>>> And I think some breeds are completely mad in their colour rules, like the >>> Exmoors, >>> where if there's one speck of white anywhere they refuse to register a >>> foal, even >>> though you can trace it's ancestry back a million years
The American Quarter Horse registry has recently relaxed their rules about how much white a horse can show and still be registered. It used to be only below-the-knees socks and a narrow-medium blaze, and no more white at all. But, to their credit, did you know there was at least once a reason for the prejudice against lots of white in stock horses? It's a very practical reason too - sunburn. Horses with wide blazes, pink muzzles and/or bald faces have a large area exposed to the sun. I've spent enough time putting fly masks and zinc oxide on Gracie and Thunder that I hope I NEVER have another horse with a lot of white on the face. That may not be a problem in some climates, but it's a big one for those of us who get long periods of strong sunlight. I gather you like the bald-face horses, Mic, but I cringe whenever I see one! If Gracie loses her flymask or I forget the zinc oxide, her nose will be scabby in 1-2 days, and that's got to be very uncomfortable for her. It's a lot of work. I use the extra long fly mask on her, but even with that, she still does better with a once-a-week application of Desitin, and she doesn't seem to care for the Desitin smell. Karen Thomas, NC
