# random white spots appearing on a chestnut horse



## Zanesgirl

I would think it might be a protein deficiency, at least that's what it was with a friends chestnut, although i cant tell you how to diagnose or treat, but someone on here should have an idea.


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## whitetrashwarmblood

thanks


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## SonnyWimps

Sonny has that also....but I think it's his Paint in him, but I'm curious to know what might be causing it in your horse


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## whitetrashwarmblood

i read off of another forum (below) that's it's a genetic thing that's comes from a TB named Birdcatcher, and that they're called Bird Spots or Birdcatcher Spots. Has anyone else ever heard of this? My mare has thoroughbred in her, but I don't know if Birdcatcher is. Although, on the forum it did say that Birdcatcher lived in the 1800s!
http://www.horsegroomingsupplies.com/horse-forums/birdcatcher-spots-92479.html


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## whitetrashwarmblood

i've been doing more reading 
and found another link about unusual horse markings that includes the Birdcatcher spots
really interesting... 


http://equinecolor.com/unusual.html


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## spottedwestfalen

My 17.2h Westfalen has birdcatcher spots. I first saw him when he was 3 and he had only a few spots. I bought him in May 2008 and he is covered in white spots and I can see him getting more. He is a dark bay, with a black mane and tail and three white socks and he has spots all over his face, his throat latch, neck and some on his body. The way his skin changes is the spots actually get black first and then the hair turns white. He never loses the hair, it turns from bay, then black and then white. It is very strange. My vet says that they are not sure where it comes from, possibly the THBD "Birdcatcher". I researched my horses blood lines and on the Dam's Side (her name is Karess out of Diadora (hann) by Kalypso (hann) and sure enough he has Bircatcher in his lineage. http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/birdcatcher
The most interesting thing is he doesn't have any white spots in his black legs. In fact the spots end right at the black. Weird....

It is pretty amazing! Search the links for your horses ancestors and you might find it.




whitetrashwarmblood said:


> My chestnut mare has always had little white dots around her ears, and even some little white areas in her mane.
> She has absolutely no appaloosa/paint/whatever in her.
> She's a tb/Arab/Oldenburg cross.
> I've never thought anything of it, until recently, now within the last few weeks she's been getting little white dots in random places.
> Her flank, side of her belly, her butt, shoulder.
> It's not from her saddle or any other tack because all through summer I've been riding her bareback. So nothing is causing unwanted pressure, and it's not from a bite or kick from another horse and hair just grew back white.
> Just one day she has just one or two dots and the next she has another! I've asked my old trainer about it, and she suggested that maybe it was genetic. And it may be, but I'm concerned that there's a slight chance it may be something else.
> We just got a new chestnut qh gelding at the stable i work at for trail rides. The horse is older and he lived by himself and was super fat before he came to us. Now he's in shape, lives with 4 other geldings, and has a rump full of dots! He had no dots what-so-ever when he first came or even for the first few months. It has only happened just recently. My mare and this gelding aren't in the same paddock together, and they never come in contact with each other at any other time. Could this be from stress? Maybe for the gelding? But my mare has lived at the stable her whole life, she's at a good weight, she doesn't seem any different. She seems perfectly happy to me. Just wondering if you guys know what causes these mystery dots, or if you ever had a horse with the same thing?


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## upnover

There's a chestnut Oldenburg at our barn who has birdcatcher spots. It's a really weird thing, I think! Her owner will pull her out of her stall and find a new spot on her. There's a cluster of smeared looking spots on her flank that looks like a small child wiped his painty fingers off on her.  Not common, but not a health issue.


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## laspiral

*birdcatcher spots*

Can and do birdcatcher spots move around on the body. I know that sounds strange. I have own a chestnut Arabian that in the past 4 years has developed white spots that are located each year on different area's of his body by proof of coggins tests. This year is the most spots that he has and I have counted 35 total. Each year he gets more spots then the prior year. Is there anything that can be done to get rid of them?


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## boxer

yes birdcatcher spots can move around, get bigger or smaller or change shape, no-one really knows about the genetic expression that causes these other than the first horse recorded as having them being a TB called Birdcatcher. As far as I know if they are Birdcatcher spots and not causes by any thing else, you can't get rid of them so I think you just have to get used to having a quirky coloured horse


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## whitetrashwarmblood

I did a lot of looking on allbreedpedigree.com, and I eventually found that my mare has Birdcatcher in her bloodlines. He was wayyy back there tho.


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## happygoose123

my mare pennellipi had random white spots appear out of no where. turned out to be birdcatcher spots  she only got about 4 a couple of months ago and all but one have already disappeard. i dont think your horse has to be related to the actual horse, birdcatcher. birdcatcher spots are just named after this horse, because they like originated from him or something.


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## smrobs

Your horse doesn't necessarily have to have Birdcatcher in their genes to present Birdcatcher spots. They were just named after him because he was covered in them. I think they are limited to TB and Arab horses but I'm not sure. They are not that uncommon. As for the gelding, are you sure that he is 100% QH or could he be a cross? It could be due to nutritional issues or maybe they are scars from old injuries that just decided to grow in white. I don't know there.


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## Qtswede

QH get them too.


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## toosleepy

my old gelding had them, he was solid as a 3 yo and as he got older and each year he shed out he got more and more


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## stacieandtheboys

Hmm I wonder if my QH has Birdcatcher somewhere in his lineage. He has TB in his lineage but you never know. Each year when he sheds out he almost looks like his is roaning out...and he has white at the top of his tail. It is so weird.


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## Joshie

whitetrashwarmblood said:


> My chestnut mare has always had little white dots around her ears, and even some little white areas in her mane.


Pictures please.


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## stacieandtheboys

smrobs said:


> Your horse doesn't necessarily have to have Birdcatcher in their genes to present Birdcatcher spots. They were just named after him because he was covered in them. I think they are limited to TB and Arab horses but I'm not sure. They are not that uncommon. As for the gelding, are you sure that he is 100% QH or could he be a cross? It could be due to nutritional issues or maybe they are scars from old injuries that just decided to grow in white. I don't know there.


No he is a AQHA QH. He does have TB blood but 4 or 5 generations back and then like way way back early 1900's which is why he is 16.2 hh. Hmm his aren't spots though just white hairs all over his body when he sheds out. They eventually go away throughout the year. The top of his tail is always white. Oh and now that I think about it he does have a white spot on his belly.


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## whitetrashwarmblood

Joshie said:


> Pictures please.


My camera is currently MIA, but I've used an old photo and just circled the spots where they're at now. (This picture is a few year's old.) She has more spots on the right side of her body, but she does have a few on the left. In some places I've circled you can see little spots already. The 'spot' that I circled in red is about the size of my palm. The black arrow above her mane marks the only white part of her mane at the time. *Most of the spots she has now are big enough to be seen clearly from across the field.* No exaggeration. If I find my camera, I will be sure to put a more accurate photo up.


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## dreambigxx

Omg i have been looking all over trying to find an answer to why my horse is getting spots. she is a beautiful lanky chestnut as yours is, I’ve been working with her since she was 3, and about a yr ago she started getting spots, i was getting worried it was some kind of nutritional problem, even though she was spunky, and shiny as ever. But n e ways I’m so glad i have an answer!! … u have a beautiful horse. Hmm appendix?


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## iridehorses

I just came across this thread. I missed it before somehow but it certainly explains the white spots on my old AQHA gelding Bobo Lintons Hangin Judge Quarter Horse


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## whitetrashwarmblood

dreambigxx said:


> u have a beautiful horse. Hmm appendix?


Nope, she's TB/Arab/Oldenburg


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## HorseColorExpert

I have a black Tennessee Walking gelding with spots like that too. I talked to my vet about it and he said it was a genetic condition called Spotolucatricia. I looked that up and I didn't find anything about it so I looked for horses born with rare spot colorations and I found out they are called Bird Catcher Spots. They are not caused by any kind of dietary change or lacking of and they usually increase in number and then fade away as the horse gets older. It is simply genetic. Usually, the more I shave my horse, Oreo, the more spots I find. If you don't believe me, just look it up for yourself. I am glad to help!


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## Carleen

I wonder if that's what my gelding has? He's a chestnut TB and has a white spot on his neck that I've always wondered about:









Thanks for posting this thread! At least I have some idea of what it is/could be now!


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## ninjahorse

My Oldenburg mare has a cluster of spots on the side of her belly. Are they what you guys are talking about?


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## smrobs

Ninja, your horse looks like it is more of a roaning mark rather than an actual birdcatcher spot. The same thing may be true of your's too, Carleen.

Birdcatcher spots tend to be very pronounced, crisp edged spots. Here is a good upclose example of what they look like.


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## corinowalk

Nico has a few Birdcatcher spots...and a nice patch of roaning on his hiney. I need to get a few pics of them. They've been there a while because they are marked on his oooold coggins papers.


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## Carleen

smrobs said:


> Ninja, your horse looks like it is more of a roaning mark rather than an actual birdcatcher spot. The same thing may be true of your's too, Carleen.
> 
> Birdcatcher spots tend to be very pronounced, crisp edged spots. Here is a good upclose example of what they look like.


Oh WOW! Those are really neat! I think you might be right about my guy's mark being a roaning mark.

I wish he had that!


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## ninjahorse

wow thats really cool! that horse looks like is has been splattered with paint.


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## HorseColorExpert

Actually I have 2 other horses besides my horse Oreo and they all have Birdcatcher spots. One has a few large ones on his girth area and the other has many small ones on his croup. If you have a young horse and they suddenly form a white spot somewhere, it could either be the start of your horse growing Chubari spots (large and egg-shaped) or Birdcatcher spots (small and round). Neither of these kinds of spots are because of a lack of dietary need and they are not harmful. They are natural and because of your horses genetics. You shouldn't be ashamed of them.


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## HorseColorExpert

Oh, and ninjahorse, your horse doesn't have Birdcatcher spots. That's Brindle. It's completely harmless.


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## ninjahorse

Brindle? Can you explain this a little. I've heard of brindle horses but they don't look anything like her. I don't really get it she is a chestnut with brindling?


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## smrobs

It isn't brindling, that is a whole different genetic thing and I have never seen one that just had a little spot on their neck. Sometimes horses just develop odd little patches of a different color for no known reason. It could have been due to a skin reaction to a bug bite or injury when she was young or it could just be a natural thing. She just has a little roan spot.


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## Arksly

I've seen horses with faded white spots on them, I heard somewhere they are called stress spots.


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## SaratogaTB

Attached is a photo of my chestnut's "white spots" that he has around his eyes, and in his loin area. Specifically this is in places where his skin is very thin, with very little hair. Its almost like freckles. 

I dont think these are the same as birdcatcher spots. 

He didnt have them when I got him in March, but he also had a winter coat then. 

Has anyone seen this before?


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## smrobs

I have seen it, my gray horse is the same way, the skin around his sheath and under his tail is very polkadotted like that. I have not a clue what causes it though.


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## SaratogaTB

Yes, he has those spots under his tail too! At first I worried that the spots on his face were sun related. However, now that I found them around his sheath and under his tail I dont think so!:?


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## churumbeque

have you asked the vet? Could be a fungus


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## smrobs

I don't know about hers but mine is way too even and uniform spread over too big an area with absolutely no physical symptoms (flaking, itching, redness, etc) to be a fungus. Dobe just has some weird pigmentation, I always just figured it was because he was gray but I guess that isn't it since yours has it too and he's a chestnut. LOL.


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## SaratogaTB

I agree it appears to be skin pigmentation that is hard to see with a winter coat. But I will point it out to the vet next time.


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## churumbeque

smrobs said:


> I don't know about hers but mine is way too even and uniform spread over too big an area with absolutely no physical symptoms (flaking, itching, redness, etc) to be a fungus. Dobe just has some weird pigmentation, I always just figured it was because he was gray but I guess that isn't it since yours has it too and he's a chestnut. LOL.


With a grey who knows because they change color so much. I was thinking the sorrel may have a fungus??


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## smrobs

Yep, the only place it is even visible on my boy is where there isn't any hair. He's getting close to being white to that does a good job of hiding the little white spots.


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## whitetrashwarmblood

Went out this morning to take pictures, and look what I found under Athena's mane... more spots. I don't _think _they're bug bites, but I'm not positive. 










Here's a good one of the big one below her shoulder. It's been slowly fading away.


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## smrobs

Very pretty. That's just too darn cool.


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## whitetrashwarmblood

smrobs said:


> Very pretty. That's just too darn cool.


Thanks.


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