# White pattern on Arabian?



## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

poppy1356 said:


> Ok so my Arabian mare is obviously a grey. But I just read somewhere that Arabians can have splash and those other patterns? Sorry I can't remember all the terms, there's so much to learn.
> 
> So that has me thinking. My mare has white under her bottom lip. I can try to get a picture tomorrow. But she has a white blaze it appears, pink nose then a bit of white is speckled under her lower lip. Probably about the size of a fist.
> 
> ...



Color genetics are really confusing and amazing!

Grey is more of a modifier than a color. A horse is born with color X and if they have the genes that make them grey, over time that coat is modified into the various stages of grey/white. Your horse started out as *something* - which may even have included white patterns such as socks and stripes - and then greyed out.

For example, my horse was born either a black or a bay (never color tested and his foal pic makes it hard to tell) with a partial white stripe and a white snip. Now he's grey - you can't see any of the white stripe - but you can still see the pink skin where it is when he's wet, and you can see a dot of pink on his muzzle.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

The best way to think of grey is as a blanket - it covers the colour the horse was to start with, but the colour is still underneath it. Unfortunately, we can't take the blanket off lol.

As far as white pattern, it's probably sabino causing the face white as it goes onto his lower lip.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Hmmm that's interesting. Would there possibly be other white? I know she has a bit of face white with socks, I think that's what they are called. The pink skin varies on how much on each leg. I wouldn't mind searching for more pink skin  I wish I could get pictures of when she was a foal.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

It really does depend. There are some lines of Arabians (usually Khemosabi lines IIRC) that have lots of white, and if your horse is from those lines, there are chances he may have belly white as well as leg white and face white. However, outside of those lines, "normal" white is generally all you will find. Try this - wet her. You should be able to see the pink skin from markings then


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Well I got a pic of her face white I can put up tomorrow. I just have her a bath and can't find anymore pink skin. But she's flea bitten mixed with permanent mud stains so I'm not sure. I also am not sure what lines she's from. I know her pedigree but not exactly sure how to find those lines.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## clippityclop (Jul 12, 2012)

*Anyone else have a Dunalino?*

I've got one - he's chocolate with dark legs/points with a vanilla colored mane and tail upon first spring shedding. He also has a dorsal stripe and mottled skin. By the end of the summer, he fades out to a more bleached yellow.

Was wondering if anyone else has one or knows of someone who has one? It sure is an interesting color combo!!


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

clippityclop said:


> I've got one - he's chocolate with dark legs/points with a vanilla colored mane and tail upon first spring shedding. He also has a dorsal stripe and mottled skin. By the end of the summer, he fades out to a more bleached yellow.
> 
> Was wondering if anyone else has one or knows of someone who has one? It sure is an interesting color combo!!



You should start your own individual thread on that since this one is talking mostly about grey and sabino.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

Sabinos and Splash can both be found in Arabians. Khemosabi through a lot, horses that have a lot of CMK breeding tend to have tons of sabino and splash - although I've got a few that express each gene with not much for either in the pedigree.
My grey stallion (pictures in avatar) is also a sabino with belly spots, although they are getting hard to see as the lighter he gets. His first foal had three big belly spots and the bird catcher spots that Reed also carries. 

Here's a few of mine that express either sabino or splash:

Rina - 










Her belly Splash:


















Roxy:


















Maiden:


















Zina:



















She is also a rabicano (roan) but I don't have good pictures to show that off hand.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Aww such pretty horses. I don't think I would be able to find any spots that small on her belly. She is full grey now being 19. But I will definately get pictures up tomorrow. But it's pretty much decided that she most likely has sabino?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## clippityclop (Jul 12, 2012)

Bridgertrot said:


> You should start your own individual thread on that since this one is talking mostly about grey and sabino.


 
Yes - was supposed to be - obviously I didn't back out far enough to the main page - please ignore!


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Ok, pictures. As you can tell from her coloring she has made it awfully hard to find more pink skin. I am also putting in a full body shot so you can see the white on the legs. It's quite noticeable due to scratches again 
Also don't mind the halter marks, she has had them well before I got her.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Yup. Sabino. And definitely the Cu gene, probably homozygous.


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Oooo yay, now she's even more special now that I can say she's more than just a normal grey.

And my knowledge stops at sabino :shock: what does the rest of that mean?


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

lol I have named a new gene. The "Cute" gene. Cu for short


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Hehe thank you, I will tell her as well.


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## TexanFreedom (Apr 2, 2012)

The only 'patterns' or modifiers that arabs can have are grey, rabicano, sabino, and splash. 

Grey is not a color, it is like a modifier pattern thing, like the pinto genes. When she was born, she was either chestnut, black, bay, or brown, and that was her real color, not grey. 

I don't know if I said all that right, I'm kinda slow today


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

TexanFreedom said:


> The only 'patterns' or modifiers that arabs can have are grey, rabicano, sabino, and splash.


*Cough* I am sure you are having a slow morning and that is why you forgot dominant white, right? :wink:


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

Yeap, I know greys do not start life grey. But she is registered grey and I will never have pictures of her as a foal so no way of me knowing what she used to be. I was more curious as to the white markings on her face if it ment more than just grey. I'm sorry if my original post was confusing. 

But now because I am limited on my knowledge of colors what is rabicano?


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## TexanFreedom (Apr 2, 2012)

Oh, ha ha, yes, that one too.
It's totally a monday morning. And our power went out last night, because of a bad storm (in Texas?! *GASP* =o), and I dodn't get any sleep.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

poppy1356 said:


> But now because I am limited on my knowledge of colors what is rabicano?


Another white pattern. It puts white hairs in a brindled pattern on the flanks and barrel of the horse, starting on the lower belly. It can also cause a "**** tail". This Arab is a rather extreme example:


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## poppy1356 (Jan 18, 2012)

hmm that's pretty interesting. Have to say I've never seen one like that.


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