Comments on: All About That White Lacing On Your Horse’s Back

By: Dee Fleetwood

Dee Fleetwood — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 23:13:48 +0000

In reply to Traci Wright. I have a silver black (ie chocolate) Rocky Mountain Horse with this exact same pattern!

By: Jackie

Jackie — Sun, 24 Mar 2024 22:46:33 +0000

I love my Navajo nation chestnut pony. Don’t know if she’s part QH. Her back and most of her rump has the lacing marking. I’m assuming that she’s never had sores from it. I love it – it’s cool! I tell the kids she’s part giraffe She also has a grey “sock” (Bend Or spot). At first I thought she had charcoal paint on her leg but it doesn’t wash off – LOL.

By: Traci Wright

Traci Wright — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 01:26:36 +0000

We have miniature horses in the USA and have 2 full brothers that are a bay and a silver bay and both began to develop Reticulated leukotrichia version around age 2 and it continued to spread until around age 10 then stopped and both are in their 20’s now.. Many people have tried to tell us it is rain rot scarring but having both since they were foals we know they have never had damage to that area. Thank you for the article!

By: Tanya Apps

Tanya Apps — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 07:32:04 +0000

We have a solid paint milk chocolate coloured mare who has started out with minimal white spotting as a filly. Now as a 10 year old she has prolific spotting over one side of her body. Has absolutely no effect on her. Just a coat pattern. Not Appaloosa like in any way.
For the Hyperesthetic leukotrichia type if it was my horse I would definitely try a medicated wash and then rub Neem Oil on affected areas. Keep out of the sun, and apply the oil every two or three days for a week or so to see if it clears it up.

By: Jane @ THB

Jane @ THB — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:06:52 +0000

In reply to Stuart McGregor.

I’ve only sought out what research there is … in Australia there are far more QHs and a lot more QH blood (ie. in some lines of Australian Stock Horses), so I believe that’s why we see more over here. It’s certainly interesting and I admit to being a little excited when I see a new one, providing they’re not in a painful stage of course!

By: Jane @ THB

Jane @ THB — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 22:04:32 +0000

In reply to Katrina. I haven't read of birdcatcher spots being painful, only the lacing. And then it's not all, but some. :-)

By: Petra Doerfling

Petra Doerfling — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 21:16:07 +0000

Hi Jane,
as I was reading the description of the condition, I thought… sounds like my scalp psoriasis, albeit I don’t regrow white hair (because it’s already white), but the psoriasis is slowly moving towards my neck. It does start off with a pustule type thing, then crusts over, grows and eventually heals up and I forget about it. So you can see why I had that … ‘hmm I wonder moment’.
Genetics may be an issue, at least for the predisposition to develop the condition. But … here’s me thinking again… what about equine nutrition? What have these yearlings/horses been fed and, maybe, nutrition is a cofactor in the development of the condition due to nutritionally induced overstimulation of inflammatory cytokines?
But anyway… it is an interesting topic and something to take note of when caring for and riding horses and to understand that this is not merely a pretty pattern, but a painful skin condition.
So thank you for sharing your insights and knowledge.

By: Katrina

Katrina — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 18:51:05 +0000

This is very interesting, thankyou. I have an elderly pony with lacings and a 12yr old who has developed birdcatcher spots in the last 18mths. Neither of them appear to be troubled by them. There is not a lot of information or knowledge about the condition in NZ.

By: Stuart McGregor

Stuart McGregor — Mon, 08 Jan 2024 16:22:31 +0000

Thank you for this interesting read Jane.
I’ve only come across a couple of cases in the UK, the spotted version.
Is this condition less common here?
Would love to know if your research included the UK?

Well done for this lovely illustration of the condition.
Very best Regards,
Stuart McGregor