Hi, my mustang/appaloosa Phoenix is 8 (he'll be 9 next week), he's black with a white star and since he shed out i've noticed he has white hairs coming through all along his body. He's never had white hairs anywhere before and I was wondering if anyone might know what it is.
Does he have any appaloosa characteristics? (mottled skin, white sclera of the eye, striped hooves on non-white-marked legs, etc.) If so, the white hairs could be roaning caused by the action of LP, (LP is what the "on off switch" for appaloosa coloring is commonly called.) Some horses with LP roan very little and/or very gradually, and it can start well into adulthood.
No, he doesn't have any appaloosa characteristics. He is all black, no striped hooves, no mottled skin as far as I can tell. I thought it might be something to do with his appaloosa side coming out but I wasn't too sure what.
No, if he were going to turn gray, then that would have started years ago. I am more willing to bet that it is the LP gene throwing some roaning on him.
Do you have a picture of his face & face markings? This very well could be the sabino gene at work as well. My one haflinger developed roaning like that after coming here as (started as a 5-6 year old) and he has the sabino gene.
Do you have a picture of his face & face markings? This very well could be the sabino gene at work as well. My one haflinger developed roaning like that after coming here as (started as a 5-6 year old) and he has the sabino gene.
yeah sure.
He only has the white star, mind since this has been happening i've noticed a few white hairs under his jaw and on his cheeks.
And in case anyone is interested this is what the rest of him looks like:
Yes, he's chubby, he's on a constant diet and wears a grazing muzzle when turned out but we have really good grass here. He's losing weight just fairly slowly. And from this distance you can't see the white hairs very well, just when you get up close.
