Where did these spots come from?

[wingnut]

I started clipping my smokey black 5 yr old mare tonight. When I got to her back, I discovered spots! She's been with us since she was 10 months old. That first year, I did not clip her because I didn't have a clue how nor did we own clippers. Heck, I didn't know you clipped a horse! LOL!

In the 3 years since when we have clipped her, I've never seen these spots before. I remember seeing others posting about similar spots but can't remember what was said about it.

I wish she'd stay this color though! I love the look.

 

[MyMiniGal]

Did the spots wash off, when you bathed her?

 

Bend Or Spots, I would guess? Kind of like freckles on humans- places where intensely concentrated pigmentation occurs, relative to the surrounding area.

Some people call them smut spots. It's a type of spotting that mimics the effects of the appaloosa LP. While it looks somewhat like the spots that occur when LP is present, this is due to something else.

Just throwing out an idea.

 

[JAX]

Those do not look like any bend or spots that I have ever seen but who knows!! Were they there when you clipped or did they show up a couple days later? I have a couple that tedn to get dark spots of hair and they seem to grow faster until the rest of the hair catches up... make sense? And sometimes my bays have what look like bleached spots about dime to quarter sized until they grow their normal coat back... not a clue what thats all about either lol.

 

[stormy]

Don't think they are real spots....something was bothering her skin and I think these will go away as time passes...betting you had a little rain rot going on but such a mild case it was missed...just my guess....

 

[miniaturehorselover]

My mare was a rescue she was vet checked before comming here and once i adopted her i gave her baths. She also had black/ blue patches yet it ran in the family. When i gave her a nice bath i realized she was covered in spots

guess she is a appy hope this helps

 

[wingnut]

The spots appeared after bathing her and then clipping her in the same day. So she had clean skin/hair, freshly clipped. I "found" them as I clipped her back.

I had a round of rain rot with my 4 yr old chestnut pinto when she was a weanling, so I'm hyper vigilant about it around here I'm positive this horse has not had any rain rot. They are not anywhere else I 've clipped so far. Just her back. I still have her legs and face to do but I'll be surprised to see any show up there.

Whatever it is, I think its cool. I'll miss them when they go away as her hair grows back in.

 

[Boss Mare]

I am unsure as to what they are exactly.. I would assume some form of bend spots / pigment related.

In some cases I would assume rain rot, however with yours the spots look too uniformed in shape so I don't think trauma from rain rot.

 

[shorthorsemom]

Do you feed flaxseed? Just curious.

 

[madmax]

I don't think it is rain rot per se, but the end result of a little bit of fungus under the winter coat. The bare spots grow in dark and fade later. Rain rot is messy and gooey and big scabs that I know you would see.

Anyway, your case looks familiar to that scenario. Time will tell!

 

[wingnut]

No flaxseed. In fact, they didn't get any feed or supplement over the winter. As part of our newly implemented spring/summer feeding program, they are getting a ration-balancer (McCauley's M-30) at noon. This gets them to come up out the pasture for the afternoon without a lot of fuss and bother. It's non-caloric which none of them need...just some supplemental vitamins and minerals. Otherwise it's just grass and hay.

 

[disneyhorse]

Looks dermatitis-related to me. See if it goes away or not, clipping usually resolves this anyway. I've had a lot of dark-coated horses show up like this during a spring clip.