Pinto

Horses that are part of the "Pinto" breed class are there because of their colors; as opposed to most other breeds that are classified by their genetic ancestries.  Pintos are dark colored with random patches of white over their bodies.  Pinto colors can be found in any breed, but the Pinto Horse Association will not allow horses with Appaloosa, mule breeding or Draft characteristics to be registered.  It has been said that the American Indians of the west favored the Pinto breed as their war horses because the coloring provided a natural camouflage.

Pinto Description

There is no specific conformation for Pinto's because they are bred only for color.  If the darker color on the horse is black, then the horse will be described as Piebald and when the darker color is anything other than black, those horses are classified as Skewbald.  Pintos are any number of breeds, from Miniatures to Thoroughbreds.

While there are no consistent conformations, there are four types that are recognized among the Pinto family of horses.  They include: Saddle type, Hunter type, Stock type and Racing type.  The types are determined by the horses background and conformation.  Stock Pinto's are primarily Quarter and Paint breeding while Hunter Pinto's are mostly Thoroughbred breeding.  Saddle Pinto's are American Saddlebred, Missouri Foxtrotter or Tennessee Walking breeding and the Racing Pinto's are Arabian or Morgan.

Difference Between Paint & Pinto

To many people, it's hard to see the difference between horses that are registered Pinto and horses that are registered Paints.  The distinction between them is fairly simple, though.  To be registered as a Paint horse, the horse must be documented as a Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred or Pain.  Eligibility for the two registriess actually has very little to do with the color or pattern that exists on the horse, it has to do with their bloodlines. 

Origin of the Pinto Breed

Pinto horses were brought into North America by the European explorers, mostly coming from Spain. 

Pinto Patterns

There are 2 main patterns that are widely recognized as Pinto patterns:

Tobiano - horse appears to be white with large spots of color.  There is more colored markings than white.  In order to have a Tobiana foal, one of the parents must be Tobiano.

Overo - horse appears to be colored with white spots of color, usually found on the side or belly of the horse and spreading to the neck, legs, back and tail.