Your questions about appaloosa spotting and genetics answered. 

For over 20 years, the Appaloosa Project helped breeders, owners and enthusiasts of Appaloosas, Knabstruppers (and other appaloosa spotted horses and ponies) to breed their desired coat patterns by understanding the LP gene and how it interacts with other genes to cause appaloosa coat patterns. 

The science behind the spots 

While the Appaloosa Project stopped accepting subscriptions and closed down its electronic classroom at the end of 2021, it is still the best and most accurate available source for information on appaloosa spotting. Our research team investigated, located and helped to product tests for the LP gene, the PATN1 gene and other major coat pattern modifiers, as well as LP-associated traits such as Congenital Stationary Night Blindness and Equine Recurrent Uveitis.

We continue to offer free articles to assist owners and breeders of spotted horses to make sense of spotted coat patterns and how to produce them.