Primitive Markings - Leg Bars and Markings

Leg Bars and Markings

Also called zebra bars, tiger stripes, or garters, leg bars are the most common accessory to the dorsal stripe. Leg bars are most commonly seen on or above the knees and hocks and reflect the underlying coat color. Leg bars on bay duns are black within the points, and reddish above them.

Leg bars are prominent on Grevy's Zebras and Mountain Zebras, and African Wild Asses also have well-defined black leg bars below the forearm and gaskin on a white or pale background. However, as in horses, expression of leg bars seems to vary widely among Donkeys, Plains Zebras and Przewalski's Horses, while they appear very seldom or not at all in Onagers, and Kiangs.

Leg markings may also take the form of blotches, patches, marbling, mottling, or spotting.