You clip a small amount of hair from your horse's mane, near the crest. It takes about a minute, it doesn't hurt, and you won't be able to tell where you took it from. Everything you need comes in the kit, including the pre-paid mailer.

Usually about 10 days from when the lab receives your sample. You'll get an email as soon as your report is ready.

Roughly a tablespoon, cut close to the crest. The kit has a fill line so you don't have to guess. If you send too little, we'll tell you and send a replacement kit at no charge.

Hair is a well-established sample type for measuring mineral status and heavy metal exposure, and it's used in equine and livestock research for exactly that reason. What it's good at is showing accumulation over time. What it can't do is diagnose disease, and we don't claim it does. It tells you what's high, what's low, and what's built up, so you and your vet can make better decisions about feed and supplementation.

They answer different questions. Blood shows what's circulating at the moment the needle went in, and the body works hard to keep those levels stable, so a problem can be present and still look normal. Hair grows slowly and holds a record of roughly the last 90 days, which is why some things show up in hair that bloodwork won't catch. Most owners who order a test have already had normal bloodwork.

That's a useful answer too, and it happens. It means you can stop spending money on supplements aimed at a problem your horse doesn't have, and start looking elsewhere. You'll still get the full report with your horse's actual numbers, so you have a baseline to compare against later.

No. The report tells you what's out of range and what to do about it, including changes you can make with feed and forage that cost nothing. We do make formulas for the imbalances we see most often, and we'll point you to one if it fits, but the report is yours either way and it's written to be useful without buying anything else.

Yes, and most owners do. Each horse needs its own kit and its own sample, since results are specific to that animal. The 3-pack brings the cost down and the kits don't expire, so you can test one now and hold the others.

Topical products can affect surface readings, so take the sample before you spray or bathe if you can. A recent body clip is fine as long as the mane is untouched. If anything looks off in your sample, the lab flags it and we'll get you a replacement kit.

Yes to all three. Hair testing is non-invasive and doesn't interfere with anything. Foals need enough mane to sample, which usually means a few months old. If your horse is on a prescribed medication or supplement, note it in your order so we can factor it into the report.

90-day money-back guarantee. If the report isn't useful to you, email us and we'll refund it.