American Paint Horse

American Paint Horse is an American horse breed defined both by its stock horse conformation, similar to the American Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred from which it substantially descends, and by bold, irregular patches of white and a darker color, a coat pattern the breed was specifically established to preserve after the American Quarter Horse registry began excluding horses with excessive white markings. The American Paint Horse Association was founded in 1965 as a registry dedicated to horses combining stock horse type and bloodlines with pinto style coloring, and the breed has since grown into one of the largest horse breed registries in the United States. It is used across a wide range of disciplines, including western riding events, ranch work, racing and pleasure riding, much like its close relative the Quarter Horse. Its two principal coat patterns, overo and tobiano, describe different arrangements of the white and colored patches recognized by the breed registry.