The Paint Horse - Characteristics

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Characteristics of the Paint Horse

The Paint Horse Association of New Zealand, formed in 1995, has been established to develop the Paint horse as a colour breed under strict guidelines as to quality, conformation and type with the result that the Paint Horse signifies far more than just coloured.

Because of the out-cross restriction to only QH and TB, these horses have become known as athletic horses with good temperaments and are popular in many fields in addition to the western arena. They "stand out from the crowd" in Dressage, Showjumping, Eventing, Hunting and Pony Club. Many are bought just for the enjoyment of hacking and being seen on a colourful individual.

The Paint horse is a horse with a height restriction of over 14 hands and is of Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred or Paint bloodlines only. That is, a Paint Horse is the result of a mating between a Paint x Paint, Paint x Registered Quarter Horse, Paint x Registered Thoroughbred. Paints come in all colours and patterns and can have blue eyes (not to be confused with wall eyes). Blue eyes are a colour trait and can appear on a horse whose parents, and grandparents do not have blue eyes.

Tobiano

Overo

Tobero

As you will see on the identification guide, the two main patterns are known as Tobiano and Overo. Tobiano is a dominant common pattern seen on Pintos throughout N.Z. and Overo is a recessive gene rarely seen in N.Z. as there are very few being bred so far, and the Tobero which carries both genes is the progeny of a tobiano and overo that displays both colour patterns.

Another pattern which is emerging is the Sabino pattern which has started popping up from Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred matings. These Cropouts as they are known were usually hidden in the back paddock, but now are recognised as Paint horses. Sabinos have white extending above the knees and hocks, small belly patch and bald faces, excessive white to be registered as a Quarter Horse but enough to qualify for registration as a Paint.

Identification Guide

Tobiano

Head marked like a solid-coloured horse (either solid or will have a blaze, stripe, star or snip.)
Generally all 4 legs will be white, or at least white below the hocks and knees.
Spots are usually regular and distinct, often coming in oval or round patterns that extend down over the neck and chest giving the appearance of a shield.
Horse will usually have the dark colour on one or both flanks.
Horse may be either predominantly dark or white.

Overo

White will rarely cross the back between the withers and the tail.
Generally at least one, and often all 4, legs will be the dark colour.
Head markings will often be bald, apron, or even bonnet-faced.
Irregular, rather scattered or splashy white markings on the body, often referred to as calico patterns.
Tail is usually one colour.
Horse may be predominantly dark or white.

The amount of white on a horse required by the Association for registration purposes must extend outside a two inch diameter circle with pink underlying skin. This can vary from a loud flashy pattern to a discrete tiny belly patch. Unfortunately, breeders cannot order how much white they get on their foals and one of the delights and occasionally frustrations of breeding Paints is the foaling season and how much "colour" is produced each year.

Paint breeders have known for some time that they need to be careful when breeding Overo to Overo as occasionally a Lethal White foal can result. These foals are born white with an incomplete bowel system and will show signs of colic within a few hours of being born and if not put down will die. There is no cure for this problem, but research is being carried out in the USA to see whether all Overos carry this lethal gene or only certain bloodlines.

Paint Horse Colour Patterns

Tobiano Overo
Tovero

Paintings by Suanne Wamsley
from APHA Identification and Registration Handbook