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Learn all about Paint Horses Patterns Coat Colors Registry Rules

Learn all about the breed

The American Paint Horse Breed

The American Paint Horse is a stock-type animal of Paint, Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred lineage; they often sport beautiful white markings on their coats that help set Paint Horses apart from the crowd.

Both parents must be registered with APHA, AQHA or the Jockey Club. Horses with at least one APHA parent are always eligible for APHA registration, regardless of qualifying white markings. A horse with only AQHA or Jockey Club parents must meet minimum APHA registration color requirements based on white markings on their coats. Registered Paints are identified by their coat color pattern type and registry classification.

Paint Horses showcase an incredible array of colors and patterns. Download our Paint Horse posters for a handy reference guide.

Overo

American Paint Horse with overo coat pattern.

Overo (pronounced: oh vair’ oh) is a generalized term for patterns caused by one or more of the 30+ white-spotting pattern genes, excluding Tobiano. It includes patterns like frame overo, splashed white, sabino and others. Each “overo” pattern gene behaves a little differently, and presentation on the horse’s coat might vary.

Typical Overo Characteristics

  • White markings usually will not cross the horse’s topline between the withers and tail.
  • Generally, at least one leg (and often, all four legs) are dark. Splashed white horses, however, often look like they were dipped in white paint, and tall white stockings are common.
  • Spots are often irregular in shape and might be scattered or splashy in appearance.
  • Head markings might include extra white; bald-faced, apron-faced or bonnet-faced are common variations.
  • The tail is often one color.
  • Blue eyes are common.
  • An overo may be either predominantly dark or white.

Tobiano

American Paint Horse with tobiano coat pattern.

Tobiano (pronounced: tow be yah’ no) is a dominant white spotting pattern, caused by the Tobiano allele. A horse must have a tobiano or tovero parent to inherit this spotting pattern. Presentation of the tobiano pattern can vary from minimal markings to a “loud” expression with extensive white markings.

Typical Tobiano Characteristics

  • White markings often cross the horse’s topline between the withers and tail
  • The darker color usually covers one or both flanks.
  • Generally, all four legs are white, at least below the hocks and knees.
  • Spots are often regular and distinct as ovals or round patterns that extend down over the neck and chest, giving the appearance of a shield.
  • White spots might contain dark areas of pigmentation (“ink spots” or “paw prints”); these do not indicate homozygosity for the Tobiano
  • Normal head markings are common (solid, or with a blaze, stripe, star or snip).
  • The tail is often two colors.
  • A tobiano may be either predominantly dark or white.

Tovero

American Paint Horse with tovero coat pattern.

Tovero (pronounced: tow vair’ oh) is a generalized term used to describe a horse with tobiano and one or more overo genes. These horses often display more extensive white markings.

Typical Tovero Characteristics

  • Dark pigmentation around the ears, which might expand to cover the forehead and/or eyes.
  • One or both eyes might be blue.
  • Head markings often include extra white. Dark pigmentation is often found around the mouth, which might extend up the sides of the face.
  • Dark spots are often found on the chest, flank(s) and/or base of the tail.

Solid

American Paint Horse with solid coat pattern.

A solid Paint is one that meets the APHA registration requirements by bloodline but doesn’t display white markings on its coat or white-spotting genetics. They are called Solid Paint-Bred horses.

It is possible for horses to carry white-spotting genetics and not display them in a visual way that’s consistent with APHA registration rules. DNA testing for Paint pattern genes can confirm the possible presence in your horse! A solid horse might still qualify for APHA’s Regular Registry if he has a combination of Paint traits and Paint pattern genes (RG-070.E “genetics rule”) or if he has two APHA parents and three connected generations of APHA breeding (RG-020.A.1.b “pedigree rule”).

American Paint Horse with a bay coat.
Bay
An American Paint Horse with a bay roan coat.
Bay Roan
An American Paint horse with a black coat.
Black
An American Paint Horse with a blue roan coat.
Blue Roan
An American Paint horse with a brown coat.
Brown
An American Paint horse with a buckskin coat.
Buckskin
An American Paint horse with an amber champagne coat.
Amber Champagne
An American Paint horse with a classic champagne coat color.
Classic Champagne
An American Paint Horse with a gold champagne coat.
Gold Champagne
An American Paint horse with a chestnut coat.
Chestnut
An American Paint horse with a cremello coat.
Cremello
An American Paint horse with a dun coat.
Dun
An American Paint horse with a gray coat.
Gray
An American Paint horse with a grulla coat.
Grulla
An American Paint horse with a palomino coat.
Palomino
An American Paint horse with a perlino coat.
Perlino
An American Paint horse with a red dun coat.
Red Dun
An American Paint horse with a red roan coat.
Red Roan
An American Paint horse with a smoky cream coat.
Smoky Cream
An American Paint horse with a sorrel coat.
Sorrel
Diagram of a Paint Horse showing qualifying areas for regular registry, with reference points marked at the base of ear, outside corner of eye, corner of mouth, knee, and hock.

Color Requirements for Regular Registry

A Paint Horse can qualify for the Regular Registry designation in multiple ways. The most common is by qualifying “natural Paint markings” present on the coat. Other means by a combination of Paint traits and genetics, or based on pedigree requirements, also can help a horse qualify.

Qualifying Natural Paint Markings

A “natural Paint marking” is an area of solid white hair with some underlying unpigmented skin that was present on the horse at the time of birth.

To qualify for the Regular Registry, the horse must have a natural Paint marking that is 2 inches or more of solid white hair with some underlying unpigmented skin in the qualifying area. The qualifying area is basically above the center of the knees and/or hocks (measured at the bony protrusion at the back of those joints) or behind a line on the head from the base of the ear to the outside corner of the eye to the corner of the mouth and under the chin to the opposite corner of the mouth.

The image shows the reference points for the qualifying areas.

Non-qualifying areas include the eyeballs, lips of the vulva, shaft of the penis and inner sheath not visible without physical manipulation.

More information: APHA Rule Book, RG-070.A.-D.

Genetics Rule RG-070.E

RG-070.E Genetics Rule

This option allows the use of Paint traits and genetic testing results for white-spotting patterns to help an otherwise solid horse qualify for the Regular Registry. This option is ONLY available to APHA horses who have at least one APHA-registered parent.

  • A horse with two APHA parents must have at least one Paint pattern gene and at least one Paint trait.
  • A horse with one APHA parent (the other being a Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred) can either have at least two Paint pattern genes and one Paint trait OR at least two Paint traits and at least one pattern gene.

Eligible Paint pattern genes include:

  • Frame Overo
  • Tobiano
  • Sabino 1
  • Splashed White 1/2/3/5/6/7/8 
  • Dominant White 5/10/20/22/31/32/34/35

Eligible Paint traits include: white leg marking(s), blue eye(s), apron face, white on the lower lip or chin, two-tone mane or tail of white with any other color, dark spots in the white face or leg markings, or white markings in the non-visible zone that aren’t otherwise large enough for Regular Registry alone.

More information: APHA Rule Book, RG-070.E. & G, or on the “Genetics 101” page.

RG-020.A.1.b Pedigree Rule

This option can help some otherwise-solid Paints qualify for the Regular Registry. It is reserved for offspring of two APHA parents who meet the following criteria:

  • Two APHA parents (at least one must be a Regular Registry horse)
  • Three connected generations of APHA horses in the pedigree, beginning with sire or dam
  • Does not otherwise qualify for RG-070.E

More information: APHA Rule Book, RG-020.A.1.b

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