# Can leg markings develop over time?



## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

This may sound stupid, but I am not well-versed in color genetics.

So, today something caught my eye on Sunny's left hind leg.










I have owned her for two years, and I have never, ever noticed this.

I have gone back through old pictures and can not see it, and it is not on her papers or any Coggins.

Is it possible that it is just now showing up? She is 3 1/2.

And it is definitely her hair. I scrubbed it for a long time because I was SURE that it was dust or something. :lol:

I just can't possibly believe that I have not noticed this in two years, nor that it hasn't shown up in pictures or hasn't been noticed by vets.

Also, this is likely completely irrelevant, but she also has little white hairs all over her body. In some spots there are clumps, but otherwise they are just speckled all over her body. It can't be from an ill-fitting saddle because she has only been under saddle for a month and she has had them since before then. And besides, they are all over her body.
Maybe fly bites?

I'll post pics in a second.

Thanks for any info! I am utterly confused.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Here are some photos of the white hairs. The second and third didn't turn out too well. :/

Her spine:









Her barrel:









Her rump(the "stripes" are dust marks, ignore those):








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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

Could be sabino . They can show up late and in the form of sprinkled white hairs throughout the body.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Interesting!

She is reg. Thoroughbred.
Would that make a difference?
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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

Sunny said:


> Interesting!
> 
> She is reg. Thoroughbred.
> Would that make a difference?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



Not really as the Sabino gene is not breed specific.

My own horse had no markings other than the normal ones. He has now one hind leg that is very very grey and has grey hairs all over his body. They developed after age 4. 

In his case it is in his sire line. He is WB /anglo arab.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

She's a red horse, which would explain the random white hairs throughout her body. That's very common on red horses.

The markings on her legs might be scars. Did she ever injure herself there?


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

In that exact spot, no, although her back legs did get pretty banged up last month in an accident. Could bruising cause it, because she was definitely bruised in that area.

I swear, I just noticed it today. It's like it appeared over night!
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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Ditto what Po said. Red horses are very prone to having sporadic white hairs throughout their coats. Any color can have/develop them, but it tends to show more often in reds. 

I would think that the foot white markings are due to some sort of injury or trauma to that area. Whether it be a major wound or minor one.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

I never knew that red heads were prone to that! How interesting!

It's still normal for them to have "clumps" of white hairs, like the one on her spine?

So, if it is due to trauma, will the white on her foot eventually go away or is it permanent?
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## Cinnys Whinny (Apr 10, 2010)

Interesting.... Cinny has been developing similar white fleckings but I just figured it had something to do with him being a Paint.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

If it's a scar, it will be permanent.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Interesting!

Thanks, everyone!
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## BlackCricket (Oct 20, 2011)

re: white spots on spine/back--my haflinger started getting these, and more random white hairs throughout. I always chalked it up to sabino roaning. The spots change size, and to a small point, location--so they could be bitty little birdcatchers on her as well..LOL. 

I have a friend who had an older gelding get a random, palm sized roany patch next to his tail..it was there for a couple of years, and then disappeared. I think he was in his late teens when it happened.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Sunny said:


> It's still normal for them to have "clumps" of white hairs, like the one on her spine?


No, that's probably from some sort of trauma. Even a scratch can cause the hair in certain areas to grow back white.



Sunny said:


> So, if it is due to trauma, will the white on her foot eventually go away or is it permanent?


It's permanent. Any white marks from injuries are permanent.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Hmmmm.....

I don't recall any trauma to her back/spine area, but then again who knows what horses get into while we're not around!
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