> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://equinecolors.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Snowcap
- URL: https://equinecolors.com/snowcap/
- Published: 2026-06-30T09:03:42.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-10T11:03:30.000Z
- Description: Snowcap is a spotted coat pattern that causes a white area on the hips, as well as mottled skin, striped hooves and white sclera.
- Author: Hannelore Roodhooft
- Tags: Colors, Patterns & Markings, #Import 2026-08-12 09:42

## Appearance

| Foals | ![Snowcap foal](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/2026/06/snowcapfoal.png) | Foals are born with a snowcap blanket.The blanket may change or increasein size with age. Foals can already show**mottled skin**, **striped hooves** and white sclera. They may **lack foal camo**and show **goggles** similar to grey horses. |
| ----- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| Snowcap is a **white area** on the hips.The **size** of the blanket may **vary**from being very small to coveringa large part of the horse. As horsesage, they may **"varnish out"**: whitehairs mix into the colored area of thecoat. Horses have **mottled skin**,**striped hooves** and **white sclera**. | ![Snowcap horse](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/2026/06/snowcap-1.png) | Adults |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ |

## Genetics

Snowcap is the result of two copies of the LP allele, with one copy of PATN1 or other modifying alleles. LP is a dominant allele of the LP gene.

> Some horses only test positive for LP but have no copies of PATN1; yet they still have a snowcap pattern. This suggests that there are likely many other, as-yet unidentified, alleles that influence how spotted patterns are expressed!  
>  
> Therefore, in *our game,* [***Horse Reality***](https://www.horsereality.com/?ref=equinecolors.com)*,* we use PATN2 as an extra (untestable) modifier that can cause small blankets etc. The existance of PATN2 was once theorised, but was never proven.

![CTA Image](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/2025/12/Equinecolors_Icon_DNA1-33.png) 

****Snowcap:**  
LP/LP  
LP/LP + PATN1/patn1

[Back to Spotted Coat Patterns](https://equinecolors.com/spotted-coat-patterns)

## Articles

1. Bellone RR, Holl H, Setaluri V, Devi S, Maddodi N, Archer S, Sandmeyer L, Ludwig A, Foerster D, Pruvost M, Reissmann M, Bortfeldt R, Adelson DL, Lim SL, Nelson J, Haase B, Engensteiner M, Leeb T, Forsyth G, Mienaltowski MJ, Mahadevan P, Hofreiter M, Paijmans JL, Gonzalez-Fortes G, Grahn B, Brooks SA; ***Evidence for a retroviral insertion in TRPM1 as the cause of congenital stationary night blindness and leopard complex spotting in the horse***; PLoS One (2013); Doi: [10.1371/journal.pone.0078280](https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0078280?ref=equinecolors.com)
2. McFadden A, Vierra M, Martin K, Brooks SA, Everts RE, Lafayette C; ***Spotting the Pattern: A Review on White Coat Color in the Domestic Horse*** ; Animals (2024); Doi: [10.3390/ani14030451](https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14030451?ref=equinecolors.com)
3. Terry RB, Archer S, Brooks S, Bernoco D, Bailey E; ***Assignment of the appaloosa coat colour gene (LP) to equine chromosome 1***; Animal Genetics (2004); Doi: [10.1111/j.1365-2052.2004.01113.x](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2004.01113.x?ref=equinecolors.com)

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[![CTA Image](https://equinecolors.com/content/images/2025/10/Image-5.png)](https://www.horsereality.com/?ref=equinecolors.com) 

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