Color pattern question

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~Karen~

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I just purchased a full size, gaited horse.

She is a paint type, jet black and white, with black being the base. The white areas (mostly at her neck on both sides has these grey/black spots of various sizes, but moast about the size of a baseball. The spots are not round in shape, like one is a heart shape, and other odd shapes. Inside these grey/black shapes are black spots.There are some solid white areas, like her legs, and some hip areas. She also has a white star,snip, and blaze that is solid. Her head is solid black, her mane is nearly solid black, her tails has a little white in with the black, but mostly all black. What I am most curious about is the spots in the white areas. One person told me she looked dappled there, but I don't think so. There is definatly white all around the grey/ black spots. I don't think it looks appaloosa either.

Any ideas?
 
I would love to see some photos if you can get some.

It would make identification much easier!

Also, I always love to see a good paint horse!
 
If she is Tobiano, which it sounds likely by the white legs, I can help you.

This is My Tobian0 Paint Mare.

white legs with spots are called Dorsal spots. The spots at the hoof are called ermine spots.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x12/479...Anne/inkleg.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x12/479...onfopics003.jpg

The spots in the white are call ink spots or if larger/ multiple spots grouped paw prints

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x12/479...-23-08008-1.jpg

With Sabino acting on the Tobiano you can also have roaning as in the area next to the white

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x12/479...nne/roanhip.jpg

Also sabino and other white patterns can cause stars stripes and snips

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x12/479...shybling005.jpg

And Tobis usually have white in the tail:

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x12/479.../5-25-08021.jpg

If you post a pic it will help a lot!
 
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If she is gaited she is most likely a spotted saddle horse or SSH. And they just like all forms of the color genes have outlining and roaning, but they are all just called spotted. I'm in the heart of gaited country and have several friends that have SSH's and they don't call them tobiano or sabino or overo they are just spotted. They don't try to get caught up in the color at all. I have been on a SSH and a TWH and the SSH was smoother so congrats! I don't think they have testing for the SSH breed as no one really tries to figure out what horse is what. If there is a pic and you knew the lineage of the horse you may be able to get a better idea, but most people don't care about the color unless it isn't there. Congrats on your new horse. She may just be a fading black as well. There are fading and non fading blacks in the breed as well.

One of my friends now has 3 B&W SSH's and we all kid her that she needs to rename her farm
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Thank you Bonny for your help.

I looked at her really closely yesterday and the pattern on her neck is like you were saying of the pawprint.

The white runs down her neck quite a bit like you are showing on your horse, it is almost a carbon copy on both sides, but is wider, running up higher on the neck. This is where the paw print pattern is mostly at, quite heavily. Her legs are white all the way up, but she has the tiny spots like yours.

I really appreciate the pictures you posted for comparison, it was really helpful. I would post pictures of her but since I just bought her, and I don't have a digital any more, it is a slow process to get pictures computer ready. I have had so many comments from friends and family about her markings that I didn't know, so I came here. You all are the greatest! I just knew that it wasn't called dapple, but that was about all I knew, so you can see the feedback from the ones who wanted to say dapple. So now I can call it a pawprint pattern and "set 'em straight"
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And tell them my friends from Lil' Beginnings said so!
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This mare is HUGE... for not being a draft horse. She is unregistered and all I know is she has the sweetest personality and is almost 6 y.o. and she didn't come with a name. :-(

The man that owned her bought her from an elderly man who's health got too bad to enjoy her any more. When he purchased her, he didn't ask for her name and never gave her one. He has gotten into mini. Donkeys and has a lot of them. He just didn't have time for the mare any more. I sooo want to find out her original name (trying to get in touch w/ the original owner at this time) At this time, no name I have come across is fitting.

I know, this has nothing to do with color, huh?
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Karen I sent you a pm but just realized she is gaited not saddle bred.
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I have a friend whose horse looks Tobi with Sabino, much like mine, that is a gaited horse.

Beautiful mare that just foaled out a stunning sorrel colt!

BTW your welcome.
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I'm glad you were able to find out what you were looking for. I just wanted to say that a friend of mine in NC just got a SSH and he is 17.2hh and is a powerhouse! Most of the TWH around here are short, but they have a lot of them that are HUGE!! I hope you are able to find out her name and get some of her history, I know I always like that info but it isn't always avail. Good luck with her and I'll be hoping for pics as soon as your able to get them
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Hi,

The pattern you're describing sounds just like my old mare Beauty and you can see a pic of her on the forum topic "HELP- loosing weight after gelding"-----she is a tobiano and her pawprinting is from her being Homozygous for the tobiano pattern! Hope this helps
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Thank you Shelly. I tried to find your post, but didn't figure out howto look it up.

If you post a link to it, I'd love to go check it out. :)

Bonny, I received your PM... I haven't had a chance to respond to it, but I will. It may take a few days, but I do want to get back with you.

Maybe I will get a roll of film used this weekend and I can get them developed. If so, I will post a picture and maybe we can get better answers.

As far as her breed, I am not sure at this time. I am not really good at looking at conformation and figuring out a breed, but I do know she was really stepping out when she moves, much like a Fox Trotter moves, but unsure at this time if she is a FT or even part. Hopefully I will get more time this weekend to play around with her a lot.
 
Shelly - Happy Happy joy joy that your Mare is homozygous! I was reading the APHA website and all the ink ermine and dorsal paw prints point to homozygous, ShyAnne has all but sadly when tested she is just heterozygous.
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Joyce did you ever have beauty tested?

Karen Cant wait to see pictures, hint hint!
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Ink spots/paw prints don't always mean homozygosity.

There are horses with them that are heterozygous. There are homozygous horses that don't have them.

But, it does very often mean that they are homozygous.

Aaaand color questions don't mean much without a picture, would love to see one!
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