| The terms "Pinto" and "Paint" are often confused | | | | Appaloosa and Paint. Those patterns are the Tobiano |
| when referring to a horse with a light and dark coat | | | | and the Overo. |
| pattern, but in fact, those two words have different | | | | The Tobiano coat appears to be a white horse with |
| meanings. The Pinto Horse Association (PtHA) is a | | | | large flowing spots of color, often overlapping. Spots |
| color registry, and Pintos can be any breed, but the | | | | of color typically originate from the head, chest, flank |
| Paint Horse that is registered with the American Paint | | | | and buttock, and often include the tail. It is considered |
| Horse Association (APHA) is limited to equines of | | | | necessary to have a Tobiano parent to get a Tobiano |
| documented and registered Paint, Quarter Horse or | | | | foal. |
| Thoroughbred breeding. While a Pinto could be multiply | | | | The Overo coat appears to be a colored horse with |
| registered if it met the breed standards specified by | | | | white markings. Spots of white appear to be jagged |
| any registry, the two registries, PtHA and APHA, are | | | | and usually originate on the animal's side or belly |
| independent, even through most Paints can be double | | | | spreading toward the neck, tail, legs and back, but it |
| registered as Stock or Hunter type Pintos. | | | | often has a dark tail, mane, and legs. White almost |
| The variety among the Pinto breed can be seen in the | | | | never crosses the back. A horse of Pinto coloration |
| 19 recognized outcross breeds, which are separated | | | | that descended from two solid colored parents of |
| into different types and sizes. However, the Pinto | | | | another typically solid colored pure breed is called a |
| coloration may occur in any breed or specific | | | | "crop-out" and is of the Overo pattern. |
| conformation, but the Pinto Horse Association of | | | | A Pinto must have at least two or more of the |
| America does not accept horses with Appaloosa, | | | | following characteristics: blue eyes; leg white above |
| Draft, or mule breeding or characteristics. | | | | the knee or hock; white or multi-colored hooves; |
| The Pinto is registered according to its size at maturity | | | | collective white in the eligible zones; and pink skin. |
| and is classified as either Horse, Pony, Miniature or | | | | There must be four square inches of cumulative white |
| Miniature B. They are measured in inches at the | | | | in the qualifying zone. This requirement is modified with |
| withers, not in hands, as is typical for other equine | | | | the size of the horses, so only three square inches is |
| breeds. A Miniature Pinto is 34" or less in height at the | | | | required for ponies and two square inches are required |
| withers and a Miniature B Pinto is over 34" but does | | | | for miniatures. There are still some judges in the show |
| not exceed 38" at maturity. The Pinto Pony is | | | | ring that are prejudiced against colored horses, |
| between 38 inches to 56 inches, while the Pinto Horse | | | | especially in the English disciplines, but this opinion is |
| is more than 56 inches or over 14 hands high. Each | | | | declining slowly. |
| size division has its own rules and standards and | | | | The origins of the colors in the Pinto in North America |
| allows for exhibition against "like" conformation and | | | | can be traced back to the two-toned horses |
| styles. | | | | introduced by the Spanish explorers, descendants of |
| The Pinto does not have consistent conformation | | | | horses from North Africa and Asia Minor, Inevitably, |
| since it is bred for color, but rather, its conformation | | | | some of these colorful creatures escaped to create |
| should be of the breed of its parentage. This means | | | | the wild herds of horses that roamed the Great Plains. |
| that many Pintos are multiple-registered, once for color, | | | | Though commonly associated with the Native |
| and at least once for breed depending on the | | | | American for its legendary magical qualities in battle, it |
| registration of its parents. So, in addition to size, there | | | | is believed that the Pinto patterns may be from |
| are four acknowledged types of conformation: the | | | | Arabian strains, since Pinto markings appear in ancient |
| Saddle type, Stock type, Hunter type and Pleasure | | | | art throughout the Middle East. In fact, its history in the |
| type. Type is determined by the conformation and | | | | United States is much like that of the Appaloosa and |
| background of each horse. | | | | Paint horses. |
| The Stock type Pinto is a western horse mostly of | | | | The Pinto has traditionally been thought of as the |
| Quarter and Paint breeding and conformation while the | | | | horse that the American Indian preferred as a war |
| Hunter type Pinto is an English horse mostly of | | | | horse because its coloring provides a natural |
| Thoroughbred and approved European Warmblood | | | | camouflage. It eventually became an icon of the |
| breeding and conformation. The Pleasure type Pinto is | | | | American west, whose colorful presence in parades |
| mostly of Arabian or Morgan breeding and | | | | and films always added a little extra glamour. |
| conformation and the Saddle type Pinto is a gaited | | | | Pinto Horse Association of America (PtHA) was |
| horse mostly of American Saddlebred, Tennessee | | | | formed in 1956 although the bloodlines of many Pintos |
| Walking or Missouri Foxtrotter breeding and | | | | trace back three or four generations before that date. |
| conformation and displays the high head carriage and | | | | Established primarily as a color registry, the PtHA now |
| animated gaits. Each type is exhibited in its own class | | | | offers four conformation types, and four size |
| and owners are encouraged to stay within a specific | | | | designations in their registry. More than 124,000 horses, |
| type when breeding. The PtHA strives to produce | | | | ponies, and miniatures throughout the U.S., Canada, |
| each succeeding generation with improved style and | | | | Europe and Asia have been registered. |
| talent within each of these types. Pinto Breeders, like all | | | | There is a second Pinto registry called the National |
| breeders, believe that conformation is an important | | | | Pinto Horse Registry (NPHR) that was established in |
| factor in what a horse can do for the rider. | | | | 1984 to provide a means for Pinto owners to register |
| As stated above, the Pinto horse is a color breed and | | | | their horses that other organizations won't register for |
| that is where a breeder's main focus lies. This is | | | | whatever reason. They maintain a database of over |
| different from other breeds which are defined by their | | | | 4,000 Pintos, which are identified under one of four |
| genetic ancestry, not their color. In America, the Pinto is | | | | classifications: Grade, Semi-Purebred, Purebred, and |
| regarded as a breed; however, in other parts of the | | | | Carrier. It includes horses from all 50 states as well as |
| world, it is only considered a color or a type of horse. | | | | Canada, Europe, and South America. NPHR will issue a |
| Pintos have a dark background coloring and upon this | | | | certificate, suitable for framing to present to potential |
| color random patches of white. When the darker color | | | | buyers. |
| is black, the horse is referred to as Piebald. When the | | | | Because of the wide diversity of breeds in the Pinto, |
| darker color is anything but black, the horse is referred | | | | their disposition, trainability, gaits, naming conventions, |
| to as Skewbald. | | | | and any genetic health considerations are based on |
| There are two color patterns that are recognized by | | | | the breed of their genetic ancestry. |
| the PtHA which are also major patterns in the | | | | |