Author Comments - Thomas Druml.pdf

Reviewer 1 commented on several aspects of the manuscript, including citation ordering, abbreviation usage, and table formatting. The authors responded by reordering citations, using abbreviations consistently, and updating tables with correct rs-numbers and positions according to EquCab 3.0. Reviewer 1 also pointed out minor errors, such as a typo in the word "competitive" and a formatting issue with the Material and Methods section.

Reviewer 2 accepted the manuscript with minor comments, asking for clarification on the difference between vitiligo and vitiligo-like depigmentation, the classification of vitiligo-like depigmentation grades, and the sources of certain references. The authors responded by explaining the distinction between vitiligo in humans and vitiligo-like depigmentation in horses, describing the grading scale used, and providing information on the references in question. Reviewer 2 also asked about the collection of samples, including family history, and the authors explained the challenges of studying family-specific segregation of vitiligo-like depigmentation in horses due to the late onset of the disease and the lack of overlapping generations in the sample cohort.