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The American paint horse is a stock-type horse that is intelligent and is built for agility and speed and has a "willing" attitude. He is ideal for many different riding needs such as ranch work, showing, pleasure riding, rodeo events and they are wonderful horses for children and beginning riders.

In order for a horse to be registered as a paint he must fit in to three catagories. Tobiano, Overo or Tovero paints.

The Tobiano pattern has an oval or round white spot that extends down the neck and chest. Often in this pattern, the white crosses the horse's back between the tail and withers and the head can either be solid or have a blaze, strip or star. Their legs are usually white below the knees and sometimes the tail will be two colors.

The Overo paint horse can be mostly white or dark. They often have loud white markings on the head such as a "bald face". An overo's markings are usually scattered and irregular and the legs are the same. They can have one or all four legs dark or white, but their tail is usually one color.

The markings of a paint can be so varied that the American Paint Horse Association has made a third category to classify characteristics of both Tobiano and Overo. They call this classification, Tovero.

The American Indian, who coveted the loud and bold patterns came to love the American paint horse and began to pick them out of herds because of their color and performance. The Comanche Indians, who are thought to have been the finest horseman used the paint horse as much as they could as depicted in their early drawings of spotted horses found on buffalo hides. For the Indian, the paint had special magic that would help them defeat their enemies.

The Paint horse has had a variety of names thru the 1800's and later. Paint, Pinto, piebald and skewbald were a few names some used to describe this flashy horse. When an association was first discussed people wanted to keep the stock type build in the breeding of the paint horse. In fact, the only difference in a paint horse and a stock-type horse is the coloring.

There are strict standards by the APHA for confirmation, performance and athletic ability for the registered paint. Also, original traits such as intelligence, a willing disposition and calm temperament are kept in mind in the breeding of these horses.

There is an overabundance of Paint Horse breeders in present day. There are as many colors and patterns as there are horses. No two paints have exactly the same markings and confirmation which makes each and every paint unique and special.

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