The Agouti gene (A) is involved with the production of both red (pheomelanin) and black (eumelanin) pigments. It regulates the relative amounts of each pigment produced in melanocytes (pigment-producing cells) in different regions of the horse’s body. A functional version (AA or Ae) results in a horse that has a base color of bay with black mane, tail, legs and ear tips. Two...

Horses with one or two copies of the Champagne mutation will have diluted coat color, including mane and tail. Classic Champagne (black base color), Gold Champagne (chestnut base color), Amber Champagne (bay base color) are possible.

The Cream mutation dilutes the red pigment (phaeomelanin) in the hair. It is incomplete dominant: one copy of the cream dilution (n/Cr) results in Palomino and Buckskin coat colors; Smoky Black (black carrying cream) horses look the same as normal black. With two copies of the Cream variant (Cr/Cr), the dilution effect is complete, giving the Cremello, Perlino, and Smoky...

Dun is the original coat color of all horses (wild-type). Over time, two mutations (nd1 and nd2) caused the now wide-spread undiluted phenotypes most modern horses display. Horses with one or two copies of this variant (D/D, D/nd1, D/nd2) are Dun and show the diluted coat color and the primitive markings (zebra stripes, dorsal stripe) on their legs and back. A dun horse must...

Horses with two copies of the MC1R variant (ee) are chestnut (red, sorrel) in color. Horses with only one copy of this variant (Ee) are bay or black-based (depending upon their variants at the Agouti locus), but carry chestnut. A horse that does not carry the variant (EE) cannot have a chestnut foal, even if bred to a chestnut horse.

The test detects the mutation in the STX17 gene (a 4.6 kb intronic duplication) which is causative for the Grey coat color. It is also a risk factor for melanoma. The inheritance is autosomal dominant. Horses with one or two copies of the genetic variant (n/G or G/G) will grey with time. This test detects if a horse has one or two copies of the Grey mutation.

Leopard Complex Spotting (LP) produces characteristic traits including white stripes on hooves, visible white sclera in eyes, speckled/mottled skin around the eyes, muzzle and genital regions, and progressive “varnish roan” coat color. Alone, (LP) may only show these characteristics on an otherwise solid-colored horse. Other genetic variants interact with LP; the Pattern-1...

The KIT Noriker roan allele has been found in Noriker, Lipizzan, Quarter Horse, Murgese and some draft breeds. It is not the classical roan mutation found in most roan quarter horses, but it has not yet been tested in a wide variety of breeds.

PATN1 is a modifier of the Leopard Spotting Complex. If a horse has Pattern-1 and LP, the foal will show an increased amount of white on its body (often more than 60%). If a horse has Pattern-1 without LP, there is no phenotypic effect on the coat color.

Pearl is a dilution factor also known as the "Barlink factor". It is a mutation in the same gene as the Cream mutation. Pearl is autosomal recessive. Two copies of pearl (prl/prl) are necessary to see the dilution. A pearl carrier (N/prl) has no dilution alone unless it also has a copy of the Cream variant (n/Cr).

PSSM1 is a form of exercise intolerance in which a disorder of the sugar metabolism of the muscles causes muscle damage.
The test detects the mutation (c.926G>A) in the GYS1 gene which causes PSSM1. The inheritance is incomplete autosomal dominant. Horses with one or two copies of the genetic variant (n/P1 or P1/P1) are at risk to develop symptoms of PSSM1; those with two...

Height in animals depends on multiple factors including genes and the environment. One genetic variant (a single basepair change in the LCORL-regulatory region) has a strong influence on height in warmblood horses. This test enables breeders to predict a horse’s adult height before they are fully grown (accuracy: 70% ; +/- 5 cm) and to plan breedings to select for taller or...