# APPALOOSA QUESTION



## Mini Gray Heart Mini Horse (Oct 4, 2013)

I was wondering what is the difference between a SNOWCAP and a FEWSPOT APPALOOSAS.

I would love to see pics of either one also would like to see a pic of a silver snowcap or fewspot.

ARE SNOWCAP AND FEWSPOT 100% appaloosa producers to I am new to the appaloosas.

Thanks


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##  (Oct 6, 2013)

Yes, Snowcaps and Fewspots are said to be homozygous, and therefore 100% appaloosa producers. But remember, there are many patterns of appaloosa -- not just the "spotted" ones that you might normally call appaloosa.

The best place to learn about appaloosas, is to join 'The Appaloosa Project' -- where molecular level research is currently being done, identifying the LP gene, modifiers, PATN-1 (the leopard family white pattern gene) etc. A quote from The Appaloosa Project main page states: " To understand the importance of the search for this gene, you must first know what LP is and its significance for breeders. LP stands for “leopard complex”, and is the name assigned to the gene that a horse must have in order to look like an Appaloosa. "Leopard complex" refers to a large group of patterns, any of which may occur when LP is present, and “leopard” simply refers to the unique form of spotting common to them. LP acts as an "on-off" switch that when present in dominant form, activates Appaloosa characteristics (striped hooves, mottled skin, white sclera) and Appaloosa roaning (Sponenberg, Carr, Simak, Schwink. 1990. Journal of Heredity, 81: 323-331). It is hypothesized that LP acts together with modifying genes to produce variability in patterning."

So, although a horse is homozygous -- snowcaps and fewspots -- their offspring can show a variety of different color patterns. Some roan appaloosas have also been found to be homozygous.

For example, there can be a very small blanket, 10% up to 60% blanket or lacey blanket. (The following percentages and 'pattern names' come from the charts produced by The Appaloosa Project).

When the white, spotted blanket goes much over 70%, these horses are called near-leopards up to full leopards. Of course these two patterns (blankets & leopards) are the most recognizable 'spotted' appaloosa patterns.

Then you have snowcaps -- whose 'unspotted white blanket' could be as little as a 10% pattern, up to 60% white blanket area.

When the 'snowcap' extends to 60-80%, these horses are identified as in the near fewspot range, and at 80-100% they are called fewspots. These appaloosas may not visually show much in the way of 'spotting' however a close clipping and a wet-down will usually show there is a leopard pattern to the skin beneath that does not visually grow the usual 'spots' in the coat.

Since I can only show my own horses, here are 3 horses that are homozygous for appaloosa color/patterns:

This colt had a small snowcap blanket 


This mare is a snowcap with roaning 


This filly is a near-fewspot/fewspot, and I'm including the 'spots' that could only be seen at the skin level





And just so you understand, even a fewspot can produce what appears to be a visually 'solid' foal at birth, but who 'grows' into her appaloosa pattern -- making her sire a 100% color/pattern producer. This filly, out of a Palomino Fewspot sire and an appaloosa roaned dam was born solid black (with appaloosa patterned hooves), but matured into a much more 'visually' recognized appaloosa pattern (picture taken by her new owner as a 2 year old).


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## HGFarm (Oct 7, 2013)

I have a bunch of pics in my computer at home I will post to show the difference... in the meantime, here is an article that might help you. He also has a couple of pics there as well.

http://genecarrhorseranch.com/homozygous_coat_patterns.php


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## HGFarm (Oct 7, 2013)

Snowcaps- the blankets are white and the skin underneath is pink, like on a pinto with dark and white areas. The blankets can vary in size.


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## HGFarm (Oct 8, 2013)

Typical fewspots- they are born a fewspot. They do not roan or gray out into one. They are what they are from birth. I see so many grayed out Minis advertised as fewspots and have seen many with the extreme varnish roan coloring also passed off as fewspots.


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## ohmt (Oct 8, 2013)

HG-that is usually correct regarding fewspots, but not always, especially with minis who are black based and female. My own few spot was born looking a snowcap, but is a proven PATN-1 carrier and after he lost his baby fuzz looked your typical few spot (with 90% white). Just being a mini and being black based (also female) restricts color quite a bit, especially as a foal. Have seen a few pictures of foals born completely solid, no indication of spots, and then shave out to be leopards/near leopards with PATN-1 and the appropriate color %. Just the darn restrictors! But, most of the time that's not the case and people should definitely be wary of grey and varnishing creating an illusion of something.


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## Mini Gray Heart Mini Horse (Oct 9, 2013)

ok Thanks would love to see more pics of a fewspot and snowcap to see the difference of the two. Thanks for all the helpful info on the snowcap and fewspot appaloosas


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## HGFarm (Oct 9, 2013)

OHMT, I bet you could see the 'white' hiding under the foal coat? My filly was also born like that, as was another baby I had, but the outer 'pig hairs' tried to hide the white that was already underneath at birth. What I mean is, a fewspot is not born solid dark with no white, and then 'fades' slowly into a fewspot, as you would see with a roan or gray over time. I have seen many foals born with NO color- just black or brown, etc... that were graying out because of a gray parent, and the owners tried passing them off as fewspots. Or roans with an extreme varnish gene that were also born solid dark and roaned out extremely. I had a mare like that too but she was not a fewspot, she was a varnish roan as her color roaned out in different stages over several years.

What I said was, they are born what they are- they are not born solid and fade into a fewspot. I have also seen snowcap Minis with a very heavy varnish gene that ended up looking like fewspots by the time they roaned out.

A foal born like the one pictured below, with just characteristics at birth is NOT going to 'turn into' a fewspot. He did start to varnish roan when he was a few months old. If it was to 'turn white' at a few months old, I would be suspicious that one of the parents was really a gray.


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##  (Oct 10, 2013)

I agree, Laurie. Here's my fewspot baby showing the baby white under a more solid looking basecoat. You won't believe what people said she was for a pattern, and so many said she had the greying gene because of the goggles. But I knew there was not grey, and she was just a fewspot. Here are some pictures of her going through her color changes the first month or so.












And here she is at 3 months old:


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## HGFarm (Oct 10, 2013)

Yes that is what I am talking about - it's there at birth and you can see it underneath. Thanks for sharing that pic... I will have to see if I have pics of mine too at home to share. The big Appies and POA's dont seem to have that 'second' outer coat- the long colored hair. They are born with an obvious pattern and no weird stuff like what the Minis get.


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## Mini Gray Heart Mini Horse (Nov 6, 2013)

Thanks for all the info.


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