American Paint Horse

There’s nothing quite like a horse and rider roaming freely together, with nothing else before them but inviting grassy plains and the backdrop of a snow-capped mountain range. For the American Paint Horse, this is where they’re in their element.

When the Spanish first brought their horses to North America, many of them were left to roam the land and were taken in by the indigenous peoples of the continent. It’s thanks to them that the Paint horse began to be bred for their unique coat patterns, sturdy build, and shining personalities.

Today, the American Paint horse shares a close ancestry with other popular North American breeds like the American Quarter Horse and American Thoroughbred and therefore shares their long history of aiding humans in shaping North America into the land it is today. They’re strong and easygoing as well as intelligent, making them a fun and rewarding breed to train.

The most distinctive feature of the Paint horse is their unique and beautiful coat patterns. These patterns are seen in a combination of white and another coat color and can vary greatly, meaning no two Paint horses are exactly the same!

Some examples of typical patterns are Tobiano (dark and white pattern, patterns on the face such as stars, blazes, or strips) and Overo (solid colored back, irregular white pattern, and darker legs, occasionally with white stockings, the face is mostly white).

While often sought out for Western pleasure, barrel racing, and other western events, the Paint horse can even thrive in other areas such as English pleasure, equitation, and show jumping.