British Spotted Pony shows his colors on Dartmoor

This little guy looks like a leopard Appaloosa but no, he’s a British spotted pony!  He was born in Devon in the UK. Apparently, the “leopard spot”, black spots on a white background, is a fairly common variety. There’s also a “snowflake” pattern is white spots on a dark background.

The markings were a natural camouflage for ponies roaming the heaths and forests of ancient Britain and are included in several Stone Age paintings and on ancient manuscripts.

During Roman times the horses were presented to important officers as a sign of their power. Around 170 are born in Britain every year.