The Paint Horse is a breed of horse that combines both the conformational characteristics of a western stock horse with a pinto spotting pattern of white and dark coat colors. Developed from a base of spotted horses with Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred bloodlines, the American Paint Horse Association’s (APHA) breed registry is now one of the largest in North America. The registry allows some non-spotted animals to be registered as “Solid Paint Bred” and considers the American Paint Horse to be a horse breed with distinct characteristics, not merely a color breed.
In addition to bloodlines, to be eligible for the Regular Registry of the American Paint Horse Association (APHA), the horse must also exhibit a “natural paint marking,” meaning either a predominant hair coat color with at least one contrasting area of solid white hair of the required size or some underlying unpigmented skin present on the horse at the time of its birth. Or, in the case of a predominantly white hair coat, at least one contrasting area of the required size of colored hair with some underlying pigmented skin on the horse. Natural paint markings usually must cover more than two inches and be located in certain designated body areas.
color :
Each paint horse has a particular combination of white and another color of the equine spectrum. Most common are horses with white spots combined with black, bay, brown, and chestnut or sorrel. Less common are horses with spot colors influenced by dilution genes such as palomino, buckskin, pearl, or “Barlink factor,” champagne, various shades of roan, or various shades of dun, including grullo.[5] Paints may also carry the gray gene and have spots that eventually fade to white hair, though they retain pigmented skin underneath the once-dark areas.
Spots can be any shape or size, except leopard complex patterning, which is characteristic of the Appaloosa, and located virtually anywhere on the paint’s body. Although paints come in a variety of colors with different markings and different underlying genetics, they are grouped into only four defined coat patterns: overo (includes frame, splash, and sabino), tobiano and tovero, and solid.[6]
Breeding stock paints can sometimes showcase small color traits, particularly if they carry sabino genetics. Such traits include blue eyes, pink skin on lips and nostrils, roan spots, and minimal roaming.
History :
The American Paint Horse shares a common ancestry with the American Quarter Horse and the Thoroughbred. A registered Paint horse should conform to the same “stock horse” body type desired in Quarter Horses: a muscular animal that is heavy but not too tall, with a low center of gravity for maneuverability, and powerful hindquarters suitable for rapid acceleration and sprinting.
When the American Quarter Horse Association emerged in 1940 to preserve horses of the “stock” type, it excluded those with pinto coat patterns and “crop out” horses, those born with white body spots or white above the knees and hocks. Undeterred, fans of colorful stock horses formed a variety of organizations to preserve and promote paint horses. In 1965, some of these groups merged to form the American Paint Horse Association.
Breed overview :
WEIGHT: 950 to 1,200 pounds
HEIGHT: 14 hands (56 inches) to 16 hands (64 inches)
BODY TYPE: Strong, well-balanced body; colorful coat patterns; powerful hindquarters
BEST FOR: Owners and riders of all levels
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 30 years
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Paint Horse Breeding and Uses :
Besides their unique coat patterns, paint horses were bred for their friendliness, calm demeanor, intelligence, athleticism, and trainability. Due to their strength, speed, agility, and stamina, they were traditionally used for transportation and work.
Nowadays, paint horses are a very versatile breed with representatives in almost every equine sport. You’ll find them barrel racing, jumping in the stadium and in cross-country events, working cattle, trail riding, combined driving, and much more. In addition, many individual paint horses find success in multiple equine sports or activities.
