# What is Frame?



## NdAppy (Apr 8, 2009)

Frame = overo lethal white/OLW = Lethal white 

Frame in its homozygous form (two copies) is ALWAYS lethal. The foal dies horribly painful death in 72 hours if not humanely euthanized because of an incomplete digestive tract. 

Frame itself is a white pattern typical of pintos where the white is framed by color. White is primarily on the barrel with color above and below. That's the simple answer. 

The different letters nn TOto etc all depend I which genes being discussed. 

:lol: I'll leave more to someone not posting from a phone.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I'm not a phone, so I will continue to elaborate from the above.

It is a white pattern that's phenotype "rules" consist of horizontal white across the body resulting in the body being "framed" in color. Frame prefers to keep the legs dark, but likes bald faces.

This is a very obvious frame, despite his white legs, which would be caused by another pattern because frame will not put white on the legs. 









However, frame does not always make itself apparent like that because we do not live in a perfect world. We ask about it because like already said, breeding two frame carriers (N/O) results in a 25% chance of a foal resulting as O/O, also known as Lethal White Overo Syndrome. The foal is born completely white or with small patches, typically on the ears or top of the tail. Its colon does not develop properly. This causes impaction and the foal colics painfully until it eventually dies, usually within 72 hours, unless humanely euthanized.

We ask about it because frame can cause what look like "normal" white markings like a large star or a blaze and would go without suspicion. For example, my own APHA mare. Registered solid because she has no markings that fit the bill for colored. The width of her blaze, particularly where it tries to spread horizontally between her eyes raised suspicion (as well as having a very loud frame dam) to my educated eye. She tested N/O.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

This is also a recent LWO foal that was posted in another thread.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

This mare tested positive for Frame. She was also a heavily expressed Sabino. If she had had the temperament to be bred, I'd have had to be very careful who she was bred to.


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## TexasBlaze (Oct 4, 2010)

When you breed a mom that has frame to a dad that has frame you have a 25% chance of each parent giving the baby a frame gene and it causes LWO. That is when the intestines don't develop right because of the double gene and the baby will always die. It's a bad thing because some people breed two frame horses together and don't so their research and cause a mare and foal some huge suffering when it is completely preventable. 

Frame isn't bad. Frame is a color gene. I just had a colt whom I feel has frame. But he will be tested for it and if he has it he will not be allowed to breed to mares who haven't been tested as negative for frame because why cause a chance of a foal suffering? 

Also there is no such thing as an albino horse.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Some people call cremellos and perlinos albino horses. They are not, they have color it's just very dilute.


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## horseNpony (Sep 27, 2013)

Just would like to add a question, how do you know if a foal has LWO and isn't just white? Do you test it right after birth, can you physically see or is there some other way of knowing?


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## wakiya (Feb 7, 2009)

You have to go on parentage unless one or both horses were sabino or dominant white it can not be white. Also if both parents are frame it's more than likely LWO


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## JetdecksComet (Jun 11, 2013)

horseNpony, what wakiya said is true but I wanted to add this. The foal will not pass any fecal matter and will start showing signs of discomfort and colic because it's intestines are not working properly. Any testing you do would most likely not get back in time, as they all die within 72 hours. Once they show signs of discomfort/pain, it's best to just have them put down, as there is no way to save them.

You can have white foals born from two frame overo parents that are not LWO, but this is due to different white genes that the parents also carry, not the frame genes. 

What it all boils down to is that the LW test is only $25 and if the horse is positive, then don't breed it to another LW positive horse and there's nothing to worry about as far as LW goes. There is no reason to chance breeding two frame (LW positive) horses, because it doesn't improve your chances for color, it only ups your chances of a dead foal.


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## kctop72 (Aug 25, 2011)

OP, to sum it all up for you, frame is not bad unless you are breeding. If you decide to breed, make sure either the mare or stud is negagtive for frame overo, n/n. If both carrie the gene (results would be n/O) then you could possibly end up with a foal like the one Poseidon posted, poor baby.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Poseidon said:


> Frame prefers to keep the legs dark, but likes bald faces.
> 
> This is a very obvious frame, despite his white legs, which would be caused by another pattern because frame will not put white on the legs.


Question...........wouldn't sabino be the likely cause for the big, bald face? Especially with the leg white? Or does frame actually cause face white? (For some reason I didn't think it did, but I may be thinking of tobiano).


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Sabino facial markings tend to fall into the category of "normal" markings, which also tend to be very symmetrical. Bald faces are caused by splash and/or frame. Splash starts at the muzzle and moves up usually whereas frame generally starts between the eyes (as in a large star or the width of the blaze on my mare) and pan out from there, covering the front of the face before going around.


For this stud in particular, with the lack of any eyeliner or any hint of the color trying to keep the eyes covered (big sabino trait), I would guess the leg white and some of the facial white is splash rather than sabino.
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