Colors galore

I visited with the horses for a bit today. Pumpkin and Chico followed me asking for fly spray, but I couldn't because I was holding Wren. I'd just sprayed them down yesterday, but the repellancy does not last 14 days like the bottle claims.


A while back I posted about noticing that Pumpkin had a very poor hair coat and took forever to shed out last summer, which was her first summer with us. Over the winter, her coat was lush and dark. I said we'd see how long it took to shed out this spring. Well, I learned something between then and now...donkeys shed out much much later than horses, and mules (because they are a cross between donkey and a horse) also shed out later than horses. So, this spring, long after the horses had unveiled their bright summer coats, Pumpkin was still shaggy. But, her shaggy coat was not quite as dull and rough as it was last summer. And now that she's all sleek and shiny, she has dapples galore! The dapples are new! I've been told that dapples on horses that are capable of getting them (usually the sooty colors) is a sign of good health and nutrition.

Click on the picture to view it large to get a good look at her dapples.


I have been calling Pumpkin a chestnut mule, but on closer inspection, her mane and tail are faded out, while her legs show a darker brown color. I think she might actually have the silver dapples gene. The silver dapples gene dilutes black, so that would make Pumkin a bay with the silver dapples gene (mane and legs diluted). It's a color gene that is common in some pony breeds, and Pumpkin definitely resulted from a cross with a pony given her size. Regardless, she is quite beautiful.


And another color question. Has anyone else seen these white spots pop up on their horses? Kachina has a few white flecks on her face, her neck, her sides and her hip...pretty much all over her whole body. They are small, and not very noticeable. The ones on her neck are the largest. She seems to have a few more this year than last year. What could they be from? Are they from injuries? Insect bites? Ringworm? She hasn't had ringworm since I've had her, but I'm pretty sure she had it while with the BLM - when we adopted her 2 years ago, it looks like she has healed ringworm spots - the hair was shorter in some circular areas on her body. But of course, I don't remember if these were the areas. The scuffs are bite marks from either Chico or Griffin (don't feel sorry for her - she generally asks for it).


Maybe she's an appaloosa?!