Paint horses are a popular breed known for their colorful spotted coat patterns. They are often called “pintos” due to their resemblance to the Pinto horse breed. Paints come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, so what are the most common Paint horse colors seen in this breed?
Overview of Paint Horse Colors
The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) recognizes four broad categories of color patterns in Paint horses:
- Overo – Markings are irregular and asymmetrical, usually without white crossing the back. Common overo patterns include frame overo, sabino overo, and splashed white overo.
- Tobiano – Markings are regular, rounded, and symmetrical with white usually crossing the back. The head is often dark.
- Tovero – A combination of overo and tobiano markings on the same horse.
- Solid – A solid body color with minimal white markings only on the face and legs.
Within these broad categories are more specific color patterns with names like black tobiano, bay overo, brown tovero, etc. The base coat colors seen underneath the white markings include variations of black, bay, brown, chestnut, palomino, gray, roan, and cremello.
Most Common Paint Horse Color Patterns
While Paint horses come in many different color combinations, some patterns tend to be more prevalent than others. Here are some of the most common Paint coat colors and patterns:
Chestnut and White Tobiano
One of the most popular Paint horse colors is chestnut tobiano. This features a chestnut or sorrel red base coat with symmetrical white markings crossing the back and extending over the hips and neck. The head is typically darker chestnut. Chestnut tobianos have a striking yet classic paint look.
Black and White Tobiano
Black tobiano is another common pattern among Paints. This features a black base coat with crisp white markings crossing the back and spreading out toward the legs and neck. The dark head contrasting with the white creates a very eye-catching look.
Bay and White Tobiano
Bay is a rich reddish-brown hair coat color. Bay tobiano Paints have a bay base coat with white markings crossing their back and over their hips. This color pattern produces a bold yet refined paint look.
Brown and White Tobiano
The brown coat color in Paint horses can range from a light chocolate brown to a deep chocolate. Brown tobiano features this creamy brown base color with contrasting white markings crossing the body. It creates a soft yet striking paint pattern.
Bay and White Overo
While tobiano markings are more common, bay and white overos are also seen. Instead of organized markings crossing their back, bay overos have more scattered white patches on a bay base coat. The face is often quite dark compared to the body.
Black and White Overo
Black overo is another popular overo pattern. The black base coat features jagged white markings asymmetrically splashed across the body. The wings, neck, and hips may have concentrated white markings.
Rarest Paint Horse Color Patterns
While the aforementioned colors are quite common, some rather unique paint patterns can occasionally occur. Here are some of the rarest Paint horse colors:
Leopard Complex
Leopard complex refers to the Appaloosa coat pattern gene (LP) sometimes expressed in Paint horses. This creates a white sclera around the eye and vivid mottled skin under the white coat. Paint horses with leopard complex are extremely rare and striking.
Brindle
Brindle refers to a coarse mixture of black and brown stripes. It is very rare in Paint horses and believed to be linked to the dun dilution gene. Brindle paints have a sparse stripe pattern over their white and dark body coat.
Sabino Roan
Sabino roan Paint horses have a mix of roan and sabino white markings. The roan causes white hairs to be interspersed throughout the body while the sabino creates irregular white patchy markings. This blend results in a unique marbled paint pattern.
Champagne
Champagne is a rare dilution gene that produces a metallic gold coat color. Paint horses with a single champagne gene have a golden tan body color with ivory-colored manes and tails. Their skin is also pinkish. Champagne paints are quite exotic looking.
Perlino
Perlino refers to a very light creamy coat caused by the double dilution of a bay base color. Paint horses with the perlino gene have a beige coat with a white or flaxen mane and tail. Their skin is pinkish and eyes are blue. Perlino paints are extremely rare and striking.
Most Common Paint Horse Marking Patterns
In additional to their base colors, Paint horses also display a variety of white marking patterns. Some patterns are seen much more frequently than others:
Bald Face
A bald face refers to a Paint horse with a large uninterrupted white blaze covering most of the face. Many Paints have a bald face marking in combination with leg white markings.
High White Stockings
Long vertical white markings extending above the knees and hocks are very common. Paints may have one, two, three, or even four high white stockings.
Belly Spot
A white spot covering part of the horse’s underside or belly is another prevalent marking seen. belly spots range in size and can extend up onto the chest and flank areas as well.
Snip
A snip refers to a simple vertical white facial stripe. Most Paint horses have at least a small snip marking between their nostrils.
Star
A white star-shaped marking on the forehead is extremely common. Paints may have a small simple star or a large extended star reaching down the face.
Paint Color Pattern | Description |
---|---|
Chestnut and White Tobiano | Chestnut base coat with organized white markings crossing the body |
Black and White Tobiano | Black base coat with crisp white tobiano markings |
Bay and White Tobiano | Bay base coat with bright white tobiano patterns |
Brown and White Tobiano | Light to deep chocolate brown base with white tobiano markings |
Bay and White Overo | Bay base color with scattered irregular white overo patches |
Black and White Overo | Black body color with jagged white overo spotting |
Origins of Common Paint Markings
So why do certain paint patterns like tobiano and bald faces prevail? Understanding a little history provides insight into the prevalence of these common Paint horse markings:
Spanish Colonial Horses
Many historians believe the Spanish Colonial horse, with its pinto color patterns, had significant influence on the Paint breed’s development. These horses arrived in the Americas with the Spanish conquistadors as early as the 1600s. Escapees formed wild herds which were utilized by Native American tribes who preferred pinto colors for hunting camouflage. Spanish Colonial horse genetics likely contributed to the abundance of tobiano and overo spotting seen in modern Paints.
American Quarter Horse Breeding
Paint horses also derived some of their colorful patterns through crossbreeding to American Quarter Horses in the 1960s. The Quarter Horse breed has lines known for splash white markings, sabino spotting, and roaning colors. Outcrossing added new white pattern genes to the developing Paint breed.
Selective Breeding
As the Paint breed became established in the late 1900s, certain color patterns were deliberately selected for. Flashy white markings and contrasting dark base colors grew popular in the show ring. Breeders focused on producing these desired traits through careful planned matings. This selective breeding pressure resulted in patterns like tobiano, overo, bald faces, and lots of white leg markings rising to the top in frequency.
Conclusion
While Paint horses display an endless variety of colors and patterns, some have emerged as more popular than others. The classic tobiano markings in chestnut, black, bay, and brown base colors prevail as favorites. Overo patterns are also common but seen a bit less frequently. Bald faces, lots of leg white, and belly spots are common secondary markings. Selective breeding focused on these visually striking traits is largely responsible for making certain paint patterns predominate in the modern Paint horse.
Understanding the origins and history behind the Paint breed provides insight into why some colors are so prevalent. Paint horses are remarkable for their diverse palette of coat patterns. While breeders have shaped color trends over the generations, they continue to display a wonderful rainbow of both common and rare paint colors.