# Can all horses get dapples?



## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

Yes .. pretty much.


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## SketchyHorse (May 14, 2012)

I was always told that dapples meant the horse was in excellent shape getting good nutrition. My palomino QH always starts showing them later in the summer & sometimes my bay QH will as well. The STB I train also gets them  I always thought it was more color related. Like my Arab is a bay but a more copper penny type & I don't think she's ever had them.


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## Dreamcatcher5 (May 15, 2012)

SketchyHorse: I always thought that too.
In Summer, Luca gets dapples under his tail, but those are lighter coloured dapples, and the one on his back now are darker coloured.


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## rexing93 (Dec 6, 2012)

I wish I could help you, but I'm with SketchyHorse--I've heard they're caused by good nutrition and in excellent condition, however I'm not too terribly sure. I haven't looked into it.

I do want to say that your boy is absolutely handsome though, too. It could because I adore Standardbreds, but I doubt that's the cause(;


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

texasgal said:


> Yes .. pretty much.


So my paint could get dapples?


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## Ashleysmardigrasgirl (Jun 28, 2012)

yep, sky.


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

Dapples can appear differently on different parts of the horse. I have a 14 year old mare that had never had them before, but she has them now.


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## HeroMyOttb (Dec 28, 2009)

I was actually wondering that same question as well. I've owned My TB for four years and have never saw him have dapples, until this summer. 

That makes me wonder about the whole - horses get dapples because they are in excellent condition and are getting good nutrition, because my TB was such a hard keeper and I could never get him to not be underweight. Until this past winter he put on a lot of weight, and when he started to shed out I noticed the dapples as he is still holding on weight, has a shiny coat, and his energy level has sky rocketed.


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

I understand so much more about feeding now, especially the importance of fatty acids, that my program is totally different!


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

Dapple bay standardbred.


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## Wheatermay (Aug 22, 2011)

FIRST GREAT QUESTION! 

Second! I was wondering it too! LOL! My mother in law's two brown's dapple- the mare more than the gelding.... and my copper color bay never does. They area all fed the same way. I sometimes THINK i see dapples in certain light on him in the summer, but then I am not so sure when he moves, lol. Not sure if it's harder to see on some colors?

What exactly makes the color slightly different? Is it the angle of the hair, or is the pigment actually a slightly different shade, or the oil in it's skin?


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

^^ Totally brown.

Some dapple, some don't. I know perfectly healthy horses that really don't dapple, just extremely shiny and overall appear to be in very good health. And some of every color that do, including black though it's more difficult to see. 

My buckskin mare only dapples in the winter. It sheds out in the spring and her summer coat is uniform colored. Her diet doesn't change at all. Shrug.

I am unsure of what makes it look different though, Wheatermay. Abby's winter coat appears to have a different texture on the dapples than the rest of it. She looks like a pinecone when she's cold and puffs up her hair.


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

Poseidon said:


> ^^ Totally brown.
> 
> Some dapple, some don't. I know perfectly healthy horses that really don't dapple, just extremely shiny and overall appear to be in very good health. And some of every color that do, including black though it's more difficult to see.
> 
> ...


Are you saying the image I shared is of a brown horse?


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## aforred (May 12, 2010)

LoveTheSaddlebreds said:


> Are you saying the image I shared is of a brown horse?


Yes. He is brown.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

LoveTheSaddlebreds said:


> Are you saying the image I shared is of a brown horse?


Yes, I am.


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## Wheatermay (Aug 22, 2011)

Hmmm.... Maybe it's different texture hair, good idea, lol... I have a habit of calling mine bay, but I think he is a light brown.... I cant remember... lol... Browns can be light colored copper right? And winter coat red?


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

Yep, my understanding is that dapples can appear on any color of horse. Their location, prominence, and the length of time that they remain noticeable can all vary quite a bit.

I do believe that dapples are a sign of good health and nutrition. My mustang mare that I took in this winter who I've been working on packing the pounds and nutrition into has recently developed some very light dapples.


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## LoveTheSaddlebreds (Jul 9, 2009)

Poseidon said:


> Yes, I am.


What classifies it as a brown? (Curiosity spiked now) he's got black points. He just looks sun bleached. I was under the impression a brown horse doesn't have black points or looks similar to a black horse with minimal brown points.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Brown is just a variation of the agouti gene (which causes bay). Browns can and do have black points as brown just restricts black in a different way than classic bay. As to what indicators that say the horse is brown? The lightening around the muzzle, behind the elbow, in front of the stiffle and on the butt. Those areas are the last to sun fade so are not caused by sun fading.


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## Dreamcatcher5 (May 15, 2012)

All here's a question that has been niggling at me for ages: which parts of the horse's body are considered "points"? I'm asking this because Luca's legs, tips of the ears, mane and tail are black. But he's classified as brown. Do bays have black muzzles too? Because Luca is black below the nostrils, but above them, he's lighter brown...just wondering...
Here's a pic of Luca's muzzle. 

http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums...a8e715b3441ce6f1d850eb7c25e83_zps7540e306.jpg
http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums...40f6e4eb766a719ee6df40150e0b9_zpse6094f9b.jpg
^ Oh, Luca :lol:
But he's definitely brown, isn't he?


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

He is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO brown! lol.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Luca is a brown.

Points are legs, mane, tail and ear tips.


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## Dreamcatcher5 (May 15, 2012)

But his points are black. That still makes him brown though, doesn't it? I love his colour, he looks like a horse shaped piece of shiny fudge :lol:


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Yes his points can be black. just like a bay's can be. Both bay and brown are different mutations of the agouti gene which is what restricts black on a black based horse. They just do so in different ways.


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## Dreamcatcher5 (May 15, 2012)

So Luca is a mutant?! :shock:
Well, anyway, thanks for clearing that up for me.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

He's as much a mutant as an other horse. :wink:


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## Wheatermay (Aug 22, 2011)

Mutant horses, lol.... There X-HORSES!


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## FrostedLilly (Nov 4, 2012)

Haha, I have a mutant... er X-horse as well (avatar pic). She basically looks black save the light brown points on her flank, nose, inner legs, etc. 

Getting back to dapples, I've heard the same thing about it being a sign of good nutrition and internal health, but wasn't sure if that was just an old wives' tale or not because I find it difficult to find any reliable articles on the topic. Some things I've read suggest they are genetic and will show up when the horse is in good condition - which would explain why not all healthy horses get dapples. My mare dapples year round, but in winter, they are not as obvious - it kind of looks like she lay on a chain link fence, for lack of a better way of explaining it.

I'd be really curious to know the exact cause of them though. For example, if I saw a dapple grey horse, I wouldn't necessarily attribute its dapples to health, but more to just strictly pigmentation, however, maybe I'm wrong on that? Maybe a grey horse won't dapple if it's not healthy? I'm not sure I've seen an unhealthy dapple grey horse to be able to properly tell.


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## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Grey dapples are different than other dappled colors, IMO.


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## FrostedLilly (Nov 4, 2012)

NdAppy said:


> Grey dapples are different than other dappled colors, IMO.


Agree, I view them differently than the dapples on my mare for example. There's also light coloured horses with the sooty gene that will dapple too. It would be interesting to know exactly what causes the difference between one that is pigment related like a grey or sooty or one that is health related or if there is any difference at all. I haven't been able to find anything conclusive on it other than other discussion boards discussing it.


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## Wheatermay (Aug 22, 2011)

It seems like it's easier to see on some than others. Bc I cannot see them on any of our paints. I cant remember if the two brown do. I know one does! But my light back does not. At least not obvious one that I notice. But the one brown that does only dapples in the summer.


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## Wheatermay (Aug 22, 2011)

So just noticed the dapple brown mare's SON is now getting dapples showing in his countershading areas. He is also a brown.


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

I think its good health produces dapples. We have a big bay mare that dapples out each spring, the others start to dapple out around this time of year. Some of them keep the dapples through the winter. The chestnuts don't often dapple out but they are also a bit under condition due to age and recent health issues. We have a black gelding who dappled out last year which was a bit odd. You could only really see it in certain lights. I always figured it was related to being in good condition. All of them are Standardbreds.


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