Dappled Horses

I have always loved horses with dapples whether they are the traditional dappled grays of the old-fashioned rocking horse, or dapples on solid color horses.  But what causes dapples?  First, it's based on genetics, but nutrition and grooming also have a hand it in.
   Dappling is the existence of irregular spots on the horse or pony's skin. On equines, dapples are circles of slightly different shade than the rest of the coat.  And they are mysterious.  They can appear, disappear and reappear at various stages of the animal's life.  Your care can also contribute to the appearance of dapples.
  Many gray horses have dapples at some point in their lives.  They are typically not born with this marking, and many times aren't even born gray; they can be born with any base color, usually black, but also chestnut or brown.  They gray as they get older, gradually developing those circular dapples, but they are usually short-lived.  As the gray horse ages, the dapples fade, the hair whitens, and the dapple disappear completely.
   Horses of other colors - browns, chestnuts, bays, blacks, duns and palominos - don't dapple predictably or intensely like grays do, but some do have the genetic disposition for dapples.  Sometimes they last the entire year, sometimes only for the season after they lose their winter coat.  Dapples can be difficult to see, and sometimes the light needs to reflect at just the specific angle for them to be visible.  Good grooming and good health will accentuate them.  If your horse or pony is healthy, and you groom him properly and regularly, but you still don't see dapples, then your equine simply doesn't have the genes in it's DNA to produce dapples.
   A lot of people believe the appearance of dapples on a non-gray horse is an indication of good health.  They are not wrong, but they are not entirely correct, either.  Good nutrition is necessary for a healthy coat and skin, allowing dapples to appear in horses that are genetically disposed to them.  In particular, your equine needs protein, a fat source, the trace minerals copper and zinc, and vitamin A for a good coat.  Feeding your horse a diet of high-quality forage such as good pasture grass or hay that isn't old will give your horse most of these needed nutrients; a commercial grain will round out their diet.
  Another measure to promote skin and coat health, and to bring out any dapples, is regular worming to rid your horse or pony of parasites.  These parasites rob your horse of the nutrients that he absorbs from his/her feed.  The result is a dull, drab coat that lacks any luster.  Often in such cases, the equine won't be able to shed, or will shed unevenly.  Make sure your mount gets plenty of water and exercise; both of these help deliver nutrients to the skin and coat.
   I must add on that I am always amazed at the dappling on the ponies of Chincoteague and Assateague...  They are an amazingly hardy breed!