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Black
Points: Black socks or stockings, black mane and tail, black
muzzle, and black tips to the ears, often seen on bay horses.
Flaxen
Mane and Tail: The mane and tail are a light cream color;
often seen on chestnut horses.
Dorsal
or Eel Stripe: A black or dark brown stripe that extends from
the withers along the backbone and down into the tail; often seen
on dun horses. Wither stripes sometimes accompany a dorsal
stripe-these are lines extending across the wither on either side.
Dapples:
Dark circles or rings that appear over lighter areas of the body.
Most commonly seen in grays, they can occur in any coat coloring,
especially bay, and are usually more visible in the spring or
autumn, when the horse in changing its coat.
Whorls:
Sometimes called cowlicks, these are patterns formed by irregular
hair growth, often resembling a rosette-type formation with the
hair growing up and out from a central point. They may be seen
along the crest or on the underside of the neck, although they can
occur anywhere on the body, and are used as identification
marking. Interestingly, both Indian and Arabian cultures lay great
significance on the position and type of seen on their horses, to
the extent that whorls in some positions they are believed
to be a warning, and the horse will not be purchased on account of
them. The Asva Sastra is a 14th century Hindu book that
details the significance of whorls and other body markings.
Return to the Markings
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