Does anyone know.....

[SBrown]

Does any one know what these black spots might be on a silver dapple yearling. The spots are primarily along his backbone halfway to his tail (none on his rump) with a few others scattered on his sides and neck. If this was rain scald/rain rot or something similiar wouldn't his coat grow back his normal coat color? There are no bumps, scabs, sores or raw skin. The owner wondered if it was appaloosa spotting but the only appaloosa in his pedigree is 4 generations back. The horse was exported and has been in quarantine.

 

[dreamlandnh]

My mother (Diana here on the forum) had a mare that did the same thing. She ended up turning to a darker gray. It was like ink spots that just grew. I'm sure that you can PM her and she could send you pictures of the mare.

 

[zacharyfarms]

They look like they could be Bend Or spots. These spots can be present at birth or show up at several years old. They are named after the Thororughbred stallion Bend Or who had the spots on his chestnut body and no one knows what causes them. They range in color from just darker than coat to almost black and are randomly placed.

 

[Walbon Acres]

I had a silver dapple filly that had those spots when I purchased her at a sale. I did show her that year and she had them the whole show season. The next year when I clipped her in the spring they were gone. I think that maybe she had some kind of skin thing(!!!???) before I purchased her. At the sale the spots were there but there was hair growing in them so I was not concerned.

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

Wierd.. Those spots show up on my black gelding in the same place whenever I clip him too. I have always wondered what they are. He also has an appy background (Orion).

:

 

[RMHF]

A question and a thought. Has this horse been in a pasture with others? I had one do something like this before. I had all the yearlings out together with all the rough houseing and such they left bite marks. When I clipped the filly she had the same dark spots ( she also was a silver). I think it was the bald marks from the others playing to rough that were growing back. They did how ever blend in by the end of summer.

 

[Charlotte]

That is where rain rot or fungus used to be...it healed, new hair grew in and the new hair is darker than the 'old' hair the horse already had. This time of year the horse's coat is 'old' and hair that grows in on a place where there was an injury is 'new' hair and will often be a diffrent color. (it can happen at other times of year too, but this is when we see the most of it)

I have known people to buy an apaloosa horse only it was spots like that...and they went away when the horse shed it's old coat and grew a new coat.

I bet that horse is a gorgeous dark silver dapple in it's spring coat!

Charlotte

 

[Becky]

I agree with Charlotte. Those spots look like rain rot to me. I have had a number of young show horses come in over the winter with spots like that. When they are clipped early in the spring, the spots show up dark like that. It usually takes another season for their hair to grow and return to it's normal color.

 

[mizbeth]

I agree with Charlotte and Becky.

I have seen this plenty of times as well, it will eventually go away.

Beth

 

[CLC Stables]

Have that same thing happening on horses right now, it is just caused by too much rain in my case...........so I would think the same for you.

 

[SBrown]

Thank you everyone for your input! Must be fungal and the spots will blend in with time.