Equine Genetics and Genomics
Commercial equine genetic tests have exploded in availability — but interpretation lags badly in general practice. Dr. Sian Durward-Akhurst (UMN; PhD in Comparative & Molecular Biosciences) gives equine practitioners the framework to actually use these tests clinically.
Clinical Review Date: April 2026 • RACE #Pending • Provider ID #50-29055
CE Hours
2.0 Medical CE
Format
Live Webinar
Price
$105 (Standard)
Audience
DVMs & Technicians
Species
Canine & Feline
Status
RACE-Approved
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Part of a Bundle
Equine Excellence Series
Advanced equine CE across ophthalmology, cardiology, genetics, and dentistry
$399
full series
Practical Takeaways for Your Practice
Every session is built around cases you see in GP — leave with frameworks you can apply immediately.
Genetics Foundations for Veterinarians
Core principles — Mendelian inheritance, population genetics, genotype-phenotype relationships — delivered at the depth equine practitioners need to think clearly about genetic disease without a genetics textbook open.
Commercial Genetic Test Interpretation
A framework for reading equine genetic test panels from commercial labs: what the results mean, what they don't mean, limitations of DTC tests, and how to translate a homozygous/heterozygous report into a clinical conversation with an owner.
Mendelian Equine Genetic Diseases
Clinical signs, diagnosis, and management for the equine diseases that follow Mendelian inheritance — HYPP, PSSM1/PSSM2, GBED, HERDA, lavender foal syndrome, and more. Breed-specific prevalence, testing recommendations, and breeding-decision implications.
When Testing Changes Management
Practical triggers for recommending genetic testing — suspected heritable disease, breeding decisions, pre-purchase evaluation — and when it doesn't. Helps you avoid ordering expensive tests that won't change what you do next.
Course Abstract
Live Online Interactive Webinar • Case-Based • Sponsor-Free
A client hands you a 5-test panel result from a DTC equine genetic service. What do you do with it? This course answers that question — and the more important one of when genetic testing changes clinical decisions versus when it doesn't.
Dr. Durward-Akhurst's 2-hour course is built around the genetics knowledge equine practitioners actually need. Part 1 is the foundation: inheritance patterns, population genetics, when testing is indicated, and the interpretation framework for commercial tests — including their limitations. Part 2 is the clinical payoff: the equine genetic diseases you'll see in practice, how they present, how they're diagnosed, and how they're managed.
Session Agenda
Every minute mapped. Live Q&A after every topic.
Genetics for veterinarians
Genetic diseases of the horse
Curriculum Overview
Two 1-hour lectures totaling 2.0 CE hours.
01. Genetics for Veterinarians
1.0 HourFundamental principles of genetics — inheritance patterns (autosomal dominant, recessive, codominant, sex-linked, incomplete penetrance), population genetics, and recommendations for genetic testing in equine practice. Deep coverage of interpretation, appropriate use, and limitations of commercially available equine genetic tests (Animal Genetics, VGL, Etalon, UC Davis, AQHA panels).
- Describe inheritance patterns relevant to equine genetic disease
- Apply population genetics concepts to breed-specific disease risk
- Interpret commercial equine genetic test results in clinical context
- Recognize the limitations of DTC equine genetic tests
02. Genetic Diseases of the Horse
1.0 HourA clinical tour of equine diseases that follow Mendelian inheritance patterns: HYPP (hyperkalemic periodic paralysis), PSSM1 and PSSM2 (polysaccharide storage myopathy), GBED (glycogen branching enzyme deficiency), HERDA (hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia), lavender foal syndrome, OLWS (overo lethal white), SCID in Arabians, JEB in Belgians, and others. Clinical signs, diagnosis, management, and owner counseling for breeding decisions.
- Recognize the clinical presentation of common equine Mendelian genetic diseases
- Match disease to breed-specific prevalence and testing recommendations
- Develop management plans for identified affected patients
- Counsel owners on breeding-decision implications of carrier/affected status
What's Included
Live Q&A
Ask questions in real time
Digital Notes
Downloadable lecture PDFs
Recording Access
Re-watch at your own pace
CE Certificate
RACE-approved, instant download
Dr. Sian Durward-Akhurst, BVMS, MS, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM)
Dr. Sian Durward-Akhurst earned her B.V.M.S. With Commendation from the University of Glasgow (2009) before completing a Large Animal Internal Medicine residency at the University of Minnesota, where she became a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (Large Animal) in 2016. She subsequently earned an MS (2016) and PhD (2020) in Comparative and Molecular Biosciences at Minnesota, with doctoral research focused on tools for precision medicine in the horse. Now an Assistant Professor of Genetics, Genomics, and Large Animal Internal Medicine in the Veterinary Clinical Sciences Department, Dr. Durward-Akhurst leads a research program at the intersection of equine cardiology and genomics. Her work investigates the genetic and transcriptomic basis of sudden cardiac death, cardiac arrhythmias, and atrial fibrillation in Thoroughbred racehorses, with translational implications for sudden arrhythmic death in human athletes. She holds funding from the American Heart Association, Morris Animal Foundation, and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
View Full Faculty BioFrequently Asked Questions
Turn Equine Genetic Test Reports Into Clinical Decisions
All tiers include 2.0 RACE-approved CE credits, digital notes, and recording access.
If your schedule changes, you'll still have access to the recording and notes.
Opens May 8
Saturday, May 30, 2026 — 1:30 PM CDT
Standard
- 2.0 Hours Live RACE-Approved CE
- Interactive Q&A with Dr. Sian Durward-Akhurst
- Digital Lecture Notes (PDF)
- Session Recording Access
- Official CE Certificate
Equine Excellence Series
Advanced equine CE across ophthalmology, cardiology, genetics, and dentistry
Full series • 14 CE hours • 6 lectures • 3 specialists
- 12-month VetOnIt subscription
- Printed lecture notes shipped
- Commemorative enamel pin (first 100 enrollees)
Includes this lecture plus 5 others
Enrolling Your Team?
We make group enrollment simple. One person handles the payment — we take care of everything else.
Email us
Send us the number of attendees at support@vetonitce.org
Pay once
We'll send you a single payment link for the whole group at the 30% discount.
We handle the rest
We'll reach out to each team member to complete their registration, send Zoom links, and deliver individual CE certificates after the lecture.
No forms to fill out, no juggling multiple payments. Just email us and we'll set it up for you.
Prefer self-service? Use our online group checkout form.
Every registrant gets on-demand access — no pressure to all attend live. Team members who can't make the live session get the full recording afterward.
Turn Equine Genetic Test Reports Into Clinical Decisions
Two hours with Dr. Sian Durward-Akhurst — genetics foundations plus the Mendelian diseases that drive breed-specific testing. Bundled with Equine Cardiology Essentials earlier the same day for 4.0 CE on May 30.