Horse spotting patterns

There are two distinct types of spotting patterns of horses, one group known collectively as "pinto," the other as "leopard" or "Appaloosa."

Leopard or Appaloosa, Tigerschecke, Schabrackenschecke

Breeds

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  Category:Appaloosa
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  Category:AraAppaloosa
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  Category:Knabstrupper
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  Category:Nederlands Appaloosa Pony
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  Category:Pony of the Americas
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  As Mules are half horses, they may have the Gene for leopard spotting

Coat

Snowflake

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Blanket

Deutsch: Schabrackenschecke, Schabrackentiger

English: "Blanket" Appaloosa

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Leopard

English: "Leopard" Appaloosa

Deutsch: Volltiger

Svenska: Tigrering

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  Leopard mule

Few Spot

Deutsch: Weißgeborener

English: Few Spot

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Varnish Roan

en:Varnish roan

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Details

Head

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Other details

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  The reddish leopard-spots in this otherwise bay coat are only visible after leopard-related roaning has occurred, as here.
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Pinto

Also called blagdon, calico, piebald, skewbald, tricoloured, in various parts of the English-speaking world.

Tobiano on bay base color

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  Minimally marked tobiano Lewitzer: Bay base color with white stockings. In the Lewitzer breed only tobianos are used as breeding stallions.
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Tobiano on black base color

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Atypical black Tobiannos

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  This black tobiano has roaned edges to the spotting, which is probably caused by a sabino gene
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  Extensive white head markings are atypical for tobiano spotting and usually due to an additional spotting gene
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  The white belly stripe is atypical for tobiano spotting and usually due to an additional spotting gene

Black tobiano heads

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Tobiano on chestnut base color

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  Minimally marked tobiano
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Other base colors

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  Fleabitten grey tobiano
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  Dappled grey tobiano
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  Grey tobiano
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  Smoky cream tobiano
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  Palomino tobiano
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  Palomino tobiano
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  Mouse dun tobiano
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  Mouse dun tobiano
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  Silver dapple mouse dun tobiano
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  Red dun tobiano
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  Minimal tobiano markings on silver dapple black

Tobiano Equus hybrids

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  This zorse, being half zebra and half horse has the tobiano gene
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  Minimal Tobiano Mule

Overo

This term encompasses Frame, Sabino and Splashed white horses, as well as horses exhibiting a combination of these patterns Overo

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  Horse may possibly be simply sabino

Frame overo

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  Left: minor expression; middle: major expression; right: mid-expression
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  Minor expression
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  Eyless horse with frame overo
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  Major expression
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  Major expression
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Foals

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History

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Splashed white horses

In some parts of the world, the term "splashed white" is used interchangably with "sabino." Genetic studies to date have identified three splashed white alleles; one that is relatively common in several breeds (SW-1), and two that appear to be limited to only the American Quarter Horse and American Paint Horse (SW-2 and the quite rare SW-3)

The white patterns of sabino and splashed white have similarities, in that white legs and belly spotting are common for both patterns, and it is also possible that a horse could carry genes for both patterns. However, Sabinos usually do not have blue eyes, whereas splash horses often do. Splashed white patterns also tends to be smooth on the edges, while sabino markings tend to have jagged shapes, often with "lacy" or "roaning" patterns at the edges. Only one sabino gene, SB-1, has been identified to date, and it is not found in all sabino-patterned horses.

Minimum expression

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  A palomino Icelandic horse as indicated by dark skin, but also possessing blue eyes, blaze and one sock on a front foot. Probably a very minimum expression of splashed white as blue eyes and white markings on the head without the splashed white factor in Icelandic horses are rare.
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  Blue eyes and a relatively narrow blaze. Probably splashed white since it's an Icelandic horse.

Moderate expression

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  Three low socks, one high stocking, head markings and blue eyes. Tail partly white.
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  Recognisable markings: white head and four high stockings.
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  Head white, stockings in three legs, one leg with some white below pastern; light tail tip and a blotch of white on stomach. Eye is light blue with white lashes, but the surrounding skin is dark. Skin around muzzle is pink.

High expression

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  High stockings, white head, partly white tail, white belly with "splashed" edges. Jagged edges may suggest sabino also present.
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  Illustrates clearly the name of the pattern: the pony looks like it has been running in knee-high white paint. Legs, tail and belly are white, "weird" and wide markings in the head.
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  One dark leg, two stockings, one white leg; body has a vertical band of white. White head.
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  High stockings and white legs; white head; a partial band around the body. White on the rump.
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  White head, a wide white band around the body; white legs and high stockings. Might also carry tobiano masked under the heavy splashed white patterns.

Inconclusive

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  Four low socks and a "muzzle heavy" blaze are often considered typical of minimally-expressed sabino, but some may classify it as a recognisable type of minimum expression splashed white. This horse additionally has blue eyes.

Sabino

English: Sabino is a group of white spotting patterns in horses that affect the skin and hair. A wide variety of irregular color patterns are accepted as Sabino. Sabino patterning is visually recognized by roaning at the edges of white markings, belly spots, irregular face markings, especially white extending past the eyes or onto the chin, white above the knees or hocks, and "splash" or "lacy" marks anywhere on the body, but particularly on the belly. Some sabinos have patches of roan patterning on part of the body, especially the barrel and flanks. Some sabinos may have a dark foot or two, but most have four white feet.

Minimal expression sabino

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  Two low socks, of which one comes to a point. A moderate facial marking that spreads over the lower lip and chin.
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  The left horse seems to only have a faint star and a tiny snip on the head, but the chin is white.

Moderate expression sabino

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  A classical sabino expression: four high uneven socks, wide blaze and chin white, white spot on belly.
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  "Classical sabino" markings with one dark leg
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  Four high uneven socks, a wide blaze.
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  Narrow blaze for a sabino, but the chin is white. Socks low for sabino but the hind ones come to a point.
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  Same horse seen from the other side

High expression sabino

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  Head white and four high socks with roaned edges. Roaned spots and roan hair unevenly spread over the body.
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  This horse has a great deal of roaning all over the body.
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  Bald face with great amounts of roan hair and "spattered" white on the neck; the horse looks spotted.
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  Very roaned markings, white roaned spots high on the body
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  Extreme roaning to the point of difficulty telling where marking ends and roaning begins.
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  Sabino roan
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  Lots of roaning and "spatters", remarkably "lacey" marking edges
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  Abundant roaning and large markings on a pale flaxen chestnut base
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  This horse is roaned to the point it's hard to tell his base colour.

Sabino white

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Minimal Sabino-Markings, Minimale Sabinoscheckung

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("Fully expressed" Sabinos that carry two copies of the SB-1 allele appear to be white or almost white, with pink skin, but, usually, dark eyes)

Tovero

Tovero horses combine Tobiano patterns with one or more of the overo patterns, but are horses predominantly white but with dark ears, at least one blue eye, and spotting on the flanks with random dark body spots elsewhere, particularly on the belly or by the tail. Tovero

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  A Tovero colored mare
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  Tobiano head, overo patterning
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