Mine have barely visible dapples in the spring when I am grooming a lot and working hard to get rid of that winter hair. I tend to turn out at 3-4 pm, so the sun gets them for a few hours. The dapples go away, but they stay super shiny. I think you see so many race horses with dapples because they are groomed every day and never out in the sun. Even when they are otherwise not in great condition. But someone above put something about “fit” horses dappling easier? Not sure my horses qualify, they are both on the fat side!
Both of mine dapple to varying degrees. My seal brown used to dapple a ton when he was younger. He’s super shiny every year, but doesn’t get the dappling anymore (he’ll be 14 in June).
My bay used to dapple a little bit. Very shiny as well, but not much in the way of dapple. And then two years ago this showed up - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203079177812693&set=a.1245228983191.167224.1603391978&type=3&theater
And he’s still got them. I have to admit, I love them. 
Weird. I have a RED RED chestnut I’ve owned for 4 years and he’s never had dapples, except for like a month last fall. We had just switched his grain and the next thing I knew he was covered in dapples. And as quickly as they appeared, they went away 
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Lighter/brighter chestnuts do seem to dapple less often than black-based colors and even liver chestnuts. Someone mentioned sooty, but I think the issue is more likely the eumelanin (darker pigment) vs pheomelanin (lighter pigment). There is some thought that sooty might be the selective turning on or increase of eumelanin even in red-based horses, including the richer-colored chestnuts who might often have very dark mane and tail hairs. Sooty palominos are more apt to dapple than Isabella palies - possibly for the same reason.
[QUOTE=JB;8610910]
Sooty palominos are more apt to dapple than Isabella palies - possibly for the same reason.[/QUOTE]
What is a Isabella palomino?? Have never heard of that…
the lightest of the shades, almost white looking.
Oh you mean dapples like THIS???
Yah I miss those. (sold mare)
That mare always has dapples. The only time she didn’t, was when she was body clipped in a strange part of her coat cycle this past winter.
We have a clydesdale at the farm who if you body clip at the right point in time, has beautiful bay starburst dapples over his hindquarters. My shiny bright bay has zero, and going from that beautiful dappled mare above to him was a big “change”… I miss that flashy dappled goodness.
Yep, many creams, ie buckskins, will have dapples either for an entire season, or all the time. Pretty stunning when they’re just a part of the coat 
[QUOTE=SugarCubes;8610709]
Weird. I have a RED RED chestnut I’ve owned for 4 years and he’s never had dapples, except for like a month last fall. We had just switched his grain and the next thing I knew he was covered in dapples. And as quickly as they appeared, they went away .[/QUOTE]
I have a red red chestnut too. In the summer he looks like a new penny, and he dapples soo prettily, it’s just like little red circles on his callipygous rear. Maybe I’ll take a picture and share, as he just got them for this year
[QUOTE=TrailRides4Fun;8609836]
Scribbler, here is my handsome chestnut boy with his gorgeous dapples
:yes:
http://s42.photobucket.com/user/redboy949/slideshow/Dapples[/QUOTE]
Beautiful!
Here’s my gelding summer 2015 2 oz of flax… 5lbs oats, alfalfa/grass hay and a vit/min…shinny but no dapples. First pic is this spring, he’s real white looking in winter. http://www.flickr.com/gp/140958406@N05/e689cw
[QUOTE=sassy45;8614188]
Here’s my gelding summer 2015 2 oz of flax… 5lbs oats, alfalfa/grass hay and a vit/min…shinny but no dapples. http://www.flickr.com/gp/140958406@N05/e689cw[/QUOTE]
It’ll be interesting to see if he gets dapples with the ProAdd this summer.
[QUOTE=Scribbler;8613929]
Beautiful![/QUOTE]
Thank you! :winkgrin:
ooh, I love dapples too. Can’t make them happen when the genes don’t allow, but are so glorious when they do allow. They ARE a mark of good nutrition when the genes allow, appearing in spring/summer when the living is easy.
I have 2 bays. The red bay doesn’t ever have dapples(genetics–but she gleams instead) and the black bay shiningly (always) does.
[QUOTE=Brian;8614236]
It’ll be interesting to see if he gets dapples with the ProAdd this summer.[/QUOTE]
Don’t think genetics are there for dapples,stallion was a dun,mare was a light palomino. He’s only dark palomino for a short time then fades out to a light palomino. Guess i can hope he dapples with better nutrition. Neither parent dapples out.
Here’s how he looks by late august,2015 it’s first pic. http://www.flickr.com/gp/140958406@N05/e689cw
Some horses just have the genetics for dapples…
My gelding with his winter coat:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101136660650259&l=71d2696bf2
And his summer coat:
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlt1/v/t1.0-9/12523138_10101067705636659_5745470698635856579_n.jpg?oh=016603611ff04582f67165e8d7fd2a15&oe=57B9FF50
Beautiful! And very typical of cream dilutions, especially palominos - lighter, more dappled Winter coat, darker, less/no dappled Summer coat.
Meaning, yes, it’s a genetics thing, but more specifically it’s a color thing, as opposed to whatever “dapple genetics” a bay horse has, or doesn’t have.
If he has any tendency towards dapples Black Oil Sunflower seeds will bring them out within a couple of weeks. I have dappled out a liver-ish chestnut, a buckskin, a dark bay. They will disappear if you stop feeding the BOSS.
If he has no genetic tendency nothing is going to help.
[QUOTE=JB;8610910]
Lighter/brighter chestnuts do seem to dapple less often than black-based colors and even liver chestnuts. Someone mentioned sooty, but I think the issue is more likely the eumelanin (darker pigment) vs pheomelanin (lighter pigment). There is some thought that sooty might be the selective turning on or increase of eumelanin even in red-based horses, including the richer-colored chestnuts who might often have very dark mane and tail hairs. Sooty palominos are more apt to dapple than Isabella palies - possibly for the same reason.[/QUOTE]
Interesting. My sooty chestnut mare is covered in black dapples all year round. In fact, she almost has tiger stripes on her back legs…nope, not a dun. Dark mane and tail and often mistaken at a distance for a bay. Ben D’or spot on her flank.
Funny think is, I did not buy her this way. The dapples popped only after I changed her diet. They bloomed when I started feeding rice bran.
Gotta say how much I am enjoying the pictures. Your horses are all beautiful.
My guy gets stunning dapples for two weeks a year, if I time his clips right and the stars align. He’s a blood bay and gets dapples the size of my fist and the color of dandelions.
I can see them starting to pop now. And he’s a hairball so I need to clip him. No more dapples. 
