Pictures What on earth is going on with Mim’s colour now?

LadyGascoyne

LadyGascoyne

Still Fig-uring it out...
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Oh the joys of having a palomino.

Totally covered in white spots this year.

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Last year, no spots.

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Year before, no spots.

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Year before, no spots.

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This year. So many spots!!!

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Any ideas as to why? Everything I’ve read says bird catcher spots pop up “randomly” but there are so many, appearing all at once this year. There must be some kind of trigger.
 
This happened to my PRE (he's bay) around age 6 or 7. We ran some blood tests and played with some vit/min stuff, but he still has them a few years later. Sometimes more than other times. We were never able to link it to anything.

Sometimes a lack of pigmentation can come from some sort of vit/min imbalance or deficiency, perhaps copper and zinc. Usually there would be other signs as well, but not always.

A friend's mare has them too. We speculate that she's part Arabian, and she's also bay. She's 24 this year, and I'd say she's doing alright ? our two horses are the only ones ar the yard with these spots (50 or so horses). They're fed differently and on different fields so could just be unexplained Birdcatcher spots.
 
Our palomino pony has developed a few whiter patches where his clip is growing out...but they are turning golden now with the rest of his coat so I've no idea! We've only had him since January so I've no idea it it's normal for him or not!
 
Louis had a strange coat this year he looked like a roan in January and February, he is classed as a wild bay so has light hairs on his legs and in his mane and tail but this year his whole body went grey.
 
Not sure if it any help, but siamese cats do this where hair has been removed, or there has been an incision. When I was a vet nurse donkey's years ago, we always had to warn owners about new hair growing back a completely different colour. Fly bites? Rough play with field mate? Not even sure if this theory would apply to horses!
 
Highmileagecob said:
Not sure if it any help, but siamese cats do this where hair has been removed, or there has been an incision. When I was a vet nurse donkey's years ago, we always had to warn owners about new hair growing back a completely different colour. Fly bites? Rough play with field mate? Not even sure if this theory would apply to horses!
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No kind of injuries or bites, I’m afraid.

Goldenstar said:
It’s called Vitiligo it’s more common in Arabs but occurs in other breeds .
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No skin pigment loss, purely coat change. Very odd! And they aren’t bright white, they are light palomino - almost like spots of her winter coat colour.

thefarsideofthefield said:
Mildew ?
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The best answer ?
 
Birdcatcher spots, named after a Victorian (?) racehorse that developed them. My skewbald mare developed a few on her ginger patches at the age of about 7. Apparently they can appear or disappear randomly at each coat change, but Nutmeg's haven't moved. No one seems to know why it happens but it's quite common and absolutely nothing to worry about. It's a sign of an extra extra specially wonderful horse!!
 
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