Project title: Dragon mane: Uncovering regulatory mechanisms of hair growth through a unique equine phenotype Project description We have identified a unique and scientifically valuable opportunity by leveraging a highly unusual and promising phenotype. Specifically, we obtained a rare set of RNAlater-preserved tissue samples (hair follicles) from a horse displaying an exceptionally rare, and most likely inherited, mane phenotype. This dataset is complemented by samples from several offspring (including one foal expressing the identical phenotype) and control individuals from the same herd. The horses originate from a region in Poland near the Russian border, where sampling was logistically demanding and complicated by the animals’ strong flight responses and the partly military setting. These samples are of exceptional value, as this phenotype has never before been characterized. They provide a powerful model for dissecting the genetic regulation of hair growth, with the added advantage that extreme variation in hair growth occurs within the same individual. This within-animal contrast allows the horse to serve as its own optimal control (growing vs. non-growing areas on the mane), thereby reducing background genomic artefacts and increasing analytical power.