Pictures- random white spots on chestnut coat?

huskydamage

huskydamage

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are these some kind of mineral deficiency or something, or just old age?
last couple of years my chestnut pony has had circular white spots appear (she's rising 22). They move around and reappear/disappear in different locations! but are present in winter and summer coat. Some of them are tiny (probably you can't see in pictures) but others are perfect white circles like 10p coin size that look really obvious.
I am fussing over nothing or is she lacking in some vitamin?
thanks

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They are known as Birdcatcher spots - harmless - not sure what causes them - it is not like the copper deficiency spots you can see. My chestnut had brown spots (Bend-Or spots) . Chestnut must be a complicated colour gentically I think!
 
They're fine. My young chestnut 8 year old NF mare has a little white spot in exactly the same place as your mare's on the second photo, and has two white spots on her either sides of her bum, as well as white hairs all over her body, particularly on her rump. As well at little spot on her chest.

My friends chestnut 11 year old Irish Sports Pony also has little spots all over him as well as lots of white hairs all over him, a bit like a red roan, but not white enough.

Here are photos of my NF's white spots, I haven't got a photo of the spots on her front end, but have got the spots on her hindquarters.

A bit blurry, but you get the idea:

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Bird catcher spots definitely.
Nothing to worry about. Our chestnut mare started with them in her late teens and by the time she was 46 she looked like a reverse Appaloosa !!!!
 
huskydamage said:
are these some kind of mineral deficiency or something, or just old age?
last couple of years my chestnut pony has had circular white spots appear (she's rising 22). They move around and reappear/disappear in different locations! but are present in winter and summer coat. Some of them are tiny (probably you can't see in pictures) but others are perfect white circles like 10p coin size that look really obvious.
I am fussing over nothing or is she lacking in some vitamin?
thanks

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The next Toytown, perhaps?!
 
Agreed, don't worry about them at all. I think it must be something to do with grey and chestnut genes being recessive. My girl had a couple of permanent white spots, but every so often would sprout a few extra, which would then be gone again 12 months later. I did know a 4 year old bright chestnut mare who looked like a reverse dalmation. She was absolutlely covered in spots of varying size and I think they were permanent. Very pretty!
 
Our chestnut had loads of these which the vet carefully filled in on his passport... only for them all to disappear next coat change and fresh ones to pop up in different places.

Never heard them called birdcatcher spots.. thanks for that, very interesting.
 
I've not heard them called that before either. I did own a tbxconn years ago and she had 17 black spots and splodges and 5 white she also was the brightest chestnut.
 
thanks for the info :) had vaguely heard of Birdcatcher spots, but thought they were a throughbred thing, didn't know all breeds could get them. Interesting to see piccies on a newforest as mine my girl is a NF X
I actually thought it was bird poo the first time they appeared lol
 
My purebred arab has had them since she was 3. Getting more as she grows up. They start with a couple of white hairs, then the spot 'grows'. She also has sabiano & rabiano genes (large white belly patches and roaning).
 
My chestnut mare didnt have these till toytown was famous- she is the height of fashion!

However they move :) She got one on her ear one year- very distracting when you ride!

But they just add to her oddities :D
 
I used to ride a delightful chestnut IDx called Ambrose at the RS I used to go to - he had these. Lead to him being referred to as "the spotty ginger thing" which I thought was a bit mean! Understood it was a genetic thing rather than a deficiency.
 
huskydamage said:
thanks for the info :) had vaguely heard of Birdcatcher spots, but thought they were a throughbred thing, didn't know all breeds could get them. Interesting to see piccies on a newforest as mine my girl is a NF X
I actually thought it was bird poo the first time they appeared lol
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Yeah, I thought your girl may of been an NF.
 
My chestnut Arab cross mare, over 20 years old, has had these pretty much all her life. They appear and disappear randomly. They are very clear at first but go faded and roan-y as they disappear. At the moment she has one in her mane under the headpiece. Sometimes she is just dotted everywhere and other times there are very few. Her sire was grey.
 
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