The Colorful Paint Horse

In 1519 the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes sailed to the New World to find his fame and fortune. Along with his entourage of conquistadors, he brought horses to help his men search the vast land for riches. According to historian Diaz del Castillo, who traveled with the expedition, one of the horses was described as a "pinto" with "white stockings on his forefeet." Another was described as a "dark roan horse" with "white patches." These were the first known recorded descriptions of Paint Horses in the New World.

Each Paint Horse has a particular combination of white and any color of the equine spectrum: black, bay, brown, chestnut, dun, grullo, sorrel, palomino, buckskin, grey or roan. Markings can be any shape or size and located virtually anywhere on the horse's body. Although Paints come in a variety of colors and markings, there are only three specific coat patterns: overo, tobiano and tovero. To be eligible for the regular registry, the horse must also exhibit a minimum amount of white hair over unpigmented (pink) skin.

These colors, markings and patterns, combined with stock-type conformation, athletic ability and agreeable disposition, make the American Paint Horse an investment in quality.

Information excerpted with permission from the American Paint Horse Association's website, www.apha.com. The APHA is the second-largest breed registry in the United States, based on the number of horses registered annually. Pictured: Zippos Sensation, photo provided by APHA.