The Paint Horse

        The colour combination and conformation is what has made this breed popular over North America.  Horses with broken coloured coats, (sometimes called piebalds and skewblads) were first associated with the North American Indian.  In the US and Canada, a horse with this type of colouring may be registered as a Paint or a Pinto, it depends on which standards the horse meets.  In order to be registered as a Paint Horse, the horse must be bred from registered Paint Horses, Quarter Horses, or Thoroughbreds.  They must also meet a minimum colour requirement. In the Pinto Associations, the horse may have the same colour patterns and coats as the Paints, but they can come in all sizes, from the miniatures to full horses.  They can be divided by type; Stock Type, Hunter Type, Pleasure Type, and Saddle Type.

        In the APHA, a horse with a solid-coloured coat must have a definite natural Paint marking, which is defined as an area of solid white hair, with the underlying skin being un-pigmented. A horse having mainly a white hair coat must have an area of contrasting colour, with underlying pigmented skin.  These areas should be visible at the time the foal is born, and the time of registration.  The American Paint Horse Association has two types of registries, Regular and Breeding Stock.  For a horse to fall under the category of Regular registry, it must have a least one natural paint marking, which is a minimum of 2 inches, (5 cm) in diameter.  If the horse does not meet this colour standards, but meets the rest, it may be registered as Breeding Stock.   The Paint Horse patterns range from almost total colour to just white with minimal colour.  The patterns of the horse are distinguished by the location of colour on the horse, the only three being Tobiano and Overo and Tovero.

The Tobiano (TOW BE YAH' NO) colour coat is defined as 

• The dark colour usually covers one or both flanks.

• Generally, all four legs are white, at least one below the hocks and knees.

• Generally, the spots are regular and distinct as ovals or round patterns that extend down over the neck and chest, giving the appearance of a shield.

• Head markings are like those of a solid-coloured horse---solid or with a blaze, strip, star or snip.

• May either be predominantly dark or white.

• Tail is often two colours

The Overo (OH VAIR' OH) colour coat is defined as

• The white usually will not cross the back of the horse between its withers and its tail.

• Generally, at least one or more legs are dark with colour.

• Generally, the white is irregular, and is rather scattered or splashy.

• Head markings are distinctive, often bald-faced, apron-faced or bonnet-faced.

• An Overo may be either predominantly dark or white.

• The tail is usually one colour.

The Tovero (TOW VAIR' OH) colour coat is defined as the characteristics of both Overos and Tobianos.  (ex: a horse with a horse with white crossing between the withers and tail, the horse has all white legs, a shield and a bonnet-face.)                

• For more information about the Paint Horse, check your local horse library, or the contact the American Paint Horse Association, or the Ontario Paint Horse Association.

•     For Information about many different horse breeds, I recommend:
  "Horse Breeds of the World, the Complete Reference to Horse and Pony Breeds"                
  by Judith Draper.

Bibliography for this web page:
McWilliam, Maryjo. "The Paint Horse." Thamesview Stock Farm. August 2003. Date Accessed. <http://www.thamesviewstockfarm.com/aph>  

This page was last updated Wednesday May 16, 2007 .