Pinto horse

This article is about a coat color of horses. For other uses, see Pinto (disambiguation).

A pinto horse, with patches of white and of another color

A pinto horse has a coat color that consists of large patches of white and any other color. Pinto coloration is also called paint,[1] particolored,[2]: 171  or in nations that use British English, simply coloured. Pinto horses have been around since shortly after the domestication of the horse.[3]

Pinto colors can come in a number of genetically distinct patterns, which have different visual characteristics and tend to make white or leave colored different areas of the horse. These include tobiano, sabino, splashed white, frame, and manchado. A pinto horse may also have a combination of these patterns, such as tovero.[2]

Pinto patterns can be found in various breeds of horses, notably including the American Paint Horse. Color breed registries such as the Pinto Horse Association of America record pedigree and horse show results for pinto horses, regardless of ancestry. Both the terms "Pinto" and "Paint" may sometimes refer to breeds or registries rather than coat color.[2]: 171 

Pinto patterns are visually and genetically distinct from the leopard complex spotting patterns characteristic of horse breeds such as the Appaloosa. Breeders who select for color are often careful not to cross the two patterns, and registries that include spotting color preferences often refuse registration to horses that exhibit characteristics of the "wrong" pattern.

  1. ^ "A Guide to Equine Color Genetics and Coat Color". Practical Horseman. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Sponenberg, D. Phillip; Bellone, Rebecca (2017). Equine Color Genetics (4 ed.). Wiley Blackwell. pp. 171, 191, 195–196.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ludwig2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).