horses-running
Those who need testing done at UC Davis are urged to submit them as soon as possible, as it will pause testing next month. • Photo by Gene Devine via Unsplash.

UC Davis Genetics Lab to Temporarily Pause Testing

A laboratory used by individuals and organizations in the Western performance horse industry will pause testing for a short time next month.

Officials with the Veterinary Genetics Lab at the University of California Davis say they will pause non-emergency testing the week of July 5-9 to perform deferred maintenance and give staff time off from an especially busy year. It conducts testing on a variety of animals, including horses, and is the approved laboratory for the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).

“The [Veterinary Genetics Lab (VGL)] has remained open and operational throughout the COVID-19 pandemic but has been working under reduced on-site operations for over a year,” UC Davis said in a statement. “The rising demand for animal genetic testing during the pandemic coupled with the VGL’s limited on-site staffing has meant that both our staff and equipment have been working overtime to continue to provide clients with accurate genetic testing results they can trust.

Full testing will resume July 12.

The AQHA said it will continue to submit materials to UC Davis during the pause, but those materials will not be testing until operations resume July 12. It warned members the pause could affect samples submitted to the lab the week of June 28, and urged those with time-sensitive materials to submit them accordingly.