Parentage tests

DNA verification of parentage must be complete before registration and branding of all horses with Russian origin.

Parentage can be verified by several methods. The most common verification test in Russia to date has been via a Blood Test. The advantages of the blood test in Russia are as follows:

• It is the easiest test to perform and is less expensive to owners.
• The database of horses from the past that have been tested this way. This means that if your horse has not had parental verification as a foal and his dam or sire has already passed, the only way to confirm the origin is to complete simple blood test. The probability that your horse’s Russian parents have a blood test on file in the database is a about 99%.

So, the blood test is a good way for horse owners in Russia to verify parentage. But it is not the best way for owners of Russian horses outside of Russia. For example, there is only one lab in UK who can conduct this test and maintains a long-term relationships with the Russian official lab.

Beginning in 2006, the Russian laboratory has started to work with DNA test methods for parentage verification. There are two ways of tests:

• DNA test based on blood and
• DNA test based on hair samples

They both give the same result, as you can see in the example below. Opushka is the son of Pavich. Pavich has a blood sample DNA test on file. Opushka, however, has completed  a hair sample DNA test. This is not a problem, Because the test is for DNA verification, no matter which method of DNA test has been selected the verification will be the same. In our example below, Opushka has been confirmed to be by Pavich.

DNA CONFIRMATION OF RUSSIAN HORSES OUTSIDE RUSSIA

1. If the dam or sire of your horses used to live in Russia and have passed or can not be DNA tested there is only one way for you to confirm the origin:

                 You can contact Equine Research Station in UK and complete simple blood test in case you think that the                       dam and sire have been blood-tested in Russia and send us the result.

2. If your horse’s dam and sire are still alive and stand in Russia and can be DNA tested:

• You can go to your nearest lab and complete DNA test and then send to us.
• You can contact UC Davis, the USA lab partner for DNA and then send to us.
• You can collect hair samples and DHL or post them by regular mail to Russia. The test will cost about $50 per horse.

Please take in account that sometime the dam and sire owners of your horse don’t want to pay for a DNA test if it has not been done before. In this case, you should be ready to pay for additional test.

Address of the laboratories:

UK:

Equine Research Station, P.O. Box 5, Babaton Lodge, Newmarket, Suffolk

www.aht.org.uk

John.haslam@aht.org.uk

USA:

UC Davis

www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/forms/Equine_ID_Form.pdf

530.752.2211 phone

or call Donna Ray at 817.295.6293 for assistance in North America

Russia:

Tatiana Kozlovskaya

E-mail to: tatiana@russianwarmblood.com

DEU