Pinto Horses
Horses 15-16hh
Ponies - up to 15hh
Color - A combination of white and another color, usually black, bay or chestnut
The name Pinto comes from the Spanish word "pintado" (painted). At one time, the word "calico" was used instead. The Pinto is a color registration and not a breed. Anything from a Shetland Pony to a Saddlebred can be a Pinto. This is not to be confused with the Paint, which is a registry concerned with bloodlines alone and not necessarily color. To be considered a Paint, both of a horse's parents must be registered Paints or one parent a registered Paint and the other either a Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred. A Paint is usually a Pinto, but a Pinto is not necessarily a Paint.
Spotted horses were introduced to The United States from Spanish stock in the 16th century, when there were numerous colored strains among their horses. Among the Sioux and Crow Indians, Pintos were valued for their hardiness as much as their color. The Pinto Horse Association, founded in 1956, classify them into different size and type categories based on their conformation.
The Size
- Miniature - Any equine measuring 34 inches or less
- Miniature B - Any equine measuring over 34 inches and up to 38 inches
- Pony - Any equine measuring over 38 inches and up to 56 inches
- Horse - Any equine measuring more than 56 inches (14 hands)
The Types
- Hunter - Displays the carriage and conformation associated with predominantly Thoroughbred horse or Connemara or Welsh pony breeding.
- Pleasure - Displays the carriage and conformation associated with predominantly Arabian or Morgan horse or Welsh or Shetland pony breeding.
- Saddle - Gaited horse or pony displaying the carriage, animation and conformation of Saddlebred, Hackney or Tennessee Walking Horse or modern style Shetland pony breeding.
- Stock - Displays the carriage and conformation associated with the Quarter Horse or Shetland pony breeding.
Colors:
According to the Pinto Horse Association, coat patterns fall into two categories, tobiano and overo. (The American Paint Horse Association recognizes a third patter, Tovero.) Each category is determined by the location of color on the horse.
White is the main color, crossing the back or rump. The darker color usually colors one or both flanks. Generally all four legs are white, at least below the hocks and knee. The spots are usually regular and distinct as ovals or round patterns that extend down the neck and chest, giving the appearance of a shield. Head markings are like those of a solid-color horse (solid with a blaze, stripe, star or snip). The tail is usually two colors.
Overo:
The horse can be either predominantly dark or white, but the white usually will not cross the back between the withers and the tail. Generally at least one and often all four legs are dark. The white is irregular, scattered or splashy. Head markings are distinctive, often bald-faced (white goes over both eyes, which may be blue), apron-faced or bonnet-faced. The tail is one color.
Other terms you might hear are "piebald" which refers to a black and white pinto and is fairly uncommon, and "skewbald," which is white and any other color. "Bald" is the Old English term for a white faced horse.
