NON INVASIVE PRENATAL TESTING (NIPT)
EquiVita Genetics is committed to technological innovations that are both practical and easy to use. Many mare owners are eager to know the sex of their future superstar and rely on veterinarians to perform ultrasound scans. However, this procedure can be complex and challenging for the veterinarian.
EquiVita Genetics aims to simplify this cumbersome technique by replacing it with a simple blood test. Why make things complicated when they can be made easy?
With just a routine blood sample collected in a purple EDTA tube, EquiVita Genetics can determine the sex of your foal as from six months into pregnancy.
The Importance of Knowing Your Foal’s Sex
Determining whether your foal will be a colt or a filly is a crucial factor in equine breeding, influencing key decisions regarding its future. The sex of a foal impacts whether an owner chooses to keep or sell it, the price at which it is marketed, and its potential value in both sport and breeding.
In sports disciplines, certain bloodlines or disciplines may favor colts over fillies or vice versa, depending on performance expectations and market demand. In breeding programs, the sex of a foal plays a strategic role in preserving valuable genetic lines and optimizing stud farm management. For breeders, knowing the foal’s sex in advance allows for better financial planning, selection of suitable buyers, and informed decisions on long-term investment in training and development.
By gaining insight into the foal’s sex, breeders and owners can maximize the animal’s value and potential, ensuring their breeding programs align with their goals and market opportunities.
Current technique
The conventional method for determining a foal’s sex relies on ultrasound examinations performed by a veterinarian. Through their expertise, veterinarians can identify the foal’s sex based on ultrasound imaging.
However, this technique is observer-dependent, making it highly subjective and challenging to interpret accurately.
Additionally, the process can be technically demanding, requiring precise timing and advanced skill to obtain clear imaging. As a result, ultrasound-based sex determination is often cumbersome, prone to error, and not always a practical solution for breeders seeking a reliable and efficient method.
NIPT
In humans, the NIPT is widely used during pregnancy to detect chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus, as well as to determine its sex. This technique has become a standard practice in human medicine, proving to be both reliable and indispensable.
So why not apply the same approach to horses? With a simple blood sample, EquiVita Genetics can now determine the sex of a foal as early as six months into pregnancy. This innovation brings a new level of convenience and accuracy to equine breeding, allowing mare owners to make informed decisions about their future foals.
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