Patterns of the American Paint Horse

When the American Paint Horse Association, or APHA, was first organized, there were only two patterns associated with this breed. They were the overo and the tobiano patterns. The overo (oh vair' oh) pattern will consist of white markings that will not cross over the back of the horse between the tail and the withers. Usually all four legs will be a dark color but it's possible for only one leg to be dark. The markings on the head will be very distinctive and appear as the apron, bonnet or bald faced pattern. The tail will usually be one color and any other white markings will be scattered irregularly across the rest of the horse's body.

The overo is also associated with three other patterns that identify this type of paint horse even more. One is called the "splashed white overo" in which the majority of the horse is white including their head and legs and they will always have blue colored eyes. The "frame overo" pattern is associated with dark legs and feet while their head is white. Horizontal spots are normally found on the middle of the horse's sides and on the neck area. Some have a pigmented upper lip which gives them the appearances of having a moustache. Many of these will also have blue eyes. The "sabino overo" is the third distinctive pattern. These horses have a white narrow extension that runs down the throat area or up the leg. The spots are normally found on the stomach and their facial color is white. They will often have partially colored blue eyes.

The tobiano (two be yah' no) pattern will have white markings that are regular and very distinctive. These normally are round or oval shapes that stretch across their neck and the chest areas that give off the appearance of a shield. One or both flanks will be a dark color and the head markings will be a star, snip, blaze, strip or just plain solid. The tail will normally be white and black while the majority of the horse can be mostly a white or a dark color. The area on the legs below the hocks and knees are usually white on all four legs.

Paint horses with the tobiano gene will often have "ink spots" also called "paw prints" that will range in size from one to three inches in width. The white hair that is on black pigmented skin will cause these spots to appear blue in color. The "coronet" spot is also associated with this gene and these are spots that are found on the hoof where the coronet band is located.

Through the years a third coat pattern called the tovero (two vair' oh) was produced by the breeding of horses with the two original patterns. Therefore, paint horses with this pattern will have a combination of the overo and the tobiano patterns. These patterns are distinctive and much different than the other two. For this reason, a few years ago, the APHA decided to give them their own coat pattern name and register them as carrying the tovero pattern. A paint horse with this color pattern will normally be predominantly white. The ears and eyes will usually have dark pigmentation and spots are often located at the base of their tail.

These patterns are the main reason the American paint horse is so popular. They are a unique breed of horse that deserves to be treated special. Not only do they have these amazing color patterns but they're also smart, friendly, strong and a hard working horse. All the qualities that horse owners search for in a breed.