Origin
United States
History
The American Paint Horse is a performance type. Breeding of the American Paint Horse is based upon bloodlines of horses registered in the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) and the American Quarter Horse Association and upon bloodlines of Thoroughbred horses registered by the Jockey Club of New York or other registries recognized by the Jockey Club.
The paint horse can be traced not only in the art of ancient civilizations but in the spotted Oriental horse brought from the plains of Eurasia by the Huns and other barbaric tribes during invasions of the Roman Empire about 500 A.D. The influence of spotted horses in Mediterranean countries was clearly shown in Spain. Breeders crossed the Oriental paint horse with the horses of their homeland. By 700 A.D. Spain had many multicolored horses with the overo and tobiano patterns.
It is said that paint horses were among the shipments of horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish explorers. Descendants of these first paint horses in America were prized by the Indians. Paints were among the early Spanish cow ponies and western stock horses of the 18th and 19th centuries. The modern American Paint Horse received great infusions of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse blood.
Paints are a color breed, based upon and regulated by restricted bloodlines. The APHA does not recognize crosses to gaited breeds, pony breeds, or draft horses. Outcrosses are permitted but limited to Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred.
The American Paint Horse Association is the result of two preexisting bodies, the American Paint Stock Horse Association and the American Paint Quarter Horse Association , which joined in 1965. The APHA is dedicated to the continuance of registration and promotion of the performance type American Paint Horse. The Association is entrusted with the recording and maintenance of show and race records. Today the APHA is also represented in Australia, Denmark, England, Switzerland, Holland, South Africa, Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador and Japan.
Description
- Head:
straight profile, large eyes and pricked, average-sized ears - Conformation:
-muscular and nicely formed neck
-sloped shoulder
-short and strong back
-solid and well muscled legs with strong joints and tendons - Average height:
15 to 16 h.h. - Colours:
the two major colours are distinguished by the location of white on the horse: -the overo rarely has white extending across the back between the withers and tail. Generally at least one and often all four legs are dark in color. Head markings are often bald, apron, or bonnet-faced. Irregular, scattered, or splashy white markings appear on the body, often called calico patterns. Usually, the tail is one color. The animal may be predominantly white or dark.
-the tobiano usually has a head marked like a solid-colored horse and may have a blaze, stripe, star, or snip. Usually all four legs are white, at least below the hocks and knees. Spots are usually regular and distinct, often coming in oval or round patterns that extend down over the neck and chest, giving the appearance of a shield. Tobianos usually have the dark color on one or both flanks. They may be predominantly either dark or white. - Temperament:
intelligent; they are valued for their hardiness - Today:
the APHA offers a wide range of events for competitors, including amateur classes, a large youth program, racing, horse shows, and incentive programs.
