I've wanted to do a page specifically for odd colors and markings for quite some time. Often we see a marking or pattern that can't really be explained, and we have only guesses as to the genetic cause. Other patterns have a name but are not often seen in Morgans, like brindling and lacing. Here we'll feature some of these intriguing color mysteries.

It took four years to collect enough good examples for this page, and I'll add more pictures here as they come in. I can only speculate on the cause of some of these odd markings; if you have more information or ideas, I'd love to hear! If you have a Morgan with an odd white marking, brindling, white streaking or other unexplained marking, we'd love to add it to this page. Please email pictures to Laura Behning. I hope you enjoy seeing these unusually colored Morgans!

ANCAN SPLASH OF COLOR (Ancan True Colors x FCF Lady Victoria), 2005 chestnut gelding, pictured as a weanling. "Splash" shows spotting within his blaze, an interesting feature that may be related to ermine spots, which are spots on a leg marking. His sire is a splash carrier and is most likely sabino as well. Such neatly defined spotting within a facial marking is not a known trait of either pattern, though sabino horses often have irregular shaped "cut outs" as well as flecking and roaning in their blazes. Photo courtesy of Anne Wyland.


SABLE PAINTED LADY (raf) (JMF Dreamcatcher x Silver Sierra Dream Maker), 2005 bay mare, pictured as a suckling foal. The dark patch on her hip may be a run together Bend Or spot, which often can form large patches if there are enough of them. Generally they are not isolated and the horse will have many smaller ones as well as the larger patch or patches. This could also be a birthmark. In some rare cases, horses with clearly defined areas of two different colors are what is known as a chimera- an organism that has two different sets of DNA. Owned by Angie Nadon. Photos courtesy of Sandy Berge.


SABLE MORNING STAR (raf) (Sable Knight Krusier x Sable Gypsy Beam), 2006 chestnut mare (pictured as a weanling in the first picture; second picture as a mature mare). Star was tested for the frame gene, the pattern thought to most likely fit her odd marking, and she was not carrying it. Her only other white marking is a small star. The spot on her flank was there from birth and is not due to an injury. Both of Star's parents are solid black. She is linebred Beamington, and odd white belly markings without concurrent leg or facial white, as well as round roaned markings, have been known to appear in Morgans from this bloodline. Owned by Angie Nadon. First photo courtesy of Sandy Berge; second courtesy of Angie Nadon.


HANG N THE STREAKER (Season's Pure Country x Hang N Grace Under Fire), 2007 smoky black stallion, pictured as a yearling. No explanation can be found for the odd roaned marking on "Cash's" right leg. He has no other body white. Perhaps it is an isolated sabino roaned patch, or an odd birthmark. Photos courtesy of Cash's breeder and owner Wendy Hanger.


CADUCEUS URSULA (H-Ken X Caduceus Margaux) 200 bay brindle mare. Ursula is, so far, the only known Morgan with the rare brindle pattern. In other breeds, some brindles have much more expression of this pattern, with the brindling extending over the entire body, which is really quite striking. Brindle is more often seen on bay and brown horses than other colors; it seems to require sooty black countershading for its expression, and reorganizes the sootiness into stripes. The genetic control of brindle depends on its cause. Some brindles have been shown to be chimeras, an organism with two different sets of DNA. These chimeric brindles do not reproduce the pattern when bred. When non-chimeric brindles reproduce, the results appear to indicate a dominant mode of inheritance. The brindle pattern is also dominant in other mammals, such as dogs, where it is more common. Photos courtesy of Ursula's owner, Sherry Siebenaler.


D'S SUGAR KANDI (Sweet's Classy Boy x D's Rhythm Kandi), 1992 bay mare. Kandi shows the pattern commonly called "lacing" on her back. Many causes for this pattern have been postulated; some horses show it from birth while others develop it later. The reticulated pattern resembles that of a giraffe's markings. This can be even more strongly expressed than it is in this mare. The Sweet's bloodlines that Kandi comes from are known splash producing lines, though this pattern is not known to be associated with splash. She has no facial markings at all and only one hind sock and one hind white heel for her other white markings. Photos courtesy of Cheryl Manahan.


SHOW BIZ GOLD (CAN) (Baptiste Jay Cheyadow x Miz Biz), 2007 palomino mare, pictured as a yearling. She has a white patch on one shoulder that she was born with; it is not due to an injury. Her only other white marking is a small star. Photo courtesy of the mare's owner, Margie Burgess.


BLYTHEWOOD POLLY VERMONT (Blythewood Vermont Legend x Callie-Ann), 1999 chestnut sabino mare owned by Kathy Newcomb, Blythewood Morgans. Polly has many dark spots scattered over her body. These are called Bend Or spots after a famous racehorse who had them. Sometimes they are called "grease spots". Several of the spots have run together to create a bigger one, as seen on her buttock and her flank (see close up picture). Roaning (probably from sabino) has loosely outlined the flank spot. The genetic control of Bend Or spots is not known. They are more common on chestnuts and palominos than on black-based colors. First photo by Bob Moseder; second photo by Kathy Newcomb.


BROKEN ARROW WARRIOR (Aragorn Adam x Duchess of Dickie), 1983 chestnut gelding. Warrior was owned for most of his life by the Denver Police Department and retired in 2008 at age 25. He is seen here being led down a hall in a fancy hotel, rehearsing the path for a ballroom dinner party, which included riding on a freight elevator! Note the interesting spot on Warrior's rump, encircled by white roaned hairs. Most likely this is a Bend Or spot with sabino roaning, but why it has so neatly outlined the spot is a mystery. Warrior has no other white markings. Warrior is owned by G. Scott Riggs and the photo is courtesy of Sara Amerman.


KSG REVELATION (Sirocco x Satin-Jewel), 1996 chesnut sabino or sabino/splash mare owned by Anne Coe. This mare has been tested for frame and she is negative. Some aspects of her white markings indicate sabino (the placement of the body white, the lower lip white) and some indicate the possible presence of splash (the clean edged markings, higher in front than behind, the bottom heavy facial marking). She is a good example of why we need tests for all the white patterns!


JBH FASHION'S FOLLY (Carlyle Command x Marin Jennifer), 1988 bay mare owned by Marian Grimes, Dresser Hill Morgans. One spot on the mare's side appeared when the mare was about 15. At age 20, the entire area suddenly became covered with spots. The attending vet speculated this was a reaction to some sort of insect bite(s). Her only other white marking is a small star.

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