Frequently Asked Questions

We DO NOT sell any physical items nor do we claim to. We don't take your shipping address at checkout (just your billing address) either. All over our website in several spots it clearly states that you mail us your horse's DNA hair sample (you only need a regular envelope, a stamp, and to print out the DNA submission form). This is not a human or dog DNA test - you do not use a swab therefore there is nothing we could even send to you.

You can print the DNA sample submission sheet by clicking here.

Our main mailing address is:

DNA My Horse
203 Main Street #132, Flemington, NJ 08822

As a environmentally conscious company, we are committed to sustainability, and therefore, all results are exclusively delivered via email to minimize paper usage. You have the option to print the results at your convenience. In the event that you don't have access to a computer or printer, numerous professional printing companies are available to assist you with a physical copy. Thank you for joining us in our efforts to reduce environmental impact.

No problem! Just e-mail us at info@dnamyhorse.com with your horse's picture. Let us know what name the order was placed under or the order number.

Every horse will receive their own personalized report. If you sent us your horse's picture (picture is optional), it will be included on the report cover and on the special breed composition certificate. The breed composition certificate can be printed out for display or shared on your social media. The report also includes what breed(s) is in your horse's genetic makeup as well as an explanation of the results. Depending on your horse's breed composition, your report will include info about your horse's breed(s). This information includes diseases and health problems that are prominent for that breed as well as tons of other information including the breed's proper nutrition, uses, origin, temperament, conformation, etc.

Every horse breed test includes a free parentge search. We will search our database for dam and sire matches for your horse. Any matches found will be named in your results.

Please note that our horse breed composition test does not include a DNA Typing Report; the latter can be purchased for an extra fee separately.

Although the lab we use is highly accurate, no medical, scientific, or genetic testing is ever 100% accurate - there are simply too many places for errors to occur. The errors can come from any number of places (barn, persons handling samples, allele dropout, heat degradation, contamination, etc.) and any result should be checked against good strong controls, then rechecked, then questioned.

The analysis of your horse's DNA sample is conducted with a reasonable level of certainty. However, it's important to acknowledge the possibility of random changes within your horse's DNA that may influence the results. Our testing procedures and database are designed to recognize and minimize the impact of such changes. It's crucial to note that while the test is a valuable tool, no analytical test can claim 100% accuracy. DNA My Horse cannot be held responsible for any inferences drawn about individual horses based on the provided information.

The test is reasonably good but there is no way to determine how accurate it is. If a purebred horse is tested it will almost always be assigned to the correct breed. The more breeds involved in a cross the lower the probability that a good result will be delivered.

Another point is that breeds within a group of related breeds will be given similar probabilities. Thus, the subject horse may be purebred Paint but the test results may show Quarter Horse. This is because these stock breeds are very similar at the level we can test at. Or a subject horse may be purebred Holsteiner but the results show Trakehner.

Our DNA test identifies breed composition based on genetic similarity—meaning it can detect if your horse’s DNA closely matches the genetic profile of a specific breed. However, it cannot confirm purebred status with 100% certainty.

Here’s why:

A horse can genetically match a breed very strongly, suggesting it is likely purebred, but without official registration papers or verified parentage through a breed association, DNA testing alone cannot officially certify a horse as purebred.

Some purebred horses may show small percentages of other related breeds in their DNA results due to shared ancestry across breeds (especially in breeds that historically crossed bloodlines).

DNA tests are different from breed registries. Breed registries require documented lineage, while DNA testing measures genetic similarity to known breed profiles.

In short: DNA testing is an excellent tool for identifying likely breed makeup, but it does not replace official registration or pedigree verification for determining purebred status.

We test for genetic markers unique to each horse breed. Many breeds share these genetic traits together which means some tested horses may show closer affinity to a related breed than to the one it actually comes from. A horse's DNA is carried down generation to generation with some markers that get passed on. It is not possible to identify the generation the markers come from. We report the likelihood of the horse being from the breed identified based on the markers present, whether recent or in the past. While our test aims for recent breed composition, the results may show breed(s) that are further back in the pedigree.

You can share your results with friends and family as many of our customers do! The beautiful personalized DNA reports and breed composition certificates can be printed and displayed or saved onto your computer. If we are able to find your horse's parentage, this allows owners to get a more complete picture of their horse's history.

Most of all, our customers are just thrilled to find out what breed their horse(s) are!

We can possibly find out if your horse is registered if the DNA is flagged in our system for a previously tested match during testing if we were given the information (via testing by previous owner or DNA marker/info submission by previous owner, breeder, etc)

In some instances, clients were able to find out their horses were registered through parentage matches we have found (they contacted the breeder).

The outcomes of our testing process are not predetermined, and we discover the details only after conducting the test and a parentage search in our database.

Our parentage matching process requires that we have both the sire and dam on file in our database to confirm a match. This is because identifying parentage involves comparing your horse’s DNA markers to those of both potential parents. Without DNA from both the sire and dam on file in our database, we cannot conclusively determine parentage, as the process depends on matching inherited markers from both sides.

If parentage matches are found, the sire and dam's names will be included in your horse's DNA report. However, we are legally unable to disclose additional details, such as owner names or contact information, without the owner's consent. If permission is granted by the sire and/or dam's owner, we can facilitate contact between you and them.

If parentage is identified for a particular horse, we cannot guarantee that the results will be accepted by any specific registry or association. Some breed organizations require genetic testing to be conducted exclusively through their designated partner laboratories. In such cases, any parentage findings from our testing would need to be reverified through the registry’s approved laboratory to meet their requirements.

**We are looking to build partnerships with breed organizations, DNA banks, breeders, to be able to have access to more DNA markers to search against in our database.

To order the horse breed/ancestry DNA test which includes a free parentage search, simply click here to order the test online. Upon completing your purchase, please mail us the DNA Submission Sheet (click to open), along with your horse's hair sample, using a regular envelope and stamp. All mailing and pulling instructions are on the sheet. Once we receive your horse's hair sample by mail, we will promptly notify you via email. After conducting the necessary tests, we will then email you the comprehensive results, presented in beautifully crafted reports that make for a wonderful keepsake. The breed certificate, included in the email, can be easily shared on social media or printed out for display.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, DNA test results for your horse may come back inconclusive (as can happen with any lab test), and we cannot always pinpoint the exact reason. This can happen due to several factors:

1. Allele Dropout: This occurs when certain genetic markers fail to be detected, leading to incomplete data.
2. DNA Degradation: DNA can degrade, making it difficult to obtain clear results.
3. Contamination: If the sample is contaminated by foreign DNA, it can interfere with the accuracy of the test.
4. Environmental Damage: If the sample envelope gets wet, overheated, or otherwise damaged during transit, the DNA can be compromised.
5. Algorithm Limitations: Our breed identification algorithm may struggle to narrow down ancestry when the horse’s genetic background is diverse or when the ancestry is too distant, making recent breed composition difficult to determine.
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These factors can make it challenging to get conclusive results, but we’re committed to working with you to try and resolve any issues, which may include retesting with a new sample.

Inconclusive results are frustrating, but they reflect the complexities of DNA testing and the importance of proper sample collection and handling. If the inconclusive result was due to an algorithm limitation, we recommend retesting in six months after updates are made to our algorithm.

No, a DNA test cannot determine your horse’s exact age. However, some clients have been able to learn their horse’s age through our database. If the horse has been previously tested by us or if its DNA profile was submitted by an owner or breeder, age and registration details may already be on file. Additionally, some clients have successfully identified their horse’s parentage through our test, allowing them to locate the breeder and verify the horse’s age independently.