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Paint Horse Information
The Paint Horse's combination of color and conformation
has made the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) the second-largest
breed registry in the United States based on the number of horses registered
annually. While the colorful coat pattern is essential to the identity
of the breed, American Paint Horses have strict bloodline requirements
and a distinctive stock-horse body type. To be eligible for registry,
a Paint's sire and dam must be registered with the American Paint Horse
Association, the American Quarter Horse Association, or the Jockey Club
(Thoroughbreds). To be eligible for the Regular Registry, the horse
must also exhibit a minimum amount of white hair over unpigmented (pink)
skin.
Each Paint Horse has a particular combination of white and any color
of the equine spectrum: black, bay, brown, chestnut, dun, grullo, sorrel,
palomino, buckskin, gray or roan.
Markings can be any shape or size, and located virtually anywhere on
the Paint's body.
Although Paints come in a variety of colors with different markings,
there are only three specific coat patterns: Overo, Tobiano and Tovero.
These colors, markings and patterns, combined with stock-type conformation,
athletic ability and agreeable disposition, make the American Paint
Horse an investment in quality.
PATTERNS: Tobiano, Overo, and
Tovero
 Tobiano
(pronounced: tow be yah' no)
The dark color usually covers one or both flanks.
Generally, all four legs are white, at least 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-colored horse--solid,
or with a blaze, strip, star or snip.
A tobiano may be either predominantly dark or white.
The tail is often two colors. |
 Overo
(pronounced: oh vair' oh)
The white usually will not cross the back of the horse between
its withers and its tail.
Generally, at least one and often all four legs are dark.
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 color.
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Tovero (pronounced: tow
vair' oh)
These horses combine the characteristics of both overos and tobianos.
Dark pigmentation around the ears, which may expand to cover the
forehead and/or eyes.
One or both eyes blue.
Dark pigmentation around the mouth, which may extend up the sides
of the face and form spots.
Chest spot(s) in varying sizes. These may also extend up the neck.
Flank spot(s) ranging in size. These are often accompanied by
smaller spots that extend forward across the barrel, and up over
the loin.
Spots, varying in size, at the base of the tail.
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COLOR:
The two basic Paint Horse color families are Black
and Red.
The Black family includes black, brown,
bay, buckskin, dun,
grullo and perlino.
The Red family consists of chestnut,
sorrel, red dun, palomino
and cremello.
Grey can fall into either of these color families.
Roan variations can occur in either of these color
families.
 Black
Entire coat, including muzzle, flanks and legs,
are black; color may fade when exposed to the sun; could have
rusty tinge during certain times of the year; early foals may
be an overall mousy grey, then shed to black.
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|  Brown
Body color brown or black, with light areas at muzzle, eyes,
flank and inside upper legs; mane and tail usually black. |
 Bay
Body color reddish brown, with variations ranging from dark blood
bay to light bay and usually distinguished by black mane and tail,
ear tips, lower legs. |
 Bay
Roan
The overall intermingling of white hairs with bay body color;
head, lower legs, mane and tail are usually solid or darker; does
not get progressively whiter with age. |
 Blue
Roan
The overall interningling of white hairs with a black body color,
head, lower legs, mand and tail are usually solid or darker; does
not get progressively whiter with age. |
 Buckskin
Body color yellowish or gold, mane and tail black; black on lower
legs; lacks primitive markings.
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 Dun
Diluted body color of yellowish or gold; mane and tail are black
or brown; has dorsal stripe and usually zebra stripes on legs
and transverse stripe over withers. |
Gray
Dominant over all other color genes; born any color with white
hair progressively turning the coat whiter as th horse ages; dark
skin; normally grays first around eyes and behind ears. |
 Grullo
A form of dun with body color smoky or mouse-colored (not a mixture
of black and white hairs, but each hair mouse-colored); mane and
tail black; has black primitive markings. |
 Perlino
Double dilute of bay/brown resulting in body color of cream or
off-white, lower legs, mane and tail light rust or chocolate shade;
skin is pinkish or grey; eyes are blue or amber; the coat has
enough yellow hue to allow white markings to be visible. |
 Chestnut
Body color dark red or brownish red; range from very light to
liver chestnut; liver chestnut can be distinguished from black
or brown only by the bronze or copper highlights on the legs;
mane and tail usually drak red or brownish red, but may be flaxen.
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 Cremello
Double dilute of chestnut/sorrel resulting in body color, mane
and tail or cream or off-white with pale pinkish skin; the coat
has enough yellow hue to allow white markings to be visible; eyes
are blue or amber. |
 Palomino
Diluted body color varying from rich gold to pale yellow; mane
and tail generally pale or off-white but may be same color as
body (with nonblack points). |
 Red
Dun
A form of dun with body color yellowish or flesh-colored; mane
and tail are red or reddish; has red or reddish primitive markings.
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 Red
Roan
The overall intermingling of white hairs with chestnut/sorrel
body color; head, lower legs, make and tail are usually sorrel
or dark red; does not progressivly whiter with age. |
 Sorrel
Body color reddish or copper-red; mane and tail usually same
color as body, but may be flaxen or very dark brown. |
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