The Paint horse is a saddle horse recognizable by the color of its coat. Although its physical peculiarities are very similar to those of the Quarter Horse, it is distinguished by its characteristic piebald coat. Due to its morphology and intelligence, the Paint Horse is a versatile horse that stands out both in western riding and in more classic disciplines.
Breed History
The history of the Paint Horse dates back to the 16th century and is strongly linked to that of the explorer Cortez. When he discovered the New World in 1519, Cortez brought with him two horses with white-stained coats from the Far East and North Africa.
Because of their color, stamina and strength, Paint Horses quickly became the favored horses of American Indians and cowboys in the early 1800s. Breeders and people in North America also selected these horses for their docile character, their robustness and their speed.
The breed was officially born in 1962 when piebald horses were refused by the Quarter Horse Stud-Book and the American Paint Horse Association was founded.
Physical peculiarities
His head: The head is small and expressive surmounted by small ears. The eyes are lively.
His body: The withers are not very pronounced, the chest is deep and ample. The back is short and the hindquarters are extremely powerful.
His coat: The coat of the Paint Horse is original. It is the combination of white with any other color (bay, chestnut, cream, palomino…). The shape of the color spots is not important. However, they must be larger than a 1 dollar coin. Paint Horse coats are divided into 3 different categories:
The overo (irregular white marks not very present on the back and legs)
The tobiano (regular white markings on the back and lower limbs with a usually two-tone tail)
The tovero (mixture of overo and tobiano with a very present white color).
When the white is not sufficiently present, the coat of the Paint Horse is said to be “solid”.
Famous Paint Horses
The Paint Horse is known in particular through Western films where it is ridden by the Indians, and more precisely by the Comanches.
Breeding
Particularly popular in the United States, the Paint Horse is the second most common horse breed in the country. In France, the breed has been recognized since 2005, when the French Paint Horse Register was created. Thanks to its hardiness, it can be raised in all French regions.
For a horse to be considered a Paint Horse, it must meet strict conditions in terms of morphology. Thus, to be registered in the Stud-Book of the Paint Horse, the sire and the mother of the foal must be registered with the APHA (American Paint Horse Association), with the AQHA (American Association of Quarter Horse) or with the Jockey-Club . In addition, one of the two parents must be of the Paint Horse breed. Finally, the horse’s coat must have enough white dots on depigmented skin.
