All About
The History of the
American Paint Horse
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A History of the American Paint Horse
Descended from horses introduced by the Spanish conquistadors,
American Paints became part of the herds of wild horses that
roamed the Western deserts and plains.
Once domesticated, because of their working ability and heart,
cowboys for cattle work cherished the Paint. Native Americans
revered the Paint, which they believed to possess magical powers.
By the early 1800s, the western plains were generously populated
by free-ranging herds of horses, and those herds included the
peculiar spotted horse. Because of their color and performance,
flashy, spotted horses soon became a favorite mount of the
American Indian. The Comanche Indians, considered by many
authorities to be the finest horsemen on the Plains, favored
loud-colored horses and had many among their immense herds.
Evidence of this favoritism is exhibited by drawings of spotted
horses found on the painted buffalo robes that served as records
for the Comanches.
Throughout the 1800s and late into the 1900s, these spotted
horses were called by a variety of names: pinto, paint, skewbald,
piebald. In the late 1950s, a group dedicated to preserving the
spotted horse was organized—the Pinto Horse Association. In 1962,
another group of spotted horse enthusiasts organized an
Association, but this group was dedicated to preserving both
color and stock-type conformation—the American Paint Stock Horse
Association (APSHA).
This group thought the varied, distinct coat patterns of the
American Paint were appealing. However, being knowledgeable
devotees of Western stock-type horses, they insisted that
stock-type conformation had to be the first criteria for
establishing a registry.
The American Paint Horse's combination of color and conformation
has made the American Paint Horse Association (APHA) the
second-largest breed registry in the United States based on the
number of horses registered annually. While the colorful coat
pattern is essential to the identity of the breed, American Paint
Horses have strict bloodline requirements and a distinctive
stock-horse body type. To be eligible for registry, a Paint's
sire and dam must be registered with the American Paint Horse
Association, the American Quarter Horse Association, or the
Jockey Club (Thoroughbreds). To be eligible for the Regular
Registry, the horse must also exhibit a minimum amount of white
hair over unpigmented (pink) skin.
While over the years the conformation and athletic ability of
those rugged mounts of the Old West have been improved by
breeders, the unusual coat patterns and coloring remain the same.
The stock-type conformation, intelligence, and willing attitude
make the American Paint Horse an excellent horse for pleasure
riding, ranch work, rodeo, trail riding, racing, showing, or
simply as a friendly mount for the kids.
See Also: The American Paint Horse Breed
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