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Calico Tobiano

I've heard about it, but I'm not sure I understand what it is. Apparently the latest edition of Equine Color Genetics had a section on it as well. I know some patterns of sabino are referred to as calico in western circles but it is not the same as calico tobiano. Any insight?

rodeoratdogs Sun, 11/21/2010 - 18:46

They used to call any paint horse that had spotty marking's like Sabino "calico overo" there was a article in a old PHJ I had about that, wish I had saved it.

accphotography Sun, 11/21/2010 - 19:51

It's a dilute (palomino or buckskin) tobiano who has spots of a base color (chestnut or bay).

Threnody Sun, 11/21/2010 - 20:57

Sounds like the presence of tobiano may have a tendency to allow somatic mutation of the cream gene?

Heidi Sun, 11/21/2010 - 21:51

Ha! If my quilt business ever gets off the ground I'll be calling it "Calico Pony". So far, only Jenks has one of my Mythical Horses quilts.

AppyLady Sun, 11/21/2010 - 23:22

Someone needs to rattle Arock's cage. She's raised some calico tobiano foals, one of which she named Calico Cat.

Danni Sun, 11/21/2010 - 23:28

I've never seen it!! And I've bred and seen an awful lot of tobianos! Maybe I just haven't bred enough dilute ones.. Looking forward to pictures of it

Threnody Sun, 11/21/2010 - 23:37

[quote="accphotography"]It also seems far more common on red bases for some reason.[/quote]
I guess it makes some sense since red pigment is less stable/rugged(?) than black pigment.

This forum has a picture of a calico buckskin tobiano near the bottom... on his bottom. :mrgreen:
http://www.pintoforum.de/t2172f32-Buch-…

Danni Sun, 11/21/2010 - 23:44

Oh my buckskin, non tobiano, has a darker patch on her head a bit like that. I just call it her birth mark LOL!

rodeoratdogs Mon, 11/22/2010 - 09:23

It does look like a birth mark! That is super interesting though, I have never seen that before.

Threnody Mon, 11/22/2010 - 17:42

I think I may have found 2 possible somatic mutation calico tobiano [u]mules[/u].

PAINTED PRARIE and PAINTED DESERT
http://www.equinecolorbreeders.com/mule…

Both are out of paint mares, but that is all the info given on the maternal side so I don't know if the mares passed on cream with the tobiano.

accphotography Mon, 11/22/2010 - 18:40

I don't think the one with the obvious patch is cream. That looks a typical somatic like the one on that BLM filly as opposed to calico.

Danni Mon, 11/22/2010 - 18:45

Wow, they are very cool! Neither look like dilutes though? Also doesn't that sort of mark appear with non tobianos too?! Calico Tobianos just sounds like some selling gimmick name to me...

They look somatic mutations, that were called that before this word calico appeared?!

Also the mark that my buckskin mare has, seems a bit different, it's still buckskin but just a patch of a much darker shade? So probably not a somatic mutation?

accphotography Mon, 11/22/2010 - 18:53

Well sales people didn't come up with it, Sponenberg did (don't get me started on THAT :rofl). The horses that he calls calico do not look like ANYTHING else IMO and it only happens with cream and tobi that I have seen so far.

Those two mules are still somatics IMO Danni.

Is it maybe a Bend Or?

Danni Mon, 11/22/2010 - 19:15

If Sponenberg came up with it, that explains a lot :roll:

This my buckskin mares patch above her eye, very bad picture of it but it's not a bend-or. She's up at the breeding centre right now so can't get a clear one. But the line between dark and light is much more pronounced on the upper side. It's more an obvious patch of dark from front on. Just can't find a picture without the forelock in the way! I didn't figure it was that weird, just call it her birth mark! But it seems similar to what you are saying with the patches on the tobianos?

[img]http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/9943…]

accphotography Mon, 11/22/2010 - 19:27

It is pretty similar... except on a calico it would be bay, not a darker shade of buckskin. I'm not sure WHAT hers is, but birthmark fits nicely. LOL

Danni Mon, 11/22/2010 - 22:08

I think I get what you mean by calico, so something different to the more obvious somatics. I can live with a name for that then :D

I'll have to look out for it now.

Danni Fri, 11/26/2010 - 07:37

Love the wither spot of the darker bucky colour! I hadn't come across the calico term before now, but with that darker flank and wither I guess that horse could be?

rodeoratdogs Mon, 12/27/2010 - 18:56

I just got in touch with a old friend, thanks to Amanda :) Anyway she sent me pictures of her horses and told me about the website where I could look at their sire. Is he a calico Tobiano? He just has the one darker spot and it's pretty dark, here is the pics of him. http://www.freewebs.com/katebarnz/apps/…" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

accphotography Tue, 01/04/2011 - 19:55

Oh and the one I posted did test to not be chimeric so he is calico for sure. Maybe somatic, maybe something else.