Night Vision-Appaloosa Spotting Link Investigated

If you see spots before your eyes when you look at your Appaloosa, chances are your horse’s night vision is as strong as any other horse. But if your Appaloosa is lacking spots on his blanket area, he might not be seeing much at all in the dark.
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If you see spots before your eyes when you look at your Appaloosa, chances are your horse's night vision is as strong as any other horse. But if your Appaloosa is lacking spots on his blanket area, he might not be seeing much at all in the dark.

moonblindness

Microscopic images of horse chromosome 1. TRPM1 genes are highlighted in green.

That's because of the connection between certain homozygous forms of "leopard complex" spotting and congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa-patterned horses, recently discovered by researchers at the University of Tampa and the University of Saskatchewan. A single gene, named TRPM1, was determined to be the likely cause of both phenomena in the Appaloosa breed

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Passionate about horses and science from the time she was riding her first Shetland Pony in Texas, Christa Lesté-Lasserre writes about scientific research that contributes to a better understanding of all equids. After undergrad studies in science, journalism, and literature, she received a master’s degree in creative writing. Now based in France, she aims to present the most fascinating aspect of equine science: the story it creates. Follow Lesté-Lasserre on Twitter @christalestelas.

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