DNA Results

I'm back from California and happy to report it was quite an incredible trip! As I get photos edited, I'll be posting the trip story in pieces.

For now, a little nest egg I've been sitting on for awhile: Q and Griffin's ancestral DNA results!

Like Saiph did for Lily, I too sent off Q and Griffin's hair follicles for ancestral DNA analysis at TAMU.

Griffin was supposedly TWH x Arabian, but I didn't know for certain given his situation and the manner in which he came into my life. Q was obviously mostly Arabian, but as she's not super type-y in appearance, we've always suspected she's got something else, most likely Morgan as she resembles Morabs more than other combinations. But, once again, I'll never know for certain!

Griffin is definitely the bigger mystery of the two. I definitely have my assumptions, but there will never be any way to truly know. So the DNA test sounded like a fun idea! And while I know Q is mostly Arabian, there is no way to tell how much Arabian. Definitely half, at a minimum, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she was more than half.

Q's results:
1st: Arabian, 2nd: Brazilian breeds, 3rd: Rocky Mtn./Mtn. Pleasure

Griffin's results:1st: Eastern European warmblood, 2nd: Arabian, 3rd: Western European warmblood

I was half surprised by both of their results. I anticipated Q to come back 1: Arabian, 2: Morgan, 3: ??

I expected Griffin to come back 1: TWH, 2: Arabian, 3: ??

So, when Q's second result and Griffin's first result were returned as the above and both those results were the line immediately below my expectation I wondered if perhaps the forms had been marked in error? I mean, it took me highlighting them to read them properly - my eye just wanted to misread so easily until there was color associated with it!

I emailed the professor in charge of the lab that runs the test to query about the possibility of a error in the check-mark results; it was just such a strange coincidence that both results were returned with my expected result the immediate line above! I made it clear that I was in no way questioning the validity of the test or the science,  but moreso, the possibility of the human eye making an error as it traced across the page to mark a result.

The professor responded within 24 hours. He, too, was surprised by the coincidence between the result provided and that my expected/assumed result was the immediate line above. He told me however, that he did double-check the results and they were indeed what had been sent to me.

Its definitely interesting! Its good to know that both have Arabian in them, as expected (I'll take the physiological benefits of Arabian breeding for our endurance pursuits! ;-) ). But the other piece is such a mystery and will probably always be!

No matter what, they're both incredible horses and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Papers and perfect breeding don't necessarily make a perfect horse! Both of my two have a lot of heart and a lot of try and are perfect for my goals and aspirations.