# Odd color pattern(?) on a brown horse



## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

Hello, all! I am the proud owner of a sexy brown Latvian Warmblood gelding, but since this spring/summer coat changes, I've started noticing some interesting changes in his usually solid color. It started with a few white hairs here and there, but now there are small patches of white/lighter hair all over his body, mostly rump, less on neck, chest and legs. Some white hairs have also appeared in his mane and tail, and he's got a white star on his forehead, which used to be perfectly square, but now there is more and more whitening around it. He's got no signs of fungal infections or anything like that - a healthy horse with a healthy coat, good quality food, supplements and water. 

All of this started when he was 6, and he still is. His sire is a dark brown (a Latvian Warmblood), his dam is a dark chesnut (an Estonian Tori x Hanoverian) , both have white legs and the dam has a white blaze over her face, if this means anything. 

Thanks for any ideas!  

Here's a picture to illustrate what I'm talking about (some of the darker spots are just healing bite marks, don't pay attention to them) If it's just seasonal - well, it wasn't there last season :










A closeup -


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Where is he in the pecking order? They just kind of look like old bite scars to me.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

He's close to the higher end, along with a couple of other younger geldings. Then there are two older geldings, the dominant gelding and the lead mare. Of course, they all fight and play a lot, so small bite marks are very common to all of them, but from all the bay geldings he's the only one who got his coat that spotty. Well, but if it's only bite marks, then it's one more question less to ponder upon.  Thanks!


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I've seen most bite marks grow back completely normal and then a handful of horses who look like that forever if not just stay that way. I board with a gray gelding who, when he is bit, the hair grows back in with thick black fleabites so he looks like he's covered in spots. Even weirder is that his base color is chestnut.


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## Peppy Barrel Racing (Aug 16, 2011)

It looks like my Dunskin colt's coat. Before I owned him he was in a lot with 13 other horses including a stud and they chewed him up pretty good. Luckily a lot of that should disappear by the time he sheds out again.


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## SunnyMeadeFarm (Sep 3, 2012)

Yea, just looks like slight scaring (sometimes called acquired markings) could be from tack or other horses. its possible is previous owner had ill fitting tack? just something to consider. My pony has a permanent white circle on his whither from his previous owners ill fitting saddle.


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

The previous owner had ill-fitting saddle, but he stopped having to wear it since last December and no markings because of the tack were acquired back then. The current tack is well-fitted and is not causing any rubs or sores. So I guess it's just markings from the bites - let's see how his coat looks after the next shedding in spring.


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## EthanQ (Sep 5, 2011)

Could be Bot Fly bite scars. If they scab, alot of time they'll leave scars, my gelding has a few./


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## Saranda (Apr 14, 2011)

That could make sense, we really had more than usual bot flies this season!


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