Cloning horses is something that is becoming more and more popular and acceptable in the UK. Whilst equine cloning may sound like something from a sci-fi movie, it is actually something that has been developed and refined over the past couple of years to allow breeders to preserve desirable genetic traits.
So, when you take a look at the racecards for the next big meet, are you likely to be betting on cloned horses? Let’s take a look at equine cloning and ask: can cloned horses take part in racing.
Before we look at whether cloned horses are allowed to race, let’s first take a look at how racehorses are cloned.
The reasons for wanting to clone a race horse seem pretty straightforward to us all – who wouldn’t want to replicate the best? Think about the iconic winners that have graced the world of horse racing over the years. It is inevitable that owners and breeders would want to clone the very best horses in order to use the clones to win big.
The theory behind the cloning process is also quite simple. A tissue sample is taken from the horse and the DNA extracted. This DNA is then preserved before being transferred into a waiting egg which has had the DNA removed. The egg is then placed into the mare to carry. This sounds like a pretty simple process, although it has taken decades of scientific exploration and experimentation to perfect, of course.
One of the attractive things about cloning is that the DNA can be extracted from a horse even after it has passed away. However, there is a need to plan ahead and to act quickly as the DNA needs to be extracted within a couple of days of the horse’s death. Additionally, in order to remain viable, the DNA needs to be kept at around 4 degrees centigrade, so it is important to have a facility and transport planned for as soon as the horse dies.
As you would expect, cloning is not cheap. Extracting the DNA comes at a cost of around £500. The DNA then needs to be stored until it is needed, until a suitable mare is found or until the implantation into the egg can take place. This can cost in excess of £100 a year. Once it gets to the procedure of transferring the DNA to the egg, the cost begins to rise again. Preparing the DNA for transfer is a delicate process and costs over one thousand pounds. Finally, the actual transfer and implantation itself costs around £60,000 per horse, per attempt.
Despite the huge sums of money involved, it is easy to see why cloning is attractive to owners as it can be seen as an investment if it produces a winning horse. However, the bad news (for some) is that cloned horses are not permitted in racing as they are seen as having unfair advantage over other horses and it is thought that allowing cloned horses would lead to simply creating a sport where the richest competitor always wins regardless of talent and hard work.