Appaloosa flecking increasing?

[ycbm]

My five year old blanket spotted Appaloosa cross went almost white last year apart from his big dark spots. Then he started producing brown fleabites, and a friend who hasn't seen him for a few months commented on how much darker he's getting.

Is this normal? Can a non grey horse get more flecking as he gets older? He's DNA tested as negative for grey.

Is he likely to get any darker (it would be a bonus!). Anyone got any photos of yours getting darker?
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[HashRouge]

I know he's DNA tested negative for grey, but since grey horses can more flecking as they get older I don't theoretically see why an Appaloosa couldn't. That's a very non-scientific answer though!

 

[ester]

I'm just going to say LP is weird and leave it at that lol. Def good news if he is though

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I have seen a lot of Arabs that get more fleabitten as they get older.

 

[ycbm]

I'm just going to say LP is weird and leave it at that lol. Def good news if he is though

Remind me what LP is Ester?
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[ester]

leopard complex, the 'on' switch for the other appy PATN genes .

Have you ever seen the peacock/halo appies this video got posted today in a group
https://www.tiktok.com/@sajesappys/video/6860140340742081797

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Appys seem to change colour every year. Our first one got paler with extra spots, as she got older, the solid colour pure-bred developed varnish marks and roaning and the current one (PBW) is also growing a paler base coat.

 

[ycbm]

leopard complex, the 'on' switch for the other appy PATN genes .

Have you ever seen the peacock/halo appies this video got posted today in a group
https://www.tiktok.com/@sajesappys/video/6860140340742081797

Wow!

Ludo has haloes, but nothing like that!
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[Cortez]

Ooooh! What a spectacular colouring! I do like a spotty...and yes, I have seen some get darker with age and more flecked.

 

[palo1]

Well mine changes all the time!! He is rising 14 now and has just decided to throw in a few white on-the-skin spots (not arabian fading syndrome style or anything like that - just proper Appaloosa spots on his skin -so visible when he is wet) He has a few halos and the whole gamut of potential appaloosa markings - including at one point stripes on his shoulder though they seem to have vanished for the moment...He is essentially near leopard and many of the spots have stayed where they are but new and interesting variations turn up most years!! It is absolutely fascinating tbh. Pics don't quite show the variation but he is very handsome so deserves being shown off!! ETA - I particularly love that in the sun my chap literally shines silver and gold; he is virtually a unicorn...lol

 

[palo1]

 

[asmp]

When we got him.


Couple of years later


4 years on and his coat is darkening every year (rubbish photo!)

 

[ycbm]

Yes!!! That's what he's doing, exactly the same except he was a lighter colour foal. I hope it carries on, I really didn't want a white horse!

I thought I was going mad and imagining that his mane was getting darker again.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

For me that is what is most fascinating about appies. I love the ones that keep changing, boring if they don't.When I took over as registrar of BApS back in the 80's I had wonderful fun looking back through the registration files at the colours. I first got hooked back in 1965 when my boss bought a chestnut with white splashed on his rump. That pony changed all the time. He was bred by Massarella at Leicester who used to be really interested in spotties (that was before BApS was formed).

 

[Theskebaldmare]

My five year old blanket spotted Appaloosa cross went almost white last year apart from his big dark spots. Then he started producing brown fleabites, and a friend who hasn't seen him for a few months commented on how much darker he's getting.

Is this normal? Can a non grey horse get more flecking as he gets older? He's DNA tested as negative for grey.

Is he likely to get any darker (it would be a bonus!). Anyone got any photos of yours getting darker?
.[/QUOTes sometimes horses get more grey as they age but I have never heard of the other way round it could just be his ageing

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Do you have to constantly update passports with colour identification/distinguishing marks. It’s like getting a different pony every year!

 

[ycbm]

Do you have to constantly update passports with colour identification/distinguishing marks. It’s like getting a different pony every year!

Thankfully not, he's passported as a skewbald ?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Yes!!! That's what he's doing, exactly the same except he was a lighter colour foal. I hope it carries on, I really didn't want a white horse!

I thought I was going mad and imagining that his mane was getting darker again.

Oh he won't go white! Our first one did get more pale hairs as she developed more spots but she was never in any danger of going white. The only circumstance in which he might is if he has 'the greying gene'. That is why Appaloosas should never be bred with greys.

 

[splashgirl45]

what i like about your horse ycbm is the way he moves and that photo shows it....he is lovely now but if you carry on as you are he will be fabulous!!

 

[Buster2020]

To be honest I say he is going to stay the same color. I say he summer coat will make him darker and his winter coat will probably be lighter.

 

[Beachbabe]

My appy is completely grey in winter, then has chestnut flecks all over in the summer. This year when the weather suddenly hotted up, he lost loads more hair and I can see his skin clearly through his hair, which is really pigmented. I've had him since a baby and as he matured he developed more flecks each summer until he was about 12. I've also owned a palomino who used to go much, much darker and roany in the summer, but almost grey in the winter.

 

[ester]

skewbald that's quite funny.

 

[DabDab]

Thankfully not, he's passported as a skewbald ?

Mine is 'Brown Roan'

 

[FinnishLapphund]

...
Have you ever seen the peacock/halo appies this video got posted today in a group
https://www.tiktok.com/@sajesappys/video/6860140340742081797

Peacock is a very pretty name on something which I have to admit made me think it looks like it should be growing in a Petri dish.

 

[ycbm]

what i like about your horse ycbm is the way he moves and that photo shows it....he is lovely now but if you carry on as you are he will be fabulous!!

Our trainer agrees with you! He was such a chance find, I'd given up all thought of buying a horse to do serious dressage with, and I bought him purely for his spots.

 

[ester]

FL this is the actual petri dish version

 

[ycbm]

I can't like that because of the extreme shape of the horse, but the colour certainly catches the eye!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

If you see a Saddlebred that isn't being 'saddleseated' (so no massive bit, no saddle with the rider sitting on the kidneys and no nicked tail etc...) they are very nice horses IMO.

 

[ester]

There is a non saddleseat pic of him but it's just not as clear, also saddleseat pics of the all chestnut 'before'

 

[ycbm]

I'm not keen. I worry a lot about the robustness of horses bred for such extremes of colour. What weaknesses did they compromise on along the way to get the colour genes?
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