The Color Corner: Spotted and Dotted

By Jayna Pellett

We are celebrating Splash of Color throughout the month of February on YourDressage! Whether your horse is a registered breed of color, sports a painted or spotted coat, or wears lots of chrome, this month is for you!

Did you know that dressage riders who choose a colorful horse as their dressage mount are eligible for special awards through the Adequan®/USDF All-Breeds Awards program, as the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC), Knabstrupperforeningen for Danmark (KNN), and many others are participating organizations?

A Prehistoric Paint Job

When referring to coat color, appaloosa describes a varying degree of spotted and roaning patterns that have appeared on horses since ancient eras. It can also refer to the Appaloosa horse (note: “Appaloosa” capitalized as a proper noun), a breed of horses sharing lineage and characteristics other than just coat color. 

The earliest depiction of spotted horses exists in France, most notably, the cave of Pech Merle, where approximately 25,000-year-old paintings display horses with leopard coats; at first, archaeologists debated whether the spotted horses were in some way symbolic, or actual reflections of horses from that time. However, the proposed symbolism was put to rest in 2011 when a team of international scientists confirmed the presence of spotted pattern genes in six DNA samples of horses from ancient Eurasia (Pruvost et al., 2011).

Spanish conquistadors began introducing horses to North America in the 15th century, but spotted horses did not arrive en masse for nearly two more centuries. Due to their flashy coats, these horses were popular among noble European families and reserved for driving royal carriages and parading around castle yards. Nevertheless, as trends changed and their popularity with the upper class faltered, spotted horses ended up on colonial ships with other farm, work, and cavalry horses. 

Most of the spotted horses from Europe arrived in the western parts of the continent, such as Mexico, California, and the Pacific Northwest, where the Nez Perce tribe resided. Horses, in general, quickly became ingrained in the tribe’s lifestyle as agricultural tools, transportation, and sources of income, prompting the Nez Perce people to begin strategically breeding their horses for quality, versatility, and longevity. Included in their development was a particularly distinct breed of spotted horse that settlers would refer to as the “Palouse horse,” likely after the Palouse River that runs through the heart of the Pacific Northwest and major Nez Perce territory. Over time and translations, the name evolved to “Appaloosa.”

Modern Day Spots

In 1877, many of the tribe’s horses unfortunately fell casualty to the Nez Perce War, and, as a result, the Appaloosa breed population struggled to recover for decades. However, a few dedicated breeders focused on reviving the breed and formed the Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC) in 1938. Today, the Appaloosa horse is one of the most popular breeds in the United States for all types of events and disciplines – from working on ranches to competing in Western and English pleasure, endurance events, jumping, eventing, and, of course, dressage.

Did you know… the Appaloosa was named the official state horse of Idaho in 1975?

Meanwhile, the popularity of spotted horses also returned internationally, with other organizations developing their own distinct breeds. For example, the Knabstrupperforeningen for Danmark (KNN) is an association that focuses on the Knabstrupper, a Danish breed developed to compete against the various other types of European sport horses. The resulting build models other modern warmbloods, with large, ground-covering strides and elastic movement. However, the Knabstrupper’s most notable characteristic is usually its boldly spotted coat.

So, how do they get those spots, anyway?

The Patterns

Spotting or roaning occurs when a horse receives a copy of the leopard complex gene (LP) from one or both parents. These horses can also carry other contributing genes, called pattern modifiers, that can control the amount of white (or, rather, the absence of white) covering the horse’s body. Geneticists currently believe there is at least one primary modifier (PATN1) and a few other minor contributors (PATN2, PATN3, etc.), but appaloosa patterns are still widely debated and being studied by scientists.

Though the degree of patterning varies based on the present genes and modifiers, the various genetic combinations can be categorized into mottled or varnish roan, spotted blanket, snowcap blanket, leopard, and few-spot leopard.

Mottled/Varnish Roan

• LP/lp
• LP/LP

With one or two copies of the leopard gene (LP/lp or LP/LP), a horse will show mottled skin, striped hooves, and a white sclera at minimum. These horses can also exhibit a frosty, varnished roan color that is not to be confused with true roan, a genetically and phenotypically separate color that does not feature the three minimum appaloosa characteristics.

Spotted vs. Snowcap Blanket

• LP/lp + PATN1/patn1 = Spotted
• LP/LP + PATN1/patn1 = Snowcap

Horses who exhibit a “blanket” of white on around 60% or less of their body carry one copy of a pattern modifier (PATN1/patn1) in addition to the leopard complex gene. Though pattern modifiers are responsible for the spread of white, the leopard gene determines the size of the colored spots. A spotted blanket occurs when a horse only has one copy of the leopard gene (LP/lp), whereas a snowcap blanket with smaller-sized spots occurs when a horse has two copies (LP/LP).

Leopard vs. Few-Spot Leopard

• LP/lp + PATN1/PATN1 = Leopard
• LP/LP + PATN1/PATN1 = Few-Spot

Finally, a leopard appaloosa, or a horse over 60% covered in white, carries two copies of a pattern modifier (PATN1/PATN1) in addition to the leopard gene. Like blanket patterning, the presence of leopard complex genes determines the size and prominence of the colored spots. Horses with one copy of the gene (LP/lp) will feature large, pronounced sports, whereas horses with two copies (LP/LP) will, as the name suggests, have very few smaller-sized spots.

As with our painted pony counterbreeds, questions regarding many pattern-producing genes remain unanswered, such as how they interact with other genes, modes of inheritance, and their degree of patterning. However, geneticists across the globe work continuously to test, verify, and report on new discoveries. Not only do genetic breakthroughs allow us to better describe the many different colors our horses can boast, but they also help mitigate genetic disease, illness, and ailments to improve the quality of our horses’ lives in the future.

Stay tuned for more colorful content throughout the month on YourDressage!