Horses
Genetic Uniqueness of Horses
Horses combine a number of amazing, perhaps even contradictory characteristics that make them unique in the animal kingdom. They are large, strong, and energetic, yet incredibly gentle and willing — strong enough to carry a rider, remarkably athletic to do it over long distances and varied terrain, yet calm and cooperative enough to actually do so. And science shows that genetics is behind it.
Genetic Health Panel Tests
If you’ve ever been around Paint or Quarter Horses, you have probably heard of health panel tests, more specifically, 5-, 6-, or 7-panel tests. A genetic health panel test is an umbrella term for multiple tests targeting several diseases, with the exact number of covered diseases varying between different panels. The respective associations overseeing these breeds may require these panel tests when registering horses for breeding, especially in the case of stallions.
Leopard Complex and Eye Health Issues
The leopard complex is a group of white spotting patterns, including the leopard, few-spot leopard, snowcap blanket, lace blanket, spotted blanket, varnish roan, snowflake, and frosted, speckled, and mottled patterns.
The Speed Gene
Horses are an exceptionally athletic species, and even though many of their traditional purposes have faded away over time, some reasons why we, humans, keep them remain. In the past, horses were generally kept for reasons different from today’s. While the number of horses kept solely for sport and status used to be low, today, sport horses, along with leisure horses, represent the majority of the population.
Genetics in the Face of Doping
At the beginning of the year, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced that racehorses in Britain would undergo testing for gene doping with immediate effect. Gene doping has been banned since 2004 by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) both in humans and animals, and so far, there is no evidence that gene doping is actually taking place in horses.
Basics of Equine Colour Genetics
One of the first things everyone notices about a horse is its colour. Sometimes it’s pretty clear what colour a horse is, while at other times it sparks a full-on discussion — often about foals and young horses — regarding their actual colour. However, genetics can give you a straightforward answer. To some extent — while the main genetic mechanisms are known, some colour variants and their interactions still require clarification.
Popular Sire Effect
You may have noticed that all horses in the 2025 Kentucky Derby are descendants of Secretariat. From a genetic perspective, this is an example of a relatively common trend in breeding: breeding mares to top-performing stallions. These sires are often exceptional in some way and therefore preferred by breeders, who hope their qualities will be passed on to their offspring. However, these breeding decisions inevitably shape the entire breed population, not always for the better. Let’s discuss what is known as the popular sire effect.