Bend Or spots?

Actually those look more like Birdcatcher spots to me. I can't see well enough to see if there are any dark spots (Bend Or) or not, but I've noticed they do tend to go together - my Darwin has both.

Nope, they are tetrarch spots. Common on grays during the graying out process. I think they are just spots that have grayed out faster than the rest of the body.

ACC took some good pictures of some.

Also sometimes called Chubari spots.

....and if you look at the name of the horse they are also now mostly called after him. ;)

Thanks for the explanation! I first thought birdcatcher too but then...they looked kind of different, so I thought since he had Bend Or in his pedigree it might be reverse Bend Or's... Interesting about the partial graying process - are there any colored pics anywhere on this board? :flower

Here's one I shot:
[img]http://www.accphotography.com/gallery/d…]

I've got another one around here somewhere, but it's in a set of photos I haven't edited yet and I'm not sure which one or I'd go do it right now. :?

Great pic ACC! I have seen these white spots before on gray horses, but they were WB's!
But then many have TB in them today...
Do you know if the horse pictured traces back to Tetrarch or are there several sources besides him?

It's a terrible shot. :rofl It was taken so early in the morning it was so dark and he passed me so quick I had no warning.

Unfortunately I have no idea who he is so I couldn't tell you.

The other one I have here somewhere I can probably find out who it is when I find it.

FWIW I've seen them in Arabs who have no Tetrarch in their blood.

However, the sole source of gray in Thoroughbreds (every single gray Thoroughbred traces to him) was an Arabian (I forget his name right now) so it actually makes more sense it came from Arabs but was just named after Tetrarch since maybe no on noticed it before then.

[quote="tjuri"]Great pic ACC! I have seen these white spots before on gray horses, but they were WB's!
But then many have TB in them today...
Do you know if the horse pictured traces back to Tetrarch or are there several sources besides him?[/quote]
It doesn't only trace to the Tetrarch. I've seen them also in breeds thay don't go back to TBs. Such as some Welsh, and then of course Arabs.

Heres a set of two full siblings. Both with Tetrarch spots, and PB Arab
[img]http://www.legendaryarabians.com/Platin…]
[img]http://legendaryarabians.com/TurboHeadM…]

Thanks, RMT, great pics - the ones I had seen had just some irregular spots on legs and neck or belly like on ACC's pic - these are impressive spots all over like on Tetrarch too!
So I assume the name is just from the first observation on Tetrarch hence to give it a name?
I still would not rule out a common source since TB, WB and Welsh have Arab blood in the lineage, but it must be an early one or a mutation that likes to happen quite often. Does anybody know more about the genetics background?

[quote="tjuri"]Thanks, RMT, great pics - the ones I had seen had just some irregular spots on legs and neck or belly like on ACC's pic - these are impressive spots all over like on Tetrarch too!
So I assume the name is just from the first observation on Tetrarch hence to give it a name?
I still would not rule out a common source since TB, WB and Welsh have Arab blood in the lineage, but it must be an early one or a mutation that likes to happen quite often. Does anybody know more about the genetics background?[/quote]
I personally think its just small areas of gray that gray out faster, possibly due to blood flow, but no true genetic cause.

I was assuming that since Bend Or spots seem to have an accumulation of pigmented cells (but they can vanish and appear in another area, right?) maybe this is just a phenomenon caused by the ABSCENCE of pigmented cells?
Does anybody know if the also can vanish or suddenly appear somewhere else after shedding?
Fascinating stuff anyway! 8-) :)

I've never seen a Tetrarch vanish or move. But I've also never seen a Bend Or vanish or move. Only Birdcatchers.

[quote="accphotography"]I've never seen a Tetrarch vanish or move. But I've also never seen a Bend Or vanish or move. Only Birdcatchers.[/quote]Ive clipped a bend or off.

[quote="tjuri"]Thanks, RMT, great pics - the ones I had seen had just some irregular spots on legs and neck or belly like on ACC's pic - these are impressive spots all over like on Tetrarch too!
So I assume the name is just from the first observation on Tetrarch hence to give it a name?
I still would not rule out a common source since TB, WB and Welsh have Arab blood in the lineage, but it must be an early one or a mutation that likes to happen quite often. Does anybody know more about the genetics background?[/quote]

The grey mutation most likely only happened once so all grey horses have one common ancestor. The mutation occurred by a section of DNA being being removed and reinserted in that reverse direction. The likelihood of that exact mutation happening more than once is basically nonexistent (thought not entirely impossible).

MP: Actually I did not refer to the gray-mutation itself, but to the spots... I would guess that several more mutations have taken place on the gray since the gray mutation had occurrred. Thanks for explaining how the gray-mutation worked! :)
ACC- It IS a great shot to me since I NEVER get them in movement - the pics all end up blurry, but then I don't have a digital camera...so all my efforts had cost some good amount of film! :flower

Oh I found a LOVELY example of Tetrarchs in my file last night! I'll try to find out who it is and get the photo edited and posted this evening. It also happens to be a red based horse who still appears red (so rare!).

A purebred Arab filly I shot at a show a few years ago.

[img]http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x87/…]

[img]http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x87/…]

Wow cool! Another clear red base (though showing some darkening on her legs).

Here she is:

[img]http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w65/…]

^ Can someone stop the greying mutation there please and send her to me? I have many boys who would like to meet her.

Yeah that's what I said!! My husband wants to create a vaccine that we can give them that stops the graying process within a couple weeks of giving it to them. I wonder if that's even possible.

^ Tell me when you get it. I'd love to stop Brioso's greying where it is right now. xD

Or you could just buy a silver + black !

What about for me? ;)

[img]http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x87/…]