# Tell Me About This Pattern



## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

WOW, he's beautiful!!!

I will let the appy experts name the pattern (I would just sort of call him a blanket Appaloosa myself). 

I would think he is mostly if not all Appaloosa. Maybe Pony of the Americas because of his height? But he really looks more "horse" than pony to me. I don't know........ I just wanted to say he is stunning! He will turn heads wherever he goes. Congratulations!


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## WhattaTroublemaker (Aug 13, 2013)

I'm thinking varnish roan, because of the white hairs on the face, etc. I'll post a picture of my 3 yo app, he's varnishing out, and has a blanket like yours.


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## Triumvirate (Jan 24, 2015)

What a gorgeous horse!!

I don't think he's varnish roan though. But here's a bare bones appy color chart that may give you an idea:


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## texasgal (Jul 25, 2008)

Looks like blanketed with spots, with varnish roan. He will likely get lighter and lighter on his head and neck until he resembles a leopard.

He's a colorful one! Oh, and some lines of foundation type apps can continue growing until they are 5 or 6 .. but since we don't know his breeding.....


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

I would think maybe he's a mix of blanket and leopard patterns?? That's the best I can think of, but even with that his neck looks almost like a grey roan. 


I really don't know for sure but he's stunning regardless!


I also agree with the above that he could be a varnish roan with a blanket, like this one:


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

Looks like Lp/lp Ptn/ptn on black(I don't see any bronzing)


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

When I was showing ApHC years ago, this would have been called "partial leopard" or "near leopard", but these terms can be a bit misleading. Horses like this are usually born with a blanket and then varnish out. They may always look varnish-y, or they might lighten to an almost full leopard. They are basically blanketed appaloosas that also posses the varnish characteristic.


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## JewelsOK (Apr 11, 2016)

Thank you everyone! I realized I made a mistake with his age, he is actually 5 according to the vet because he has his adult teeth and canines. So he really probably won't make 14.2 if he is barely 14hh right now? Does this mean he is not an Appaloosa, but a POA instead?

And if he doesn't have a long flowing mane yet, it's not likely to happen, huh? I think is little mohawk is cute!!

I'm looking forward to watching to see how his coat color may change over the years. 

Now I have to come up with a name!! Some that I am considering are: Baxter, Bennet, Deacon, Dexter, Eli, Finnegan, Gatsby, Orion, Ronan, Sawyer, Sebastian, Thaddeus, Theodore.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

If you don't know his breeding, then he may or may not be an appaloosa or POA, or any cross. Most appaloosas stand around 15-ish hands, but there is a lot of variation within the breed. I've seen them less than 14.2 and upwards of 17 hands. You'll never really know, but that shouldn't matter. Your guy is super cute! Enjoy him!

BTW, I like almost all of the names you picked out, but if I had to pick one, I'd choose Eli. Don't know why. I think he just looks like an Eli.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Just based on height, he may be a POA. A friend of mine has a leopard POA that's probably around 14.2




As far as names go, I'm a big fan or Orion and Ronan. Those seem to fit really well!


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## JewelsOK (Apr 11, 2016)

One more question - he has the one tan spot on his side - what is that about? Doesn't seem to be a scar, best I can tell.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Sometimes horses do have just random spots of different colors on them. For example, a big black and white draft cross I rode a couple of times. His head was black and everything else white, but he had one little dark spot in the middle of his barrel. It was like a light black/dark brown color. 


Also another appaloosa that's dark grey but speckled with lighter grey/white. He's got a couple of random brown/tan areas. It happens. :shrug:


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Well, he is not a 'true leopard, as they are born without any solid areas. There have been several terms used , such as near leopard.
Basically, all Appaloosas are roans. Often spots are under that solid coat color, and revealed as the horse roans
My husband's former trail horse, when we bought him as a foal, was black with just a small white blanket. As he roaned, vivid black spots were revealed over his entire body, so as a mature horse, he just looked like a black leopard
No, you cannot tell if other breeds are present, just looking at a coat color. Some of the most vivid contrasting coat colors, are produced by breeding a solid horse, like an AQHA, to a few spot leopard
An Appaloosa has to stand , I believe 14.1hh as a mature horse
The Appaloosa coat markings are not unique to the breed. An example of other breeds, are of course, POA and Knapstrubber


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Appaloosas can be tri colored


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

He looks like the little POA out with my Appy! And also kinda like my Appy.

Black spotted butts unite!

Mine has almost no mane or tail. It's very sad. It grows then he loses it again.


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## kiltsrhott (Mar 11, 2012)

This is my grandfather's Colorado Ranger mare covered in red spots like that.

















These copper spots appear, disappear and migrate with each shedding. Appaloosa patterns do some strange and inexplicable things sometimes.


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