Medicine hat is not a color genetics term but Native American cultural term. It varies as to what one person might call a medicine hat, another might not. Ponies with medicine hat markings generally have color on the top of their head surrounded by white. The size and shape and how much color depends on who you ask. Some will say a requirement is for the medicine hat to also have color on their chestnut, called a shield. Marguerite Henry extensively researched the topics she wrote about; so reference her book San Domingo, the Medicine Hat Stallion. It describes them and explains their significance to native culture.
How a medicine hat pony happens in Chincoteague Ponies is that the pony has both tobiano and splashed white. The combination of two pinto patterns can create interesting and unusual markings, like medicine hat markings. Different pinto patterns like to put white in places and try not to put it in others. Neither tobiano or splashed white try to put white on the top of the head so that's why every now and again you'll get a medicine hat marking.
The specific placement and shape of pinto markings isn't genetic. So if two medicine hats are bred together you aren't guaranteed in any way that the foal will be one too.
How a medicine hat pony happens in Chincoteague Ponies is that the pony has both tobiano and splashed white. The combination of two pinto patterns can create interesting and unusual markings, like medicine hat markings. Different pinto patterns like to put white in places and try not to put it in others. Neither tobiano or splashed white try to put white on the top of the head so that's why every now and again you'll get a medicine hat marking.
The specific placement and shape of pinto markings isn't genetic. So if two medicine hats are bred together you aren't guaranteed in any way that the foal will be one too.
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Chestnut tobiano splashed white.
WH Island Breeze (Striking Cadet x Chantilly Lace) Pedigree Photo by Kelly Lidard. |
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Chestnut tobiano splashed white.
Jax Stormy Surf (Ajax x WH Surf and Sun) Pedigree Photo courtesy of Rebekah Hart. |
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Chestnut tobiano splashed white.
2024 colt by WH Salt Marsh. |
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Chestnut tobiano splashed white in the 1970s.
Photo by Joseph Spies from Atlante magazine. |
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Chestnut tobiano splashed white in 1967.
Screenshot from Wild Kingdom. |