Painter horses are easy to identify by their unique and colorful coats. Once rejected by the equestrian community, it has grown into one of the most popular horse breeds in North America.

Most painter’s horses display a mixture of white and another color: bay, black, brown or chestnut. Less common primary colors include palomino, suede, cream, champagne, and rowan.

In general, paints are muscular horses with strong hind limbs and their height ranges from 14 to 16 hands.

While the breed is most prevalent in Western disciplines, many painter horses are talented hunters or jumpers. They are also ideal beginners horses because they are usually calm and obedient.

Here are 11 fascinating facts about Painter Horses.

1. Colored horses have been around since 500 AD

Paint Horses has its origins farther back than you might expect. According to Horse Racing Sense, the first records of these colorful horses are dated around the 5th century AD

Modern mention of “distinguished horses” can be found in the diaries of the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortes from 1519. These horses were called “Pentos” at that time and traveled with the conquerors to the New World. They are believed to be the founders of the modern Paint Horse breed.

2. Painted horses were popular with Native Americans

It didn’t take long for the Native American tribes to fall in love with this wonderful breed of horse. They appreciated their unique appearance, calm manners, and athleticism. The painter’s horse was often the preferred choice of great tribal leaders and warriors.

The Comanche Indians were particularly known for their admiration of the breed. They had large herds of Painter’s horses roaming their lands and it likely contributed to the modern appearance and traits of the breed.

3. The Painter’s Horse is not just a color breed

Many people confuse the term “pinto” with “paint”, believing that all bentoes are horses that paint and vice versa. However, this is not true. The term “Bino” refers to any horse with white spots covered in a base coat color, regardless of breed.

Painter horses, on the other hand, constitute a separate breed determined by both color and body type.

Paint Horse was initially developed from colored horses of the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse breeding. The breed inherited the classic look of a Western Stock Horse from its ancestors with a touch of sporty refinement.

Registered Painter horses must have at least one parent who is also registered with the American Paint Horse Association (APHA). Another parent may be registered with the Jockey Club (Thoroughbreds), the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), and APHA.

4. Their white spots are a big white mark

At first glance, it may seem that the Paint Horse has two colors: white and brown / black. However, the fact is that the white spots are superimposed on the color of the base layer and are no different from a star or a flame.

The reason for this lies in genetics. A paint horse carries two separate genes responsible for its colored coat: one for the white spots and one for the base colour. Therefore, the white parts of these horses are essentially a large white mark.

5. Solid colors are also accepted

Interestingly, the APHA allows registration of solid-colored horses with a painter’s ancestry. These horses are called “breeding horses” or “hard-coat breeds” and are usually recorded under a separate subcategory of their Bento relatives.

In order for a non-spotted painter to qualify for APHA membership, they must carry one of the painter’s pattern genes. APHA conducts genetic testing for solid-colored horses that have applied for registration. Since these horses are carriers of the gene, they often produce colored offspring.

Despite the lack of a find, Solid Paint Breds can still participate in breed community shows and competitions. There are also many alternative programs and events that horses can participate in.

6. The second largest breed record in North America

Founded in 1965 by Rebecca Tyler Lockhart, APHA is an ardent advocate of color horses. This breed society registered all horses rejected from the recently formed AQHA. Because the AQHA excluded horses with pinto coloration or any white pattern above the knees and veins, APHA has played an essential role in preserving and enhancing these unique horses.

Since its inception, APHA has registered more than 59 million horses. The breed community has been growing steadily from the start, and by 2011 the number of current registrations crossed one million.

With about 15,000 new horses registered each year, APHA is the second largest breed registry in the United States, and is not only surpassed by the AQHA.

APHA is also one of the most innovative breed registries. In 1980, the APHA allowed the registration of foals born via embryo transfer. Furthermore, in 1995, the American Paint Horse became the first Western breed to officially use cryogenic transfused semen for breeding.

7. Painter’s horses can have different colored eyes

Heterochromia is not uncommon in the Paint Horse breed. While most horses have dark brown or amber eyes, painter horses are prone to developing blue (unpainted) eyes. They may have two blue eyes, one blue and one brown (heterochromatic), or eyes in blue and brown (central contrast).

Horses with hyper-patterned have a higher tendency for blue eyes. However, this does not mean that they are more likely to develop eye disease or blindness.

8. There are white horses

Rarely are painter horses born showing the dominant white coat colour. These horses are pure white with their base color matching the white spotting pattern.

Dominant white horses differ from albinism, in that they have unpigmented skin and dark eyes. No true albino has been recorded in the species. Dominant white horses also do not carry the Overo Lethal White Syndrome gene and are born healthy.

9. Each horse is unique

No two painter’s horses are exactly the same color and pattern. Every horse is unique, so if you’re looking for a truly one-of-a-kind paint horse, this paint horse might be the perfect buy!

Within the breed, there are three main spotting patterns: topiano, fore, and tofro. Tobiano is the most common and includes horses with white legs and white in the back between the tail and the tail. Tobianos are usually more white than dark in color on their coat and a darker head that may have regular white markings.

By contrast, horses with hyper-patterns are much darker than white, and white faces often have blue eyes. Their spots are irregular and rarely cross the back or spread over the legs.

There are three subcategories within overo coloration: sabino, frame, and sparse white.

Finally, Tofero horses are a mixture of the Tupiano and Over-spot styles. An example is a horse with a dark head and blue eyes. (Source: Wikipedia)

10. There are paint race horses

The American Paint Horse is a versatile breed. Given that they are descendants of the two fastest horse breeds in the world, it is not surprising that Paint Horses also excel on the racetrack.

According to Horse Racing Sense, APHA launched the first ever Paint Horse race in 1966. The first APHA National Futurity Championship winner (1970) was a two-year-old chestnut named Slow Daner.

Perhaps the most famous Paint race horse to date is the Got Country Grip. The solid-colored paint ran unbeaten for 16 races, but failed to beat the modern world record of 17 consecutive wins by a thoroughbred horse called Silent Witness. Overall, the Got Country Grip won 17 of the 21 races, an amazing feat.

Another famous race horse is Charlie de Luxe, who won the first European Paint Horse race in 1993. Paint Horse races are similar to Quarter Horse races in length, testing speed over a short distance. Therefore, it is not surprising that many successful painter runners are descended from the champions of Quarter Horse racing.

11. Five different drawing horses played Hidalgo

Hidalgo  (2004) is a Western horse movie based on the true story of Frank T. Hopkins, a famous endurance racer.

Hopkins and Bento Mustang owner Hidalgo take on the challenge of participating in the 3,000-mile Ocean of Fire horse race. Stretching across the Arabian Desert, it is known as the longest and toughest survival race in the world.

Set in the 19th century, the movie quickly became a favorite in equestrian circles. Horse Properties has revealed that five different American paint horses have played the role of Hidalgo. One such horse was the RH Tecontender, also known as TJ

Lead actor Viggo Mortensen and TJ developed a close bond during filming. Not wanting to say goodbye to his beloved horse, Mortensen reportedly bought TJ at the end of production for $1.5 million.