COMMON HORSE BREEDS

 

PINTO HORSE

 

Origin:
North America

Pinto Horse
Photo supplied by the Victorian Pinto Society Inc. ©

History:
Horses with broken colored coats are mostly associated with the North American Indians even though they can be found all over the world. In 1947 the Pinto Horse Association of America was founded and provides a registry for horses and ponies with overo and tobiano color patterns. The bloodlines of the parents, the amount of color, its location, the age and sex of the horse or pony determine the registration in the Color Division or in the Breeding Stock Division.

Characteristics:
Pinto horses come from miniature to full size horses. They are divided by type.

Stock Type Horse:
predominantly of Quarter Horse breeding and conformation, generally associated with a Western breed; horses that are registered as Pinto and Paint fall into this category
Pony:
similar conformation to Quarter Horse, Western type
 
Hunter Type Horse:
predominantly of Thoroughbred and Jockey Club breeding with the conformation of an English Riding Horse; some Paint horses fall into this category
Pony:
conformation of a Thoroughbred Horse and a Connemara Pony
 
Pleasure Type Horse:
predominantly of Arabian or Morgan breeding
Pony
conformation of Arabian, Morgan or Welsh Pony
  
Saddle Type Horse:
predominantly of Saddlebred or Tennessee Walking Horse breeding,
high head carriage and animation
Pony:
conformation and action of American Shetland and Hackney Pony

 
Patterns:
Distinguished by the location of the color, the major patterns are overo and tobiano.

Overo the white will usually not cross the back between the withers and the tail
the white is irregularly splattered or splashy and is often referred to as calico; the head markings are apron-faced, bonnet-faced or bald-faced, the tail is one color
Tobiano the dark color usually covers one or both flanks
the legs are generally white at least below the hocks and knees; the spots are mostly regular and of distinct round or oval patterns and extend over the neck and chest giving a shield like appearance; head markings are a solid color or have a blaze, star, stripe or snip; the tail often has two colors
Toveros horses that have overo and tobiano characteristics

 
Colour Requirements:

- an all white horse with a colored area on the head and body
- a horse with a solid color and a spot on the body
- noticeable white markings on body, does not include head and legs, areas must be large enough to show Pinto breeding and color patterns
- a white horse with a dark cheek, cap or spotted face 

 
Today:
The good natured Pinto is an excellent riding horse and popular for ranch work.