DAPPLED AND STRIPED HORSES 77 



(t and/). A beginning of this may be seen on the groin of Fig. 38, 

 that is, at the junction of the haunch with the trunk. When 

 this breaking-up of the larger dapples extends all over the skin, 

 we get, as I said, what is called the ' flea-bitten ' horse. Now and 

 again one sees a ' flea-bitten ' horse which, on its haunches, has 

 ordinary dapples. This would indicate that the minute spotting 

 is only a modification of the dappled surface, and that the ' flea- 

 bites ' are probably the breaking-up of similar large spots. 



A still further and more complete mixture of the two colours 



CXoo 



0000 



FIG. 44. Diagrammatic sketches of spots from various Horses : (a) frequent disposition 

 of dapples on flanks of Horses (right side) ; (b) occasional triangular spotting on the flanks of 

 Horses (right side) ; (c) rare spotting on the flank and haunch of a Horse (left side). 



of a dappled Horse produces the uniform roan, whether a straw- 

 berry or an ordinary roan. 1 



We have now to study another feature of the dappled Horse, 

 which is only a modification of the ordinary confused mottling, 

 if I may so call it. 



As a rule, the flanks of the dappled Horse are simply reticu- 

 lated, without any apparent order. But in certain dappled Horses 

 the light-coloured spots on the flank occur in transverse rows, 

 with the dark interspaces modified into broad lines or bands, 

 both having the same slanting direction as the ribs, such as those 

 shown in Fig. 44 (a). These rows of spots are usually squarish, 



1 These roans when newly clipped are often either bay-brown or black. Their heads 

 usually do not roan. 



