| Archive for PasoVoice.Com Paso Fino, Trocha Pura, Trote Galope and Trocha Galope Horses |
| The Professional |
~*~ Sabino Gene Mutation ~*~  
The pictures above show a white spotted pattern on a horse coat commonly call by “Bird catchers”. (some others like bend-or, and tetrarch too) Although Bird-catcher it’s a nickname and means nothing scientifically, it only resembles the “look alike” marks as they look like bird droppings. I was discussing about these marks a few years ago and also recently with another fellow forum member and till today they haven’t found any scientific evidence of what may cause these white spotted marks. As far as I know they’re the result of a sabino gene mutation. Below this line I paste some links that may be helpful to better understand the white spotted marks pattern. Bird Catcher http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/Birdcatcher.html Bend Or http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/BendOr.html Tetrarch http://www.tbheritage.com/Portraits/TheTetrarch.html An explanation of bird-catcher spots: http://books.google.com/books?id=...result&resnum=7&ct=result Scroll down to the section on bird-catcher and chubari spots: http://www.whitehorseproductions.com/tbcolor3.html Sometimes this marks are easily confuse with Slice bites. A microscopic kind of lice that have very poisonous saliva and their bite leave a white round spot on the coat of the horse. When spread, in the worst of the scenarios, looks like a blanket instead of spotted. Also the concentration occurs in the horse face, neck and chest mostly so is easy to set apart. Some people claim these marks fade between seasons but they’re not. |
| caliber |
Thank you Professional for sharing. Great information! |
| Ferrum |
Outstanding explanations Pro, really nice you shared this.
Jo-Ann 
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| dcancel |
Hi, Pro.... good seeing you around more often now.... that is a great explanation and my Serpentina has the birdcatcher spots and I think she also has the Bend Or spot, she has one dark spot (Bend Or?) back on her left hip.
DC |
| pprpaso |
Here's a picture of a ppr mare that never showed these spots until about a month before she foaled. Baby is a couple days old and spots still there.
Maybe it is hormones that caused it or the high amount of protein I was feeding her. Tostada de Hidalgo 25 year old ppr mare.......these were taken the day after she foaled. 
Click to see full size image 
Click to see full size image |
| Heart of Gold |
CONGRATS!!! He is stunning! We knew he would be a beauty! Are u finally sleeping?? |
| pprpaso |
Yeah .....Mandy I am finally sleeping!
Thanks....yep he is very nice! He is all legs....don't know where those came from but his cannon bones are longer than Tostada's. She isn't a big mare but very well put together especially for 25 years old! Very sweet and freindly colt but he listens to his mom very well. Tostada has been great with me and now lets the neighbor kids pet her baby.....I was amazed at that! Now I have my mini mare coming due in May so I have some time to take a break on foal watch for about a month. Glad this one turned out alright....with a mare of this age it is scarey. |