The American Paint Horse was one of many breeds featured daily during the Mane Event's breed demos. Paints were also visible during the Saturday evening's "Equine Experience" as several of the colourful horses were used for trick riding and drill teams.
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This photo shows a sorrel overo Paint horse displayed during the Paint breed demo.
Photo: Danelle Wright
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The Paint horse is a relatively new breed, first recognized in 1962 in the United States. The breed originated when AQHA refused to accept purebred Quarter Horse foals with excessive white into its registry. The American Paint Horse Association developed its registry with these 'crop-out' horses and now is North America's second largest breed association.
To raise a registered Paint both parents must be registered Paints or one parent must be a registered Paint and the other a registered Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred. Colourful horses of other breeding may be Pintos but are not Paints.
Paint Horses are found in a huge variety of base colours including roan, palomino, sorrel, dun, black and bay. Up to 30 per cent of registered Paints are actually plainly marked like a typical Quarter Horse and called Solid Paint Breds.
There are three patterns in the Regular Paint registry. These patterns are overo, tobiano and tovero. Some Paints may be mostly white, and others may have only one or two patches that may not be easily visible.
Paints typically stand 14.2 to 16 hands high. This breed is used for showing both Western and English, cattle work, barrel racing, trail riding and all-purpose horses.