Tobiano
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Tobiano is a genetic trait among Pinto horses which produce a characteristic spotting pattern in the coat of the horse. The tobiano gene produces areas of pink skinned white patches overlaid by a base coat color. The coloration is present from birth and does not change throughout the horse's lifetime.
Tobiano traits include the following:
- White legs from the hocks and knees down
- White crossing the back between the withers and the dock of the tail
- White is arranged in a vertical pattern
- Facial markings like that of a normal horse. i.e. star, snip, strip, or blaze
- White patches which are rounded or oval in shape
- Dark color extending down the neck, giving the appearance of a shield
- They often have a two-colored tail, but if not, the tail is usually white.
The coat pattern can occur when only a single heterozygous gene is present, because Tobiano is a dominant gene, but when a horse is homozygous for Tobiano coloring, that horse's offspring will almost always be spotted unless masked by the gray.
The Tobiano gene is not linked to lethal white syndrome. However, some Tobiano horses have been silent carriers of the gene and have produced affected offspring.[1]
In the UK, tobianos are frequently referred to as Piebald or Skewbald, depending on base coat color. Other spotting patterns seen in Pinto horses include overo and the sabino markings.
[edit] References
- ^ Paul D. Vrotsos RVT and Elizabeth M. Santschi DVM. University of Minnesota Genetics Group. "Stalking the Lethal White Syndrome". Paint Horse Journal. July 1998.
