Breed Profile: American Paint Horse

The American Paint Horse is another of the most popular North American horse breeds. Paint Horses have an instantly recognizable coat pattern with spots of white and a different colour. They’re distinct from pinto horses in that pinto horses can be of any breed, while a Paint Horse’s parents must be registered American Paint Horses, American Quarter Horses, or Thoroughbreds.

In this post, we describe the history and characteristics of this beautiful, versatile breed.

History of the American Paint Horse

In the 1500s, Spanish colonizers brought the ancestors of modern-day Paint Horses to the Americas. These horses were of Barb, Andalusian, and Arabian background and had spotted or two-toned colouring. 

Many of these horses of Spanish origin roamed free across North America, and Indigenous peoples adopted and bred them. The horses were also popular with cowboys. The British eventually introduced Thoroughbreds into Paint Horses’ bloodline. 

For a long time, Paint and Quarter Horses shared the same gene pool. In 1940, the American Quarter Horse Association formed, excluding horses with too much white on their coat. In 1965, the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) formed after the unification of 2 different breed registries. Today, the APHA is the third largest equine registry in the United States.

Description of the American Paint Horse

Paint Horses have a strong, muscular, well-balanced body with a broad chest and powerful hindquarters. The breed weighs 950 to 1200 pounds (430.9 to 544.3 kg) and measures 14 to 16 hands. 

Paint Horses have white spots combined with spots of any other colour. The most common are black, bay, brown, sorrel, and chestnut. Paint horses can also have a dun gene or a dilution gene, which results in a colour like palomino. The horses also sometimes display roaning or greying.

Every animal’s pattern of spots is unique, although there are names for common patterns. Tobiano horses have smooth-edged white patches over their back, among other areas. They also often have white on some or all of their legs, a white facial marking, and a bi-coloured mane and tail.

Overo horses have jagged-edged white patches that start at their belly and rarely cover their back. They have a solid-coloured mane, tail, and legs, although they can have white stockings. They often have 1 or 2 blue eyes and white on their face.

Tovero horses display a combination of tobiano and overo characteristics. Sabino horses have white hairs mixed in with their base colour, plus patches with irregular edges. They often have white legs and a white blaze on their face. 

Splashed white horses, meanwhile, look like they stepped into white paint. It’s also possible for Paint Horses to have a nearly solid or even solid-colour coat as long as they have the proper bloodline.

Unfortunately, Paint Horses tend toward obesity and certain genetic conditions. One potential health issue is lethal white syndrome, in which a foal is born with a white coat, blue eyes, and improperly developed intestines. Other possible conditions include hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (muscle twitching and weakness) and hereditary equine regional asthenia (weakened tissue).

Personality and Uses of the American Paint Horse

Paint Horses’ work ethic makes them perfect working horses. Their friendly, calm, steady nature renders them suitable for riders of all ages and levels of experience.

Paint Horses have good strength, speed, agility, and stamina and participate in most Western and English riding disciplines. They’re known to compete in rodeo events, jumping, and flat races.

Did you learn something new about the American Paint Horse? Let us know in the comments!