Frequently Asked Questions

All results are delivered by email to the name and email address listed on the submission form. This allows us to provide a faster turnaround while also reducing paper usage.

If you would like a physical copy, you are welcome to print your results at home or use a professional printing service.

No, photos are completely optional and are not required. If you choose to include a photo, it can be featured on your horse’s breed certificate and on the cover of your DNA report. Many of our customers enjoy this added personal touch, particularly when sharing their results or keeping them as a keepsake or gift.

No problem at all just email your horse’s photo to info@dnamyhorse.co.uk. Please include your order number or the name the order was placed under so we can match the photo to the correct test.

Each horse receives a personalised DNA report delivered by email. If you submit a photo of your horse (optional), it can be featured on the report cover and on the breed composition certificate. The certificate can be printed for display or shared on social media.

Your report identifies the most likely breed influences detected in your horse’s genetic make-up and includes an explanation of the results. Depending on the breeds identified, the report may also include breed-related information such as origin, uses, temperament, conformation, nutrition, and health considerations commonly associated with those breeds.

Please note that horse breed testing is not an exact science. The results are intended to provide insight into the most likely breed influences present in your horse’s DNA, but not every possible influence may appear. In some cases, one or more of the reported breeds may reflect deeper ancestral influence rather than recent breed composition, and closely related breeds may receive similar probabilities due to shared genetic foundations. Exact breed percentages cannot be provided.

Please also note that our horse breed composition test does not include a DNA Typing Report. DNA typing may be purchased separately for an additional fee.

The free parentage search included with your test allows us to carry out parentage confirmation when your horse’s DNA is submitted along with possible sire and dam samples under the same account, provided all samples meet testing requirements and each horse has a prepaid test. The confirmation requires both the sire and dam DNA on file under your account. Please note that we do not currently offer database-wide parentage searches. At this time, parentage confirmation is limited to horses submitted under the same account.

We use our own proprietary bio-algorithm to analyse your horse’s DNA and identify the most likely breed influences present in its genetic background. Horse genetics can be complex and many breeds share overlapping foundations, the results should be viewed as an informative tool rather than an exact pedigree reconstruction.

That is correct. We are a US-based company and do not currently have a physical operating location in the UK, so we are not required to be registered as a UK company. Our UK mailing address is used solely for mailing purposes, while all testing is carried out through our partner laboratory in the United States.

We are, however, working towards establishing a more permanent presence in the UK in the future.

Not with complete certainty. Our test can provide insight into the most likely breed influences present in your horse’s DNA, but it cannot always determine one exact type of cob with certainty. This is because many cobs share overlapping genetic foundations and may be shaped more by type, build, and use than by one clearly distinct genetic background.

In some cases, the results may point towards the closest related breed influences in our database rather than one exact modern cob designation. For that reason, the test should be viewed as an informative tool rather than a definitive classification of one specific cob type.

Our test is designed to provide meaningful insight into the most likely breed influences present in your horse’s DNA, but no genetic test can be considered 100% accurate, and horse breed testing is not an exact science.

A number of factors can affect results, including sample quality, contamination, degradation, handling issues, allele dropout, and environmental factors during collection, posting, or transit. In addition, some horses have highly blended or complex genetic backgrounds, which can make their results more difficult to interpret with confidence.

We also do not test for every horse breed. If a breed is not represented in our system, the analysis may instead identify the closest related or most genetically similar breed influences available in our database. Many horse breeds share overlapping foundations and historical crossbreeding, closely related breeds may also receive similar probabilities in the analysis.

Our breed test is intended to identify the most likely breed influences present, but it may not capture every possible influence. In some cases, reported breeds may reflect deeper ancestral influence rather than recent breed composition. Exact percentages cannot be provided, and the results should not be viewed as a registry determination, pedigree verification, or proof of purebred status.

As outlined in our Terms and Conditions, results of any kind are not guaranteed and remain subject to the limitations of sample quality, database scope, breed similarity, algorithmic interpretation, and the overall interpretive nature of horse breed analysis.

Our testing process is designed to provide meaningful insight into the most likely breed influences present in your horse’s DNA. However, no medical, scientific, or genetic test can be considered 100% accurate, and horse breed testing is not an exact science.

While the laboratory methods used are highly accurate, there are limitations that can affect results. These may include sample quality issues such as contamination, degradation, handling problems, allele dropout, and human or environmental factors during collection, packaging, handling, or transit before the sample reaches the lab. In addition, the complexity of equine genetics means that some horses, particularly those with highly blended backgrounds, can be more difficult to interpret with confidence.

In general, horses with simpler or more distinct breed backgrounds are more likely to produce clearer results. As breed backgrounds become more mixed or complex, the likelihood of a less definitive result increases.

It is also important to note that we do not test for every horse breed. If a breed is not represented in our testing system, the analysis may instead identify the closest related or most genetically similar breed influences available in our database. In addition, many modern horse breeds were historically developed from combinations of other breeds. Because of these shared foundations and overlapping genetic traits, closely related breeds may receive similar probabilities in the analysis. As a result, one related breed may appear in the results even when a similar breed is more recent in the horse’s background. This is because DNA testing measures genetic similarity to known breed profiles, not registry status or documented pedigree.

Our breed test is intended to identify the most likely breed influences detected in your horse’s DNA, but it may not capture every possible influence. In some cases, reported breeds may reflect deeper ancestral influence rather than recent breed composition. 

For these reasons, DNA testing should be viewed as an informative tool rather than a definitive breed registry determination. A horse may genetically align strongly with a breed, but DNA testing alone cannot confirm official purebred status without registration records, verified pedigree documentation, or confirmation through the appropriate breed society or registry.

As outlined in our Terms and Conditions, results of any kind are not guaranteed and remain subject to the limitations of sample quality, database scope, breed similarity, algorithmic interpretation, and the overall interpretive nature of horse breed analysis.

No. Our DNA test identifies breed composition based on genetic similarity, meaning it can detect whether your horse’s DNA closely aligns with the genetic profile of a particular breed. However, it cannot confirm registration status or purebred status with complete certainty.

A horse may genetically match a breed very strongly, which can suggest a purebred background, but DNA testing alone does not replace official registration papers, verified parentage, or breed society records. In addition, some horses that are considered purebred may still show small amounts of related breeds due to shared ancestry and historical crossbreeding within breed development.

Our DNA testing measures genetic similarity rather than documented lineage, it should be viewed as an informative tool rather than an official breed registry determination.

In short, our test can provide helpful insight into whether your horse appears strongly aligned with a particular breed, but it cannot by itself confirm registration or officially certify a horse as purebred.

Your personalised DNA report and breed composition certificate can be saved digitally, printed for display, or shared on social media.

Many customers simply enjoy learning more about their horse’s likely breed background and having something special to keep for their records.

While every precaution is taken to support accurate testing, there are occasions where a horse’s DNA test may return as inconclusive. This means our breed identification algorithm was unable to meet the required parameters to confidently determine breed composition.

Inconclusive results can happen for a number of reasons, including sample quality issues such as contamination, degradation caused by heat, moisture, or handling; natural DNA variation such as low concentration or allele dropout; or breed complexity, particularly in horses with highly blended or overlapping backgrounds that can be more difficult to interpret with confidence.

Some breed combinations are especially challenging for the algorithm to resolve. This is particularly true where closely related breeds share strong ancestral overlap.

If your horse’s results are deemed inconclusive, you will receive a full refund of your test purchase. Refunds are issued back to the original method of payment, subject to the policies and processing times of the payment provider.

Please note that results of any kind are not guaranteed, as some horses’ genetic backgrounds may fall outside what our current algorithm is able to resolve with confidence.

You are welcome to resubmit or retest a horse whose previous results were inconclusive with a new test purchase. However, while some retests do produce clearer results, a conclusive outcome cannot be guaranteed, particularly where the limitation relates to the horse’s genetic background rather than the sample itself. Retests may also require additional procedures and can take longer than standard processing times, in some cases up to 30 days.

At this time, we can only perform parentage confirmation, not an open-ended search for unknown sires or dams. If you submit your horse’s DNA along with both possible sire and dam samples under the same account, we can compare those samples for a potential match, provided each horse has a prepaid test and all samples meet our testing requirements.

Please note that we do not currently offer database-wide parentage searches. Parentage review is limited to the samples submitted under your account and does not include searching across other customers’ horses or our wider records.

A match cannot be considered unless the relevant comparison samples have been submitted and meet testing standards. Results are not guaranteed and remain subject to sample quality, testing limitations, and the information available at the time of analysis.