Appaloosa or ????

[Carriedavis7840]

I purchased this guy a year ago, my first horse...he was a rescue and know nothing about him. Was told he is Appaloosa but have been told by vets/friends/fellow horse people he may not be or is mixed but with what?? His spots are black roan in color, he has a split mane, and is 16.3H. Do I spend the money on DNA test? Recommendation?

 

[ycbm]

Why does it matter?

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[Carriedavis7840]

Sorry I asked I will delete....if I knew how

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I think he does have a sort of 'stock horse' look about him, so Appy or a part bred Appy doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

 

[ycbm]

No, theres no problem, but if you've had him a year and he cant breed, I was just wondering why you are wanting to know what his specific breeding is enough to consider a DNA test.

It could be anything that will throw spots, knabstrupper or appaloosa predominantly, but it could be way back in his breeding, not just mum or dad.

I have an appyx, I love his spots. His dad was unregistered so I can never prove his breeding, though I do have a record of his stanardbred trotter mum.

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[Carriedavis7840]

Where did because I've been contemplating this for a long time I just haven't had the money to spend on the testing don't know if it's worth my time and money I have no need for it really except from my own well-being to know what he is and up until about six months ago he had no spots it's just been since I put the weight on him and got him cleaned up that the spot to come through

 

[ycbm]

There are some real genetics experts on this forum, I hope they will spot (?) the thread soon.

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[Meowy Catkin]

I had thought that the 'breed' type DNA tests weren't the most accurate, but if you are doing it for fun and have the spare cash, why not? Sometimes it's nice to do things just because they make us happy.

If he was mine, I'd probably spend the money on some matchy matchy for him in a nice bright colour, but then I've always wanted to be able to indulge in that and can never justify it. If I had a rescue horse that had been fed up and fixed up, maybe I'd let myself splash out... he'd look lovely in blue.

 

[Leo Walker]

The DNA tests arent remotely accurate. What I can tell you is he was a leopard or near leopard spot but he's greyed out. Over time he will be completely white. So he had at least one grey parent, and one spotted in some form parent. Whether they were specific breeds or not is probably unlikely but you never know. Enjoy the horse you have now. He looks like a sweetheart and he must be thrilled to have a lovely home.

 

[YorksG]

Is his skin spotted?

I purchased this guy a year ago, my first horse...he was a rescue and know nothing about him. Was told he is Appaloosa but have been told by vets/friends/fellow horse people he may not be or is mixed but with what?? His spots are black roan in color, he has a split mane, and is 16.3H. Do I spend the money on DNA test? Recommendation?

Is his skin spotted? Are his hooves striped? My prviouse Appy was solid coloured when I got her but she had striped hooves and spots in her mouth and under her tail (she did eventually spot out) She also had the white sclera round her eyes. If he doesn't have any other charachteristics then he is a spotted cob

 

[Errin Paddywack]

All spotties have the mottled skin, white sclera and striped hooves. It isn't confined to appies.

 

[DabDab]

You can test for the colour genetics that make a horse a particular colour if you're interested, but it won't tell you specifically what breed he is. I tested the colour genetics for my spotty critter, just because she has a funny mix of colour tones in her coat and I was curious.

The main genes for spotty colouring are Lp and Patn1 (though there are other pattern genes too). If you're interested in horse colour genetics spotties are an interesting one to read up on so you could have fun doing some research

 

[Shay]

To only reason to really know if he is an Appie or not (and a test won't necessarily tell you) is because Appies are prone to congential stationary night blindness. Something I had never heard of until I got an Appie BS 148 with it! Once you know its a possibiity and can look for it - or when you just want to know why your horse just walked into something in the dark! - you can manage it. Our Appie did brilliantly - but we did have to be careful in late night classes at shows. The lit ring was fine - but he had no idea outside it.

 

[SpringArising]

Why does it matter?

No, theres no problem, but if you've had him a year and he cant breed, I was just wondering why you are wanting to know what his specific breeding is enough to consider a DNA test.

Weird replies. Loads of people on here ask what breed we think their horse is.

 

[Cloball]

I would test just colour genetics because I find it fascinating but like others have said it won't tell you breed out of the spotting breeds such as appaloosa, knabstrupper, British spotted pony etc. You could test for Patn 1, grey, extension and agouti to see what he is under the spots.

 

[Chinchilla]

No, theres no problem, but if you've had him a year and he cant breed, I was just wondering why you are wanting to know what his specific breeding is enough to consider a DNA test.

It could be anything that will throw spots, knabstrupper or appaloosa predominantly, but it could be way back in his breeding, not just mum or dad.

I have an appyx, I love his spots. His dad was unregistered so I can never prove his breeding, though I do have a record of his stanardbred trotter mum.

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It can be useful to know if a horse is stockhorse bred due to increased prevalence of HYPP and similar disorders, though, in breeds like appaloosas and quarter horses (particularly if OP is in the states.)

There's no need to know about CSNB for this horse though. He's leopard spotted so heterozygous and therefore doesn't have it - only varnish roans (if homozygous for LP), snow caps and fewspots can have it.

If he was mine I'd colour test too just because I find it fascinating as well lol

He's really handsome OP!

 

[Palindrome]

He does look like he could be a purebred appaloosa to me, or QH appaloosa cross.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

To only reason to really know if he is an Appie or not (and a test won't necessarily tell you) is because Appies are prone to congential stationary night blindness.

This also is not just an appie problem. It is probably more prevalent in them due to colouring, few spots being the most likely to have it. I have bred two that were night blind. He is unlikely to be as he is a greyed out leopard not a few spot.

I would not say he was a purebred appaloosa. Hindquarters do have a look of a quarter horse. Might be irish bred. There are quite a few big spotties from Ireland. A long time back the travelling circuses from Europe used to have spotted liberty horses, usually Knabstrups. Quite a lot of these ended up in Ireland and GB which is where a lot of our spotties originated.

 

[Chinchilla]

This also is not just an appie problem. It is probably more prevalent in them due to colouring, few spots being the most likely to have it. I have bred two that were night blind. He is unlikely to be as he is a greyed out leopard not a few spot.

It's not possible for horses heterozygous for the leopard complex to have it and all homozygous horses will have it.

 

[Leo Walker]

He cannot be purebred and grey

 

[Errin Paddywack]

He can unfortunately. BApS now test for grey and I believe they can't go in the main register if positive but as I am no longer a member not 100% on that. However until that rule was brought in there could be greys. I have to confess that I have bred greys. I bought my first spottie back in 1973 before BApS was formed and like a lot of other people knew nothing about the greying gene. She was white so presumably greyed out and her first foal by a loud black leopard did eventually grey out. In the States one of the first stallions registered was a grey leopard known as 'Old Painter'. Neither BApS or the ApHC allowed outcrossing to non-appaloosa greys, or roans for that matter, but it wasn't until genetic testing came in that any sort of control of greying gene animals could be brought in.