# Help figure out these wierd markings



## ricoscowgirl2213 (Aug 28, 2010)

Ok so i have a good questions, i have never seen this before... We have a broodmare that is a deep sorrel color and has been that way her whole life.. this fall i noticed she started getting white spots.. She is 11 years old and a reg AQHA mare.. Can anyone tell me why she has gotten these spots?? they now really show up... what would have caused this and has anyone seen this before??


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

more common than you think, especially in chestnuts
They look like birdcatcher marks to me 

I can't explain why she has got them at 11 though


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

Yep. Seems like Birdcatcher spots. We had a chestnut thoroughbred at the stable that wasn't born with them but more and more appeared every time she shedded out in the spring. Not sure how old she was. But it's possible for them to show up later.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Yep, birdcatcher spots. They can appear at any point in the horse's life and they seem to come and go and change size as they please. I've heard of horses that have several larger ones one year, then they are gone when they shed out the next year.


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## ricoscowgirl2213 (Aug 28, 2010)

thanks guys!! lol i was wondering what they were as they just appeared this fall! I have never really seen them on a horse before, weird how i have never come across the info on them before.. oh well lol thanks!!!


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

Where I work, we have a chestnut TB mare who has small white spots like that all over her body, I took one look at her and was like "birdcatcher spots", but the farrier at the place decided to tell me that spots like that are caused by a selenium deficiency. Have no idea if that is sometimes the cause of spots on some horses or not, but to me they scream birdcatcher.


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## MelissaAnn (Aug 26, 2011)

Ive heard of/ seen cases like this on the internet of horses getting spots like this due to fungal infections. The infected areas grow white spots, in the same way scars are white on a normal coat. Might want to get the vet to check it next time just in case.


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

It doesn't matter on the age. I rode a 25 year old mare that had 2 huge ones on her neck and one on her rump =) Most definitely birdcatcher spots.


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## MelissaAnn (Aug 26, 2011)

speedy da fish said:


> more common than you think, especially in chestnuts
> They look like birdcatcher marks to me
> 
> I can't explain why she has got them at 11 though


Fungal scarring has been discussed on this message board before, 
http://www.horseforum.com/horse-colors-genetics/ok-so-what-heck-103958/

The horse in the photo above definately has the marks of a fungus and not birdcatcher spots. Any time it looks like a horse had bleach poured on them should raise a red flag. Not saying that is what happned to the OP's horse, just wanted to raise awareness!


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## huntrjumprjenn (Jul 26, 2011)

Wow, I have never heard of this before. What a crazy/surprising (cool?) thing, haha!


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## MangoRoX87 (Oct 19, 2009)

Im actually putting in my guess for some kind of scarring.


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## Radar Star Stables (Dec 31, 2011)

birdcatcher spots are funny. like horses that collect bird poop lol. cute.


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