How to Select a Paint Horse

Know that there are three categories of coat patterns on a paint horse. The tobiano paint is characterized by round or oval spots that extend from the horse's neck down to its chest. Tobianos usually have white markings across their back between their withers and tail. Their heads may be completely solid colored or have a blaze, strip, star or snip. The legs are usually white below the knees and hocks and the tail is normally two-colored. The overo paint's coat pattern is mainly white or dark with no white across the horse's back. An overo usually has a bald (all-white) face and its body markings are irregular and scattered. At least one and maybe all of the overo's legs are dark and it has a single-colored tail. Horses with both tobiano and overo characteristics are called toveros.

Identify the type of paint horse by its markings.

Know that paint horses have the body type and athleticism of a quarter horse and are considered very intelligent, quick and agile.

Enjoy paint horses in any number of events including ranch work, cow work, rodeos, pleasure riding, racing and showing.

Note the attributes tht make the paint horse the second most numerous of the western breeds: strong bones, good balance, good disposition and flashy coat.

Realize that for a horse to be registered in the American Paint Horse Association (APHA), the horse must come from stock registered with the APHA, the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), or the Jockey Club (the U.S. thoroughbred registry).

Understand that a solid-colored paint horse can be registered as breeding stock (when the horse is bred, its offspring will be paint horses), but minimum color requirements must be met for regular registration.