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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.
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