# piebald markings



## minstrel (Mar 20, 2012)

theApple said:


> Hi,
> 
> This is probably a strange request. I'm a publisher in Germany editing a kids' English activity book on the topic of horses and would just like to confirm whether piebalds can have facial markings, stars, blazes etc. One of the exercises has kids drawing a picture according to a description and I'm not a horse expert myself ...
> 
> ...


Sure they can - you quite often see piebalds with blazes, or white faces, and you see stripes, snips and stars too, but less often (from personal experience). And then sometimes they have either a totally white or black head. Depends on the horse. Search "piebald horse" on Google images and you'll see loads of different facial markings as examples.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Yes, they can have face markings. You are probably finding it hard to find information as "piebald" is a very outdated word. Try searching for "black and white tobiano" and it should give you a good taste of what markings would be acceptable on a piebald


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## minstrel (Mar 20, 2012)

Chiilaa said:


> Yes, they can have face markings. You are probably finding it hard to find information as "piebald" is a very outdated word. Try searching for "black and white tobiano" and it should give you a good taste of what markings would be acceptable on a piebald


Actually, it's still common use in the UK - we don't refer to them as tobianos or pintos, it's still piebald and skewbald over here  or else we just refer to them as 'coloured'


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

minstrel said:


> Actually, it's still common use in the UK - we don't refer to them as tobianos or pintos, it's still piebald and skewbald over here  or else we just refer to them as 'coloured'


I know... but it's wrong and if I pretend that we don't still do it in Australia too, I won't have to go out and cut people's tongues out. It's like how I pretend people in the UK and Australia have any idea of the difference between a dun and a buckskin


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## minstrel (Mar 20, 2012)

Chiilaa said:


> I know... but it's wrong and if I pretend that we don't still do it in Australia too, I won't have to go out and cut people's tongues out. It's like how I pretend people in the UK and Australia have any idea of the difference between a dun and a buckskin


How is it wrong? It's just different... I know it doesn't differentiate between different genetic types of piebald (or skewbald) but that doesn't make it intrinsically wrong as a colour classification, surely?

And isn't a buckskin a dilution of bay? We always called them 'sandy bay' I think...


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

I understand that it "technically" isn't wrong, but there is more to a "piebald" than black and white. If all the white patterns were benign and didn't pose any risk, then sure, lump them together. However, one white pattern can cause foals to die a slow, painful death, and so should be isolated at all times when ever we think of it, or talk about it. That is why it is wrong to lump everything together. Don't feel too bad tho lol - I have even stronger feelings about "overo" and "tovero" lol.


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## theApple (Mar 28, 2012)

thanks for the quick help. Should I need more help in the future, I know where to come


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