Spotting factors are correctly referred to as belonging to the “Leopard complex” and consist of several related factors that can have a variety of effects on a horse’s basic coat colour, ranging from a ‘roaning’ effect (mixing in of white hair with a basic colour), to white spots on a coloured background, or dark spots on a white background. The skin of horses with a leopard factor can have more spots than the hair coat reveals. There are several breeds in which the leopard complex predominates:

• Appaloosa
• Knabstrupper
• Noriker

Eyes and skin

Eyes often have white sclera, the skin around the eyes and muzzle is often pale and mottled. 

Hooves

Typical stripy appearance, sometimes unpigmented although the limbs are dark.

Mane and tail

Leopard factors are generally associated with a lack of mane and tail, the result can be a horse with almost no mane and thin, "ratty" tails.

Coat patterns

There are several typical coat patterns that may occur alone or in combination, some are due to the leopard gene alone, others appear when leopard genes are found in combination with dilution or greying genes. The most typical feature is a spotting of the skin and coat and the appearance of a blanket over the croup – either with or without spots.

Blanket

A white area over the croup, sometimes referred to as a snow cap.

Blanket with spots: a white area with spots in the horse’s basic colour.

Leopard

An entirely white horse with any number of darker spots.

Snowflake

A horse with white spots or flecks on a darker basic colour.

Mottled

An entirely white horse with mottling of the skin only around the eyes and nose.

Varnish or marble roan

Progressive roaning with absence of white hair over bony prominences such as limbs, facial crest, point of the hip, point of the elbow.

Roan blanket

Roaning over hip and croup, with or without additional spots.