Can I Clone My Horse From A Frozen Sample?

Can I Clone My Horse From A Frozen Sample?

For many horse owners, preserving the genetics of a cherished companion is a meaningful way to honour their legacy, as well as an incredible tool to carry forward elite performance genetics. At Gemini Genetics, we are frequently asked if genetic preservation can be done from a sample that has already been frozen.

The Science Behind Freezing Skin Samples

The genetic preservation process that leads to cloning requires living, healthy cells. These are taken from skin samples obtained from your horse – either while they are still alive if you vet thinks it is appropriate and safe to do so at the time, or post-mortem, up until 5 days after your horse’s passing. Unfortunately, when a sample is frozen, the formation of ice crystals inside each individual cell can cause irreversible damage to the DNA they contain. Generally, when kept chilled, samples have a 96% chance of producing viable cells that are suitable for cloning your equine companion! In contrast, when the samples are frozen prior to submission to the laboratory, the chances of them being viable and suitable for cloning go down to about 50%. In short, cloning your horse from a frozen sample is possible, but not ideal. For the best possible chance of obtaining samples suitable for successful cloning from your beloved horse, you should keep their body and samples chilled and not frozen!

What Is The Correct Way To Ship A Sample?

Keep It Chilled, Not Frozen

Both your horse’s body prior to sampling, and the sample themselves once they have been obtained, should be kept chilled and not frozen. Ideally, they would be stored in a fridge, with temperatures of around 3-8 degrees Celsius.

Act Fast

Samples should be taken by a veterinary professional and arrive to our laboratory within 5 days of your horse passing away. For live samples, they should arrive to us within 5 days of the sample taking for the best results possible. For more sample taking instructions, please consult the Emergency Sample Taking Instructions tab on our website.

Proper Packing

When shipping or delivering samples to our laboratory, they should be safely packed in an insulated chill bag, with some pre-cooled ice packs. Ideally, the ice packs should be wrapped in cotton wool or a dish towel in order to prevent them from freezing the samples. You can find out more about sample taking instructions on our Youtube channel. 

Need Support Or Advice?

At Gemini Genetics, we understand the importance to preserve the genetics of both beloved heart horses, as well as elite performance equines. If you are considering genetic preservation or have any questions about the process, you can reach out to our friendly team who will be happy to help!

Get in touch for more information or to request a horse cloning information pack.