Spots on a Bay?

Hi folks!

I have an interesting question for you. My dark bay has developed spots. When we clipped him last year, and for the duration of the time I've had him he's never had them. This year (he is 7), about a week after he was clipped he started growing in funny spots in no real pattern, mostly on his barrel. He is usually nearly black in the winter and in the summer his coat naturally is very bay. We clipped him about the same time both this year and last. He also has natural white hairs mostly in his tail and 5-6 in his mane.

His sire is black and his dam is a bay.
Dam:

Damsire:

Sire (Rotspon):


What could be causing his spots??

Thanks!

Could you get pics of the spots???

They might be bug bites???

My mare hs white spots but she is a sorrel with palomino breeding. She is also starting to roan out.

It would help if you could get a photo or two so we can see what you are talking about. Some bays get dapples, my mare had them, but they are normally associated with good health and a short summer coat. He could just be growing his hair back in patchy, and in a different shade then you are maybe used to, though he will look the same once he's regrown his coat. Different foods, change in diet, change in the quality of hay, ect., can effect how his coat looks, and how it grows. Again though a picture would be extremely helpful in seeing what exactly is going on.

Would need to see photos of the spots, but I will hazard a guess at Birdcatcher's.

I used to have a bay that was dappled....and someone told me that it isn't an odd occurance to happen. She just said it was a dappled bay...lol.

I have no idea what causes it though - but I think it looks neat :)

Dappling within the coat colour is supposed to be a sign of good health.

Reading between the lines in Anebel's post, I am assuming that she is talking about white spots

I know exactly what you are talking about. In fact, I have a sorrel that has one or two of them. They are tiny little white spots, like the size of a pencil eraser right? They are called leukotrichia but most horse people will call them "bird spots". It is a common condition in horses, especially Arabs, and does not have any known root disease process. Most often they are not progressive but don't go away.

Nope, fist sized dark spots. They aren't in a dappled pattern and his coat is very healthy. I'll try to get pictures up!

Ooooh then I am going with Bend-Or spots. They are dark spots that can appear random. The quote is from Wiki :) Sound like yours?

That's exactly what it's like!

Weird.. I'll still get pictures today