Spotty new coat on pony any ideas

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maree t

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Help.... my daughters pony has started developing white patches on his lovely bay coat. He has lost his very dark winter coat and gone to lovely bay but has got loads of white patches all over. There are so many that it cant be from damage and the skin is good and clean and coat lovely and shiny. We only bought this pony last september so dont know what goes on any ideas.:confused: Think we might have to get out the hair dye for the showing classes :). He is 13 years old if that helps.
 
Is it like the white spots that Zara Phillips horse Toytown has?
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yes is does look a bit like that. some of them are quite large almost the size of a £2 coin while he has some tiny ones aswell.
 
Probably has some overo gene.. or is it tobiano.. I'm sure a genetics expert will help you out soon. Nothing to worry about - it's just coat patterning coming through by sounds of it.

I could be talking nonsense but def have heard of horses changing their spots :D:D
 
tallyho! said:
Probably has some overo gene.. or is it tobiano.. I'm sure a genetics expert will help you out soon. Nothing to worry about - it's just coat patterning coming through by sounds of it.

I could be talking nonsense but def have heard of horses changing their spots :D:D
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LOL exactly what I was thinking, but couldnt remember the gene name!
 
His breeding is down just as new forest cross cob so no idea. Do you think it will continue to get more? It does look a bit strange daughter thinks he must be a reverse appalosa :rolleyes:
 
maree t said:
His breeding is down just as new forest cross cob so no idea. Do you think it will continue to get more? It does look a bit strange daughter thinks he must be a reverse appalosa :rolleyes:
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Ah! Well there you go... google "overo" - all will become clear.... def not Appaloosa as they are ones who do not like to change their spots... appaloosa spots can fade with age but what they are born with stays. Unless he has striped hooves, mottling/white sclera- not an appy.
 
My bright bay ISH started getting them when she lost her winter coat last year and farrier did explain that is it some condition does not affect the horse but just comes up randomly on some horses.
This year she has loads of them, being 6 now by the time she is 12 she should be a full spotty lol
 
My chestnut mare has over the winter developed lots of black sploges....... googled it and they are called Bendor spots.....dont know if they can be white or not though
 
Its something to do with copper in the grass, depending on how much they are getting/not getting.

My chestnut mare had exactly the same, she had them late winter/spring and most of them faded in the summer/autumn, leaving one on her ear permenantley!
 
Thanks for the replies. So NGRACE I need to get a copper supplement then. should I give that to all the ponies here then ? none of them are showing any sign of these patches but if one is deficient then they must all be ? Is he just prone then do you think. He did have about tw when we got him but assumed that it was old skin damage.
 
You dont necessarily need a copper suppliment, thats just what some people do, it may be that yours has them because of age (bircatcher spots)..however even if they are bircatcher, that still doesnt rule out copper deficiency linking to age!
And no if the others dont have the spots then no need to think about suppliments for them too, its not necessarily the grass they are all on, its the individual horse - like some humans have iron defficiency.
I never used any suppliments, we got along just fine, pony was the happiest healthiest pony on the yard :) And everyone loved her spottiness.
 
I dont know much about birdcatcher spots, but if you google them people say they are more long term and come on later in life, but its sounds like yours could easily be seasonal since you have only had her since september, then again that could be coincidence!

All in all, wether or not they are seasonal copper deficiency, or birdcatcher spots, its nothing to worry about, try the suppliment if you like.
 
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