Spotted Fields Forever - AC LP Experiments || WARNING: IMAGE HEAVY

[Knabstrupper]

Spotted Fields Forever
The quest for PATN1.

It is currently unclear whether or not we have found the elusive PATN1 on HWO. I will be running experiments using only horses from the AC to see if I can definitively find PATN1.

Apart from finding PATN1, I am also using these experiments as a way to determine which breeds in the AC offer pattern extension. Snowflake expression is not being considered in this study.

Link to the original Leopard release post for reference.
Link to the original Leopard study, also for reference.

Criteria for AC Horses
AC horses used in these experiments must fit certain criteria. These are as follows:

• Shetlands and Tarpans are used to provide the Lp switch. Only horses that are homozygous for the switch are used.
• Lp switch Shetlands must not be red-based. - Criteria added 06/26/2020.
• Where possible, all other breeds must black. - Criteria updated to exclude chestnut 06/26/2020.
• While tobiano markings are permitted, they are preferred to be limited to small socks and facial markings.
• No dilutions (cream, pearl, dun, silver, etc) are permitted, except in breeds where they are completely unavoidable.
• Criteria against dilutions may be suspended in the North African Barb breed when presented with a black-based horse that has dilutions but carries no visible tobiano.

Methodology

• A variety of horses will be adopted from the AC. It is preferable for the Lp switch horses to be stallions, though mares can be used if no stallions are available.
• Lp switch horses are bred to non-Lp horses.
• Each horse will be paired with another of the opposite gender - Lp stallions with non-Lp mares and vice versa.
• Each pair of horses must produce at least five foals. - Methodology updated 06/26/2020
• If a non-Lp stallion is paired with two or more Lp mares and none of the first three foals of any of the mares shows visible Lp at birth the stallion may be rehomed without producing subsequent foals. The mares must then be repartnered with a different non-Lp stallion. - Method no longer valid due to updated methodology above.
• All foals will have their newborn picture saved and then be rehomed.
• Each horse must be paired with at least two other horses and produce at least 10 foals. This is to hopefully reveal any hidden recessive genes. - Method added 06/26/2020.

Findings

This section will updated periodically with findings.

• Caspians seem to offer greater pattern extension than other breeds. This is seen as a small amount of pattern extension along the spine toward the shoulders and down the outside of the hindquarters.
• It appears that a large percentage of Belgians carry very few, if any, Lp genes. Many Belgians produce only foals with no visible Lp.
• Przewalskis appear to predominantly offer no pattern extension.
• Arabians appears to offer very little, if any, pattern extension.
• It appears that Forest Horses may offer some extension, though not as much as Caspians. However they do offer a wider variety of spot sizes.

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Posts beyond this point will display pairings and their results. Other players are welcome to post with questions or comments.

[Knabstrupper]

Horses Used

Stallions
Stallion 1	Stallion 2	Stallion 3
Stallion 4	Stallion 5	Stallion 6
Stallion 7	Stallion 8	Stallion 9
Stallion 10	Stallion 11	Stallion 12
Stallion 13	Stallion 14	Stallion 15
Stallion 16	Stallion 17	Stallion 18
Stallion 19	Stallion 20	Stallion 21

Mares
Mare 1	Mare 2	Mare 3
Mare 4	Mare 5	Mare 6
Mare 7	Mare 8	Mare 9
Mare 10	Mare 11	Mare 12
Mare 13	Mare 14	Mare 15
Mare 16	Mare 17	Mare 18
Mare 19	Mare 20	Mare 21
Mare 22	Mare 23	Mare 24
Mare 25	Mare 26	Mare 27
Mare 28	Mare 29	Mare 30
Mare 31	Mare 32	Mare 33
Mare 34	Mare 35	Mare 36
Mare 37	Mare 38

[Knabstrupper]

Pairing 1
Stallion 1 x Mare 1
Note: This pairing was adopted before the criteria for AC horses was finalized.

Stallion	Mare
Forest Horse Smoky Brown Minimal tobiano	Tarpan Bay Dun Homozygous Lp, minimal tobiano

Foals

Conclusions
This pair offered no white coverage on one occasion, white coverage of the same extent as the mother on two occasions, and minimal increased spread on one occasion. This stallion appears to have carried some genes for white spread, though not many.

[Tom]

This is a wonderful project and I am looking forward to seeing your results. I'd like to donate 200 pony tokens to the cause.

[Knabstrupper]

This is a wonderful project and I am looking forward to seeing your results. I'd like to donate 200 pony tokens to the cause.

Thank you so much! I was wondering why I had that notification. I already have a lot of pairings and foals to post with some interesting observations so far.

[Knabstrupper]

Pairing 2
Stallion 2 x Mare 2
Note: This pairing was adopted before the criteria for AC horses was finalized.

Stallion	Mare
Shetland Brown Cream Homozygous Lp, light tobiano	Forest Horse Brown No white markings

Foals

Conclusions
None of the foals from this pairing displayed any leopard coverage. It is possible that this pairing was simply unlucky and failed to pass white genes each time, but I suspect it more likely that the mare had no coverage genes in the first place.

[Knabstrupper]

Pairing 3
Stallion 3 x Mare 3
Note: This pairing was adopted before the criteria for AC horses was finalized.

Stallion	Mare
Belgian Mealy Bay Minimal tobiano	Tarpan Bay Dun Homozygous Lp

Foals

Conclusions
This pairing offered visible Lp on all three foals. Two out of the three showed coverage consistent with the dam, the third showed a very small amount of extended coverage up the spine. It appears as though this stallion carried some genes for white coverage, but very few.

[Knabstrupper]

Pairing 4
Stallion 2 x Mare 4
Note: This pairing was adopted before the criteria for AC horses was finalized.

Stallion	Mare
Shetland Brown Cream Homozygous Lp, light tobianoo	Belgian Black Minimal Tobiano

Foals

Conclusions
Though this pairing produced six foals, none of them showed visible Lp at birth. It appears as though this mare carried no pattern genes.

[Knabstrupper]

Pairing 5
Stallion 2 x Mare 5

Stallion	Mare
Shetland Brown Cream Homozygous Lp, light tobianoo	Caspian Black No white markings

Foals

Conclusions
Of the five foals produced through this pairing, two showed Lp coverage consistent with the sire and three showed extended coverage, both up the spine and along the outside of the hindquarters. It appears as though this mare may have carried a greater amount of genes for white coverage than the stallion, as the three foals with extended coverage appeared to more than double the white coverage of the sire.

[Knabstrupper]

Pairing 6
Stallion 2 x Mare 6

Stallion	Mare
Shetland Brown Cream Homozygous Lp, light tobianoo	Belgian Black Minimal tobiano

Foals

Conclusions
This pairing produced five foals with no visible Lp at birth. This mare appears to be yet another Belgian that carries no pattern genes.