Common questions about equine genomic testing and GenoMatrix services
Common questions about equine genomic testing and GenoMatrix services
Equine genomic testing analyzes genetic variations (SNPs, Indels, structural variants) in a horse's DNA to evaluate hereditary disease risk, athletic aptitude, and pedigree purity. GenoMatrix provides the world's most comprehensive equine genomics analysis service based on a database of 40.15M+ variant positions across 400+ breeds.
We support three collection methods:
1. Hair sampling: Pull 30-50 hairs with follicles from mane or tail, place in paper envelope and mail.
2. Buccal swab: Rub a specialized swab on the inner cheek for 30 seconds, place in preservation tube and mail.
3. Blood sampling: Collect 5-10mL EDTA whole blood, ship cold chain.
Hair and buccal swab collection can be done by the horse owner without veterinary assistance.
Standard: 15-20 business days from sample receipt.
Expedited: 7-10 business days (additional fee).
Deliverables: ① Genomic test report (PDF) ② Variant data files (VCF/TSV) ③ Online Dashboard access ④ Optional: API data interface integration.
Each report includes: ① Clear / Carrier / At-Risk tri-state evaluation results ② Scientific explanation and references for each tested variant ③ Breeding recommendations (where applicable) ④ Optional one-on-one genetic counselor consultation. Our reports are designed for horse owners and breeders without genetics backgrounds — we explain scientific conclusions in accessible language.
NCDS (Neuro-Centric Differentiable System) v3.4 is our proprietary neuro-skeletal-developmental phenotype prediction model. Based on 102 literature-validated functional genes covering neural regulation, skeletal development, and metabolic pathways. Core gene validation rate is 90%, with predictions supported by dual GWAS and WGS evidence sources.
① Full annotation based on the EquCab 3.0 reference genome ② GATK best practices variant calling pipeline ③ VEP + SIFT + PolyPhen-2 triple functional prediction cross-validation ④ Causal variants stratified by Tier A/B/C, with Tier A requiring experimental evidence ⑤ 90% independent validation rate for core genes.
UC Davis VGL is a long-established equine genetic testing laboratory focused on traditional disease detection and pedigree identification. GenoMatrix positions itself as equine genomics data infrastructure — beyond disease detection, we offer athletic aptitude prediction (JumpSport™), causal regulatory networks (JumpChain™), and functional hierarchy systems (JumpHierarchy™). We are also the only database with complete coverage of all 29 Chinese native equine breeds.
We cover 400+ equine breeds worldwide, including Thoroughbred, Arabian, Quarter Horse, Warmblood, Morgan, and Miniature Horse, as well as 29 Chinese native breeds including Mongolian, Yili, Kazakh, Baise, and Tibetan horses. All breeds support hereditary disease screening and genetic ID. Athletic aptitude prediction accuracy varies by breed based on baseline data availability.
GenoMatrix provides 16 RESTful API endpoints supporting gene queries, JumpHealth report generation, athletic assessment, knowledge graph data retrieval, and more. To get started: ① Request an API Key (contact contact@genomatrix.ai) ② Review the API documentation ③ Make HTTPS calls. Technology-agnostic — supports any programming language with HTTP capabilities.
