Dun Zygosity Test offered by UC Davis

[Mellifluous]

This test is will tell you if your horse is homozygous or heterozygous for dun - like the tobiano test. There is just one catch:

Note: The Dun zygosity test is not being offered at this time for PREs, Andalusians, Lusitanos, Paso Fino and Peruvian Paso. The marker association with the Dun gene in these breeds is still under research. Owners of Dun horses from these breeds interested in helping with the research should contact Customer Service.


http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/dunhorse.php

[motorgypsy]

I tried to send them an email note since I have four and maybe five dun horses but the email won't go through. Darn. I'm dying to know if Adriel does have the dun gene and I really don't want to breed her to find out.

[CarolU]

I wonder what it takes to get the gene test for Paso Finos. Interesting that the color genes are different for different breeds.

[motorgypsy]

Or they just don't have enough samples to say definitively that it's the same??

[DebJ]

OK, Ladybug is a dun. She passed that on to Lightningbug. So does that make her anything special? Should I follow up on this? I have not read up on anything genetic, so have no clue what any of that stuff means;)
Any suggetions from those in the know??

Add---MG's-- hit the "contact" at the top of the page. The same email form comes up, then write and send it. It worked for me from that page, not the page that comes up from this link.

[JennLM]

I had the same problem sending them an email.

I offered to send in samples too since Legacy is a dun and maybe the foal will be too since the sire is as well. I would think the foal has a pretty good shot at it.

[JennLM]

They emailed me back today and asked me for a list of things and I'll be getting them all together for them. = )

[DebJ]

Yeah, they emailed me too. I will get the pics an stuff and send it in. We can compare notes :D This may be interesting.

[motorgypsy]

You can send links to photos on photobucket if you want to. I did this last night and they emailed me this morning and said the pictures came through fine and they sent me the form and said they were looking forward to testing our horses. I haven't confirmed the price yet. They can use DNA already on file for parent verification. I'm really excited about finding out once and for all if Adriel is a dun.

The interesting thing about this test is that there have always been thoughts that dun horses were "tougher" than horses who weren't dun marked. I don't believe this is true at this time but it's not impossible as other genes have be linked to color. We all know about overo lethal white and now stationary night blindness is linked to the app complex and eye cysts to the silver gene in Rockys. It's also possible that genes that would be linked to longevity could be associated with color genes. For example resistance to diseases, extra hard hooves, the ability to tolerate extremes in temperature and so on. The more testing they do to confirm the presence of the dun gene the more likely they will be able to find links to it for other characteristics.

[Rusel]

Let me know what they say about Spit.... since all of Dancer's foals have shown the dun stripe and markings at an early age..... even the appy who turned white with varnish marks....

[DebJ]

The Dun Zygosity test is listed at $50.00. I don't really need to know if either is really a Dun, as I will not breed either one. If they want to use my two for research information that will be just fine.
Thanks, I will see if I have any good photos saved on Photobucket.

[JennLM]

Let me know what they say about Spit.... since all of Dancer's foals have shown the dun stripe and markings at an early age..... even the appy who turned white with varnish marks....

Will do Rusel!

[motorgypsy]

They are not charging for paso finos who are being submitted for the dun test. If they are registered they already have the DNA on them and all you have to do is put a photo on photobucket and link it to them so they can see that the horse is really a dun. I have to send hairs on our Cracker horse for DNA but not on the 5 dun paso finos.

So LynnG, Lori/echo, Kerry, Rusel, and all the rest of our dun owners/lovers - it's really easy to help them verify the marker/s in our breed. Send them each registered name with an attached link to a photo.

[Mellifluous]

They are not going to charge you as they are not testing Pasos. They need samples so that they can finish the research on the Spanish breeds including pasos.

SO SEND THOSE DUN SAMPLES TO THEM! :biggrin:

[motorgypsy]

So who else has duns?

Remember - if the dun paso fino is already registered and previously DNA'd you only have to link to a photo or email it and give the registered name. You don't have to send a sample. They can use the ones they already have.

[DebJ]

Thanks for the info. I sent mine just now to her. So I will see what response I get. My two have Plebeyo for a grandfather on the stallions side and in other discussions of duns some others with Plebeyo have had some duns too. I wonder if he passes this on? I admit, I don't know much about horse genetics, so only wondering.:D