A foal coming from even TWO leopard parents doesn't necessarily show its true colors right off. Here's a foal we had from two LOUD leopards this year. She was born solid "looking" but had app sclera. By the time she went to her new home at 3 months, she had striped hooves & mottling. She had inherited the Lp gene even tho she didn't show it at first. It CAN take as long as 10 years (current thinking) for app characteristics to show up.
Just because that foal isn't showing it (at even several years old) doesn't mean she can't pass it on. She/he may have the gene to give her new offspring, nonetheless. The ApHC has a non-characteristic category for registering non-characteristic foals from appy breedings. They even have an NC class in shows.
Now........just because the foal is from two appys, doesn't mean it inherits the Lp gene either. It may not have gotten it. Just like you can get a solid from the breeding of two tobys, you can get a solid from two apps, IF they are not homozygous for app. To date, it's only BELIEVED that snowcap & few spot patterns are most likely homozygous. It is NOT proven, but it is the current school of thot.
Confused? Sorry, but app genetics are some of the most confusing............and as I always say, that's what makes it such fun!!!.
Here's pairing I talked about:
Here's their offspring at 3 days old:
We also have a little girl yearling that was born from a black sabino mare and the same loud black leopard we have. She was born solid black, with app sclera. Now, at almost a year, she's got mottling coming on so much around her eyes, in her nostrils, on her lips and on her unmentionables. She's got the Lp gene too. I knew it! Here she is at just a few months. Sorry, don't have any more recent pix right now.
So, in less words, no it can't skip a generation, but what you see is not necessarily what you get in apps. You might not SEE it, but it might be there, waiting!