Splashed white 1/deafness (SW1)
Splashed white markings typically appear to be splashed up from underneath the horse. They can range from minor facial markings and socks to the white face, blue eyes, white legs and white belly of a typical boldly marked splash horse. Some, but not all splashed white horses are deaf.
Chestnut splashed white horses generally have larger markings than bay/brown or black splashed white horses.
Depending on the amount of white, splashed white can be indistinguishable from sabino 1 or frame overo markings. Testing is the fastest and most cost effective way to get a definitive answer on your horse.
The SW1 version of splashed white is present in a wide range of horse breeds.
Splashed white 2/deafness (SW2)
The splashed white 2 (SW2) gene causes white markings. They can range from minor facial markings and socks to the white face, blue eyes, white legs and white belly of a typical boldly marked splash horse. It is rare but possible for SW2 horses to be deaf.
Chestnut splashed white horses generally have larger markings than bay/brown or black splashed white horses.
The SW2 version of splashed white is only found horses descended from a Quarter Horse mare called Katie Gun, born in 1987 in the USA.
It is possible (though very rare) for horses to carry two copies of SW2.
Splashed white 3/deafness (SW3)
The splashed white 3 (SW3) gene causes white markings. They can range from minor facial markings and socks to the white face, blue eyes, white legs and white belly of a typical boldly marked splash horse. Most SW3 horses have fairly extensive markings. Like all splashed white horses, it is possible for SW3 horses to be deaf.
The SW3 version of splashed white has so far only been found in pure and part-bred Paints descended from TD Kid, a Paint stallion born in 2001 in the USA.
At this point there are no known instances of horses carrying two copies of SW3.
Splashed white 5/deafness (SW5)
The splashed white 5 (SW5) gene causes white markings. They can range from large facial markings and socks to the white face, blue eyes, white legs and white belly of a typical boldly marked splash horse. A fair proportion of SW5 horses are deaf.
Chestnut splashed white horses generally have larger markings than bay/brown or black splashed white horses.
In Australia the SW5 version of splashed white is generally found in Paint horses descended from the stallion Intensity.
No horses with two copies of SW5 have been identified, and it is possible that foals inheriting SW5 plus another splashed white gene may be lost in utero.
Patterns panel
The patterns panel includes all of the most common coat pattern genes. These are frame overo, grey, Lp, PATN1, the roan maker, sabino 1, splashed white 1, tobiano and W20.
There are several pattern tests that we do not include in this panel. Each of these tests looks for a pattern that is only present in one family of horses. These are SW2, SW3, W13, W25, W26, and W27. You are welcome to add any of these as extras on top of this panel. Feel free to get in touch to discuss whether any of these tests are appropriate for your horse.
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