Frequently Asked Questions

No, we do not sell or ship any physical items because our testing process does not require a swab (like human or dog DNA tests), there is nothing for us to send. Instead, you collect your horse’s DNA sample using a small amount of hair and mail it to us yourself along with the DNA Sample Submission Form.

At checkout, we only collect your billing address, not a shipping address. Our website clearly explains our testing process in multiple places. All you need is a regular envelope, a stamp, and to print and include the DNA submission form with your sample. It's a simple and efficient process designed specifically for horses.

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

Our main mailing address is:

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. All results are emailed only, we do not offer paper copies.  

We cannot give percentages of each breed at this time. Our breed test identifies the presence of different breeds within the horse’s composition but doesn’t break down how much of each breed comes from specific ancestors (such as the sire, dam, etc). This is because breed development over time often involves a mix of influences, which can make it difficult to isolate specific percentages.

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.

If you submit DNA for your horse along with known sire and/or dam samples under your account, we will perform a parentage confirmation at no additional cost, provided all samples meet testing requirements. Please note: We no longer conduct database-wide parentage searches due to privacy and operational constraints. We’re excited to share that in the future we’ll be rolling out updates to our software, including the reintroduction of database-wide parentage searches once the new system is fully implemented. To better protect customer privacy, these updates will also include a private messaging feature, allowing users to connect with the owners of any matched sires and dams - only if both parties choose to engage in communication. This ensures a secure and respectful experience for all users while making it easier to explore potential parentage connections.

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.

As per our terms and conditions on our website, results of any kind are not guaranteed; there are limitations of our algorithm depending on a horse's breed combination or issues with samples (caused by degradation, contamination, etc).

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.

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)

If you submit DNA for your horse along with known sire and dam samples under your account, we will perform a parentage confirmation at no additional cost, provided all samples meet testing requirements. To make a match, we must have both the sire and dam on file under your account.

Please note: At this time, we no longer conduct database-wide parentage searches due to privacy and operational constraints.

We’re excited to share that in the future we’ll be rolling out updates to our software, including the reintroduction of database-wide parentage searches once the new system is fully implemented.

To better protect customer privacy, these updates will also include a private messaging feature, allowing users to connect with the owners of any matched sires and dams - only if both parties choose to engage in communication. This ensures a secure and respectful experience for all users while making it easier to explore potential parentage connections.

We look forward to bringing you these new tools and will keep you updated as they become available.

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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We are not able to gurantee results of any kind, as per our website's terms and conditions.

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. We stand by our commitment to only delivering findings we believe are accurate and meaningful, and we greatly appreciate your patience and understanding.

No, a DNA test cannot determine your horse’s exact age.