Paint Vs. Pinto
Paints and Pintos are basically the same thing, their differences lie in bloodlines and registration. In the simplest of terms, all paints are pintos, but not all pintos are paints. Pinto is a blanket term used for a collection of similar white patterns that can occur in a wide variety of breeds. While the term paint is used to describe pinto animals with either Thoroughbred or Quarter Horse bloodlines registered as a paint color breed.
Piebald Vs. Skewbald
Pinto terminology changes from region to region, however there are some fairly universal standards when it comes to white patterned horses. Piebald pintos are the result of a pinto white pattern on a black base and skewbald pintos are the result of a pinto white pattern on a chestnut or bay base.
Piebald Pinto
Skewbald PintoTypes of Pinto
Pinto white patterns have an affect on any base, modifier or dilution and come in perhaps the widest variety of colors & patterns.
Overo PintoNamed for their white spots on a field of color, they range from almost no white with blue eyes, to almost the opposite.
Sabino PintoFound in most spotted breeds (especially draft), sabino usually have at least one blue eye and one white leg, roaning and skin freckling.
Splashed White PintoNamed because they look like they were dipped in white paint, splashed white can be difficult to distinguish from a sabino animal.
Tobiano PintoThe most well-known and easily recognized of the pinto patterns, tobianos usually have as solid colored head and brown eyes.
Tovero PintoOften found with patches of color on a white base, tovero pintos have some of the most interesting and spectacular patterned coats.
Manchado PintoA very rare pattern found almost exclusively in Argentinian breeds, manchado looks like it is battling with a leopard appaloosa pattern.
Dominant WhiteIn the sabino family of patterns and often mistaken for other colors, dominant white can be pure white and often considered ‘true whites’.
PintaloosaThe result of a pinto white pattern and an leopard white pattern mixed together. This combination is rather rare and difficult to breed for.