Color peeps - Ben d'or spots

[Tasker]

I’m pretty used to the changes of roaning and some other coat variations (Birdcatcher, etc) that go along with sabino. But my 6 year old has LOTS of dark spots coming up in his coat this year. :eek: He used to have just one on his barrel (seen best when he’s clipped) and I finished body clipping him this afternoon and there are several dozen now all over his barrel, croup and hindquarters and they are decent in size. He looks like a blotchy smutty colored Easter egg honestly - base color is a really dark chestnut, so these really stand out.

So you color experts - are these likely to continue to increase as he ages?

I’ll snap some photos of him outside tomorrow and post them so you all can see what I mean.

Here is one from last year that shows the “big spot” near my heel. It is larger and more irregular in shape this year with a quarter-sized white roan spot in the center.

[JB]

The dark spots are Bend Or spots. Like Birdcatcher spots, they are most commonly seen on red-based colors, but others can get them (my black horse has one, doesn’t fade LOL).

They tend to be more stable than Birdcatcher spots.

[Tasker]

Thanks JB! I was fascinated and horrified all at the same time while I was clipping!

[JB]

LOL! I know some just can’t stand irregularities in the coat, but I think it’s cool

[Kryzlstoff]

Ahaha! My mare has Ben d’or spots, birdcatcher spots, and 4 stockings and a white lip!
I love the little “irregularities”!
OP, I can’t wait to see the updated pic!

[llsc]

Actually, all Bend Or spots should be called Tadcaster spots. There is DNA proof that Bend Or and Tadcaster were switched.

http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/truenicks/archive/2012/04/20/the-real-bend-or.aspx

[DMK]

my chestnut, who looks like a regular old boring garden variety chestnut at first glance (well right now he’s freshly clipped and impersonating the Great Pumpkin, but I digress)… But on closer inspection he has tons of roaning on his flank and barrel… typical rabicano skunk tail… and then the real color of his tail that is left when you pull it up into the braid is … black. A perfect match for a black with brown fake tail (the darkest liver is a miss, that is for sure). And the icing on the cake is when he is clipped you can see his collection of Bend Or spots.

The first time I clipped him, I noticed the big one on the inside foreleg right as it ties into the barrel - I thought it was a grease smudge from the clippers. I think I distractedly tried to clean it off for about 3 days before I actually really looked at it. And the rest of him. In daylight. Oops. That’s not coming off!

So braided up in winter he has a blonde tail braid with a black tail (with or w/o fake), roaning, spots and a propensity to look like a pumpkin.

[allanglos]

Here is my palomino Anglo Arabian mare at age 3 months and 6 years. It seems her spots didn’t change with age.

[Laurierace]

I can’t remember, does a horse have to have TB lineage of some sort to have those?

[JB]

Nope, not at all

[SmartAlex]

Well, define Thoroughbred lineage…

There are Thoroughbreds in the background of just about any American breed you can think of. And even those breeds/types that are not known to be based on Throughbreds… lets take for instance Spanish Mustangs… you cannot guarantee that some feral TB horse did not insert some Ben d’Or spots in there on the sly.

Of course, you could suppose the TBs got it from the Arabs

[Tasker]

Oh my how time flies…sorry this got away from me for a few weeks!

Here’s an album with a few photos and I attached a few also. His pedigree is HERE, if you care to guess “who’s to blame” for all the spots. His dam has migrating Birdcatcher spots, sire has a few dark non-migratory blotches (dinner plate size). The dam is a liver chestnut, sire is a deep, dark port wine shade of chestnut. This guy is funny and I need to get someone to hold him out in the daylight - from the wither’s forward, he’s the same color chestnut as his sire, wither’s to tail - he’s a dark liver color. Very amusing to see “both” parents in him so clearly. :lol:

ETA: sorry for my jagged clip job - it’s for home use only during the winter, so I didn’t take time and clean up my edges! Poor horse!