Question about blanketed appaloosas....

[lil'turkeymama]

I have noticed on my app gelding,Ta Tunka,that I can feel the spots on his blanket.He is a basic bay blanketed app 18 years old.He has greyed more since I first got him at 5 years old.But I just was grooming him awhile back and noticed his spots are rasied.My paint horses are not like that.You can't feel where it goes for white to colored.I once had a lady telling me propably 20 years ago that people didn't know how to ID a app.I told her it could be any color but had to have the white around the eye,stripped hooves and mottled/spotted skin.She like to fell out saying she had never heard anybody that knew that.She didn't know I had been craving a horse of my own since I could point to one and say mine.LOL.I was just wondering if anyone else had noticed this on their appaloosas.I was thinking,I know how blind people use their hands to see things and wouldn't it be nice to say to such a person,this is a appaloosa,feel his spots?Anyway,as always,I may be thinking too much.LOL.thanks.

 

[ranchhand]

Interesting concept. I need to find an Appaloosa to pet/groom!

 

[babyblue]

yup, I was always taught that it was one of the way to identify an appy. the freckled mottled skin, stripped hooves, sometimes stingy mane and tail lol. both of the appys my twin rode had distinctly "feelable" spots.

 

[cjatthefarm]

True Foundation Appys have what you are calling raised spots. The fur is thicker in their blanket.

I love appaloosas, I had Woody, my appaloosa; from age 5 till 23. Then I got a bad bale of hay with botcholism (sp?) and he and my other horse, Dusty died.

Maybe I'll have another one some day. Woody wasn't a foundation appy. He had been bred, as many are, with quarter horses.

Bet you've got a great horse there, you're lucky, take care.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Very interesting. DH an Appaloosa and his horse Orrie had finer, shorter hairs than my Arab/Saddlebred.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

I've got an appy mare out in my barn. I've only had her for 3 months. Tomorrow morning I am gonna check to see if I can "feel" her spots. She does have a lot of QH in her, so I don't know if that will affect the outcome, but now that you mention it, I do remember my first appy gelding did have raised spots. That was 20+ years ago, of course, so it will be interesting to see if Ginger has them too!

Rusty

 

[ranchhand]

lil'turkeymama :

I have noticed on my app gelding,Ta Tunka,that I can feel the spots on his blanket.He is a basic bay blanketed app 18 years old.He has greyed more since I first got him at 5 years old.But I just was grooming him awhile back and noticed his spots are rasied.My paint horses are not like that.You can't feel where it goes for white to colored.I once had a lady telling me propably 20 years ago that people didn't know how to ID a app.I told her it could be any color but had to have the white around the eye,stripped hooves and mottled/spotted skin.She like to fell out saying she had never heard anybody that knew that.She didn't know I had been craving a horse of my own since I could point to one and say mine.LOL.I was just wondering if anyone else had noticed this on their appaloosas.I was thinking,I know how blind people use their hands to see things and wouldn't it be nice to say to such a person,this is a appaloosa,feel his spots?Anyway,as always,I may be thinking too much.LOL.thanks.

I'd love to see a pic of Ta Tunka, please. Not necessarily the raised spots, but just because I think Appaloosas are wonderful.

 

[geebs]

Then maybe instead of the name buffalo you could call him Braille!!!

Yes I have noticed that about the breed... also Brindle in horses which is very rare also does this same thing.

 

[chickenzoo]

Most of the Appys I grew up around had feel able spots. I once saw a totally black leopard Appy who when the sun hit him, showed his spots.... it was cool.

 

[welsummerchicks]

I have even read of blind people picking their appy out of a herd by feeling for the spots. It's like that quite often.