Over the last few months I’ve been working my way through the colors section, providing some new information and bigger images. I’ve almost made my way through the white patterns and next week we start the rare colors.
White Patterns
There are a handful of white patterns that can affect the base colors as well as those affected by modifiers and dilutions (or even other white patterns). Today I want to share a little about the rabicano white pattern which is responsible for animals that look almost roan and almost appaloosa.
Rabicano White Pattern
Generally this pattern is mistaken for roan as it has many of the same tendencies. Rabicano creates a pattern of white hairs that radiate from the flank, between the front legs, sometimes under the throat latch and rarely throughout the body.
Rabicano Terminology
There are only two real characteristics that set rabicano a bit apart. The first is a skunk stripe in the tail (generally only at the top) and the second is rib stripes, in which the roaning appears in vertical stripes down the barrel. .
Some of the rabicano characteristics cause speculation that it has some relation to sabino, but there I found no evidence to back that up.
Learn More About Color
Be sure to visit the new and improved color section for more information about rabicano horses and stay tuned, next week when we start looking at some of the rarer colors and patterns.