DNA Testing for performance and Breeding

[karenkarenn]

Hello
Has anyone had any DNA testing for Performance or Breeding done on their horses. I know that there is two companies that are doing it in Ky.
Anyone have any experience with it.
Karen

[majxmom]

Hmmm....I wonder why this would be necessary when you can trace back the pedigree of every Thoroughbred to the 1700's, and see for yourself how many winners and stakes horses. Doesn't seem like a good business model for performance horses with a registry that has such outstanding record keeping.

I did see something similar at PETCO, a DNA kit that can tell you what breeds of dog go into your mutt. I thought it was kind of neat but at $69, the price kind of scared me off of what was essentially a novelty thing.

[ArchDandy]

Those dog DNA kits aren't reliable. Owners of pedigreed stock tried them and received multiple breeds. I thought the "performance testing" was to help decipher which distance the horse should run ie sprinter, middle, or long distance. Although I'm pretty sure comparing the dosage profile with the conduit mare profile should give you a good idea.

[majxmom]

Those dog DNA kits aren't reliable. Owners of pedigreed stock tried them and received multiple breeds.

Thanks! I wondered about that very thing.

I thought the "performance testing" was to help decipher which distance the horse should run ie sprinter, middle, or long distance.

Tom Owens was touting doing a muscle fiber analysis for determining the same thing, back in the '80s. Personally, I'd rather just run them and find out! You know you'd always wonder anyway. And if your horse stops when going long, you'll just sprint them. Sometimes we expect too much from data.

[da hossman]

And if they are "slow" sprinters the DNA results won't help them anymore than if they are "slow" distance horses!

[karenkarenn]

I was kinda hoping for someone to reply that has had experience with these tests. I'm reading alot of people who are GUESSING at what the tests does but I dont read any facts. I did call to get more info on what the test results say and these tests have nothing to do with the horses parentage, or how slow any horse has been.