Happy days

I'm hoping you'll find a smile creep up on your face this morning as you read about this first Paint Horse's marking. Quolites Ice is a 16-year-old bay overo gelding owned by Todd and Shawna Whitehead of Maryville, Tennessee.

Todd writes, "If you look right above 'Iceman's' left front leg and below his shoulder, you will notice the darker spots make a smiley face. That suits him, because he is always happy and in a good mood."

I haven't seen many markings for my alphabet soup lately, but it's always a jovial time with the jazzy mare High Scootin Jasmine. Any guesses which letter she sports?

" 'Jaz' has what looks like a capital 'J' on her right shoulder," writes Shannon Anderson of Oracle, Arizona, who owns the 2009 buckskin tobiano mare.

Why Not Charly Fritz, a 2008 chestnut overo stallion, leaves his owner guessing with his marking. "My foal was born last year and we call him Why Not Charly Fritz because of the question mark on his neckline," writes owner Mylene Esnaud of Tremont, France.