| intabian (pin-TAY-bee-an) is a horse that is over 99% | | | | Arabian and one that is not. A horse that is 3/4 |
| Arabian with tobiano markings, It is a new and rare | | | | Arabian usually has three purebred Arabian |
| breed with only a few hundred individuals representing | | | | grandparents and one that is not. To put it another |
| it in the world at this time. Tobiano (toe-bee-AH-no) is a | | | | way, 3 out of the 4 horses in the second generation |
| non-symmetrical dominant spotting pattern of large, | | | | are purebred Arabian. When you get down to the |
| irregular spots. The well-defined spots cover the body | | | | seventh generation of a Pintabian's pedigree, of the128 |
| randomly but cross the back at some point between | | | | ancestors, 127 are purebred Arabian. Only one was |
| the ears and tail. The head usually has white markings | | | | not and that horse is the one that contributed the |
| that are common to those of non-spotted horses, | | | | tobiano pattern in the very first generation. Of course, |
| such as a star, strip, blaze, and snip or bald-faced. All | | | | breeding two percentage-breds together can produce |
| four legs are generally white. | | | | an infinitely variable list of total percentages, but this is |
| All tobiano markings are unique, like fingerprints, and | | | | just the basic way that genetics works through each |
| can range from a mostly white horse to a horse with | | | | generation if there are no other variables. |
| very little white at all. The ideally patterned horse is one | | | | The tobiano pattern comes in a variety of base colors |
| that is 50% colored and 50% white. But to produce this | | | | and white. A base color is any color other than white. |
| type of pattern, at least one parent must be a tobiano. | | | | Some of the base colors that a Pintabian may be are |
| However, the modern Arabian horse does not | | | | black, bay, buckskin, chestnut, dun, gray, grullo and |
| generally have a spotted or parti-colored coat, with the | | | | palomino. Black and white Pintabians exist, but they are |
| notable exception of the sabino gene that is found in a | | | | very hard to come by which makes them even more |
| number of Arabian horses that causes belly spots. | | | | precious. The black base color is based on a |
| This is because the majority of Arabian horse | | | | combination of two separate genes that must be |
| breeders have avoided breeding Arabian horses with | | | | present at the same time. One of the genes is |
| an excessive amount of white. But recently, breeders | | | | common with dominant characteristics while the other |
| imagined a coat pattern with two or more colors on | | | | is recessive and very uncommon. So, in order to get |
| the established beauty of the ancient Arabian horse | | | | the base color of black, the foal must receive the |
| and many set out to achieve this dream. | | | | dominant gene from at least one parent and the |
| But a Pintabian horse is not merely a cross between | | | | seldom-found recessive gene from both parents. |
| an Arabian horse and a spotted Pinto or Paint horse. If | | | | Since Pintabians are 99% Arabian, they have the |
| you start by breeding one purebred Arabian with one | | | | distinctive Arabian appearance which includes a head |
| Pinto horse, it will take seven generations of breeding | | | | with a "dished" face and large, wide-set eyes. The |
| the resulting tobiano patterned offspring back to a pure | | | | neck is arched, the back short and strong with high set |
| non-tobiano-patterned Arabian each time to eventually | | | | tail. They stand between 14.2 and 15.2 hands high, and |
| produce a horse that can be described as an official | | | | weigh between 900 and 1,100 pounds. |
| Pintabian. | | | | They have graceful movement and are |
| So it can be appreciated why the Pintabian is such a | | | | well-coordinated with a natural, easy stride that is |
| special horse once you realize that there is no | | | | animated and stylish yet sure-footed and athletic. |
| guarantee of producing the tobiano pattern every time | | | | Gentleness is important in this breed and the Pintabian |
| with this method. Not all foals will get the dominant | | | | is a docile, mannerly and willing horse. The breed |
| tobiano gene due to it always being a heterozygous | | | | possesses good sense and intelligence; and is |
| combination throughout this lengthy process of | | | | responsive, enthusiastic and sensitive. |
| breeding each generation of offspring back to a | | | | The Pintabian Horse Registry, Inc. (PHRI) was formed |
| purebred non-tobiano Arabian until the 99% Arabian is | | | | in 1992 for the purpose of providing permanent |
| reached in the 7th generation. | | | | recognition and registration of horses with 99% (or |
| So, the truth is that a Pintabian is developed by | | | | over) Arabian blood and displaying the tobiano coat |
| continually crossing tobianos back to purebred | | | | pattern only and is the official registering authority for |
| Arabians until a relatively pure strain of spotted horses | | | | the Pintabian breed. Two years later, in 1994, the |
| with nearly 100% Arabian blood is obtained in the 7th | | | | International Pinto Arabian Registry (IPAR) formed to |
| generation. | | | | register the lower percentages as well as other coat |
| Fortunately, the time has come when there are now | | | | patterns in the Arabian, in addition to the Tobiano. It |
| sufficient registered Pintabians to be able to breed | | | | also has a separate section for registering Pintabians. |
| them with each other which can produce the | | | | Since the majority of the development of this breed |
| occasional homozygous tobiano, and because of the | | | | has been carried out in the United States, this is why |
| high percentage of Arabian in the breed, the Arabian | | | | many of the Pintos and Pintabians in Europe can be |
| physical characteristics of the Pintabian horse always | | | | traced back to horses in the U.S. |
| breed true. | | | | Even though tobiano is dominant, genetic testing is |
| The chart below may help in understanding how the | | | | available to determine the presence of the tobiano |
| percentage of Arabian blood is determined in each | | | | gene. This testing is most often intended to determine |
| generation. | | | | homozygosity of the gene, but is also useful if a horse |
| 1/2 Arabian=50% Arabian | | | | has an unexplained loss of pigmentation. |
| 3/4 Arabian=75% Arabian | | | | The tobiano gene itself is not linked to lethal white |
| 7/8 Arabian=87.5% Arabian | | | | syndrome, but some tobiano horses may be carriers |
| 15/16 Arabian=96.75% Arabian | | | | of the gene if they have overo in their ancestry, or |
| 63/64 Arabian=98.4735% Arabian | | | | have produced affected lethal white offspring when |
| 127/128 Arabian=99.21875% Arabian which can be | | | | bred to another horse that is also a carrier. In some |
| registered as an official Pintabian. | | | | cases, a horse can carry both the tobiano and overo |
| So, what does that fraction of 127/128 actually mean in | | | | genes and may display white markings that present |
| layman's terms? | | | | both patterns. These horses are referred to as |
| A horse that is 1/2 Arabian has one parent that is | | | | Toveros and are not eligible in Pintabian breeding. |