Appaloosa horse

Close-up of an Appaloosa horse mane (Equus ferus caballus). Photographed near Cape Town, South Africa. The Appaloosa is an American horse breed best known for its colourful spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's colour pattern is genetically the result of various spotting patterns overlaid on top of one of several recognized base coat colours. The colour pattern of the Appaloosa is of interest to those who study equine coat colour genetics, as it and several other physical characteristics are linked to the leopard complex mutation (LP). Appaloosas are prone to develop equine recurrent uveitis and congenital stationary night blindness; the latter has been linked to the leopard complex., Photo by DR NEIL OVERY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY