Scratches on grey growing in black

[Shinx]

Hi all, I'm hoping some longtime grey owners can give me some advice!

My grey was picture perfect until I introduced him into a herd. He's now as happy as a clam living in a group but he often gets little nicks and marks where the hair is scraped off from playing. I didn't think much of it, until the hair grew back black! He's looking increasingly like a leopard appaloosa. The first few he got grew back in white, it's only the more recent ones that are black, so I'm wondering if it's related to his winter coat. He's also grown in a few black spots where I'm 100% certain he didn't have a scrape or injury.

He also developed fleabites this year for the first time - these are chestnut and much smaller than his new black spots. He's looking a little interesting at the moment!

Grey owners: in your experience will the regrowth change colour with seasonal coat changes? And has anyone seen random black spots on a grey grow in all of a sudden (not fleabites)?

I've never had a grey before and the genetics and colouration are all really fascinating to me!

 

[I'm Dun]

Have you got a photo of him?

 

[ycbm]

Is it possible he's a fewspot Appaloosa? They look like white greys. I think, but I'm not sure, they can develop more spots as they age.
.

 

[Shinx]

Have you got a photo of him?

That would be useful! I don't have a good photo of the most recent additions, I'll take one tomorrow.

 

[Shinx]

Is it possible he's a fewspot Appaloosa? They look like white greys. I think, but I'm not sure, they can develop more spots as they age.
.

He's full PRE, both parents grey but his mother has thrown a few solid foals so 50/50 chance he's heterozygous. He greyed out really quickly. I bought him Jan 2021 with lots of dapples and he was nearly snow white a year later except for a roany patch on his bum. This year he's developed flea bites and now black spots.

Unless I'm mistaken and the black spots are solely on his injuries, but I don't think so.

 

[live2ride]

My grey mare had an injury on her flank, that for the last 10 years grew back black with her summer coat.

Back to white with her winter coat, though this year it didn’t come in black, but she’s been diagnosed with cushings so whether that affected the coat growth.

 

[Shinx]

My grey mare had an injury on her flank, that for the last 10 years grew back black with her summer coat.

Back to white with her winter coat, though this year it didn’t come in black, but she’s been diagnosed with cushings so whether that affected the coat growth.

Thank you!! This is exactly the kind of response I was looking for. Although interesting it grows in darker in summer and lighter in winter, because it seems like my boy is coming in black with his new winter coat. I found some photos from just a few weeks ago and one scratch on his face is barely visible under the new white hair growth, and now it's solid black hair! I'm hoping it won't stay although I will learn to love it, I'm sure! I'll post before and after photos tomorrow when I take a new one.

He was on individual turnout until May and while I was worried about injuries with turning him out in a herd, permanent black scars weren't one of the things I was worried about! He's so happy being in a herd though, I can't bear to put him back on individual, and the damage is already done anyway.

 

[Shinx]

My grey mare had an injury on her flank, that for the last 10 years grew back black with her summer coat.

Back to white with her winter coat, though this year it didn’t come in black, but she’s been diagnosed with cushings so whether that affected the coat growth.

Out of curiosity, how bad was the injury? Because the ones on my boy were just superficial, no bleeding or scabbing, just bits where the hair was scraped off. I wasn't expecting them to have damaged the hair follicle but lesson learned I suppose.

 

[marmalade76]

Yes, I have seen this before, like in a coloured horse (I mean a horse that's not grey) can scar white hair, a grey can do the opposite. I have also found that flea bitten greys become more flea bitten with age, I knew one that almost turned brown in her old age!

 

[Annagain]

My old fleabitten grey's scars would grow back black, they'd normally fade over a few months.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Yes, I have seen this before, like in a coloured horse (I mean a horse that's not grey) can scar white hair, a grey can do the opposite. I have also found that flea bitten greys become more flea bitten with age, I knew one that almost turned brown in her old age!

Agree with this I've seen scaring hair grow back black on a grey as well and as they get older they become more flea bitten in general I have found.

My Louis his bay has old scars on his shoulder that are white and look worse with his summer coat but hardly noticeable in winter.

 

[Alibear]

My old fleabitten grey's scars would grow back black, they'd normally fade over a few months.

Daisy is the same as this, nicks and scrapes grow back black and then gradually fade.

 

[fidleyspromise]

This is Interesting as I've never heard of that. I've got a grey who's had a few injuries in her time but never had black/dark hairs come through.
She has slightly darker hair near her withers and I've wondered if it could be from her saddle despite having it fitted regularly.

 

[Cragrat]

I had a pony who started off as a youngster as a very dark iron grey, and gradually became whiter. His scars grew back with black hair.

 

[Love]

Mine is the same - has a couple of scars on his leg that came back in black and are still there 4 years later

 

[Carlosmum]

I found some of the grey ponies would develop a flea bitten coat as they grew older.

 

[mustardsmum]

Yep, if our flea bitten grey gets a scratch or cut it grows back black. Interestingly the incision where her melanoma was removed grew back grey and other than a slight indentation, you’d not notice it.