Color Coordinated

Bling. Nowadays it’s found everywhere, from oversized jewelry to bedazzled clothing and embellished manicures. It seems like human nature to be drawn to flashy objects. In the world of horses, the American Paint Horse fills the niche for a horse blessed by the bling fairy. Although it’s sometimes confused with a pinto (which denotes only a color pattern, not a breed), an American Paint Horse must come from verified Paint, American Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred lineage.

The versatile riding horse with the color option has become the third most popular breed of horse in the United States. In 2006, there were 39,357 new American Paint Horse registrations. Only the more sedately colored American Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds boast more registered foals each year. Of course, the genetics of color being the gamble that they are, not all Paint foals come splashed with color.

For the full article, check out the November 2007 issue of Horse Illustrated.