When you use a spur and it gets the horses skin raw, why does the hair grow back white?

Question

I don't use spurs nor believe in using them but I am curious to know why the hair grows back white instead of the horses normal coat color.

Answer 1

i have been riding with spurs my entire life and i have never seen someone rub a horse raw with them and if i did see someone doing it they wouldnt have a set of spurs anymore.it is called "galling" and it also happens from cinches,saddles and even halters and bridles.it grows back white because the layer of skin that has the pigment in it fills with fluid and washes the pigment away,i could give you the medical terminology of the process but you get the idea.there is nothing wrong with spurs as long as they are used properly and with respect.

Answer 2

Well because the skin has been damaged, that why...On roan horses, the hair grows back black ( its called Corning) and it can be really ugly...it also shows everyone where your horse has ever been cut or rubbed...lol)  

Answer 3

If it grows back white, then you have bruised that area.

Answer 4

damage to the colouring component of the hair follicles

Answer 5

When hair grows back white it is because there was damage to the hair , kinda of like a scar.  It happens often with any kind of cut type injury, when the hair gets damaged.

If your using spurs correctly this should not happen.  Any one whose spurs are unnecessary doesn't understand them properly, and not every one who uses the uses them properly. Yes there are many factors that effect laziness or energy level, but spurs are not necessarily used just to make a horse move. Riding is an art, and should look elegant, aids like spurs and whip or crops are an extention of the leg which help the rider look elegant. In advanced levels of riding like in upper level dressage, they are used in different way, for different cues.  That was how they were intended to be used.  

Answer 6

Pretty much any scar will have the hair grow back white. I believe that is just part of the healing process that the hair loses its color.

Answer 7

the spurs shouldn't even be making the skin raw, who ever you've seen riding them should not have spurs, it's not meant to injure the horse... they are just there as a back up for your legs... i've only seen one person with spurs leave a mark and that was because the horse would ignore the leg so much the rider had to be very forcefull.

Answer 8

Galoppa has it right, you can observe the same when a horse is ridden with a non fitting saddle, that leaves white saddle marks around the withers, and a freeze brand comes out white for the same reason

Edit

Ooops, clicked the submit button too late, John R.'s right too...

Answer 9

well the skin shouldnt be raw in the first place. im not sure why but its sad when the skin gets raw b/c of ppl who mis-use spurs

Answer 10

The hair follicle has not been destroyed, so the hair can still grow.  But the pigment portion of the follicle is destroyed, just like in freeze branding, so the hair that grows back has no pigment.

Answer 11

its because they cut into the skin too much , or too severely, and this causes scar tissue to form , which causes the white hair.