/SW2/SW3 set! Our SW3 test is nearly ready to go, but we’d love a sample from…
We’ve refined our HERDA test. HERDA is an autosomal recessive disorder, meaning that it is not sex-linked, and that HERDA carriers with one copy of the gene are not affected. HERDA is part of the Quarter Horse and Paint Horse 5-panel, and…
Here’s how to take a hair sample from your horse for testing In the PHG lab we start your testing by extracting DNA from the horse hair samples you send us. This is what our instructions say about taking the sample: “Choose…
How do we improve a test? Mostly we tweak it to improve the sensitivity or robustness. We want all our tests to work perfectly with tiny amounts of DNA. We also want clear and accurate results no matter whether we use a…
We are excited to finally have a test up and running for the Colourful Gambler line of Australian dominant white horses. This specific mutation has been assigned the name W27. Just like W22 (see previous post), W27 can cause variable amounts of…