The Brooks Equine Genetics Lab at the University of Florida, in Gainesville, is working to identify the genetic cause of juvenile idiopathic epilepsy (JIE) in Arabian horses.

The project—led by Samantha Brooks, PhD, and funded in part by the Arabian Horse Foundation (AHF)—seeks to identify the mode of inheritance, identify the mutation(s) associated with JIE and ultimately develop a diagnostic test to assist owners and breeders in identifying carrier breeding stock.

To advance this research project, assistance from the Arabian horse community is requested. DNA samples are needed from horses that have been previously diagnosed with JIE, as well as horses that have had an offspring with JIE. All studies are confidential, so participant and horse identity will not be released.

"This project is an expansion of the Arabian Horse Foundation’s support of research into genetic disorders of particular interest to the Arabian horse breed," stated Beth Minnich, chair of the AHF’s Research Advisory Panel. "While JIE is thought to be a genetic disorder, no extensive work has been done to identify the exact genetic mode of inheritance or the proposed relationship with lavender foal syndrome