Some History and Facts About the American Paint Horse

I grew up on a farm in horse country. Of Cherokee heritage,I knew about the four varieties of Indian ponies,the Buckskin,the Appaloosa,the Pinto and the Paint.This article covers five points about the American Paint; some of the original history, registry requirements,officially recognized color patterns and some genetic problems associated with this breed:

The conquistadors brought horses to the New World.Some of those horses had descriptions resembling pintos or paints. The Plains Indians preferred them. Their images were found on ancient buffalo robes.Before going to war, the Plains Indians would paint themselves and their horses in specific patterns to protect them in combat.The horses' markings effectively complimented the added paintings. These horses have
been called pinto, paint, skewbald and piebald.The present day American Paint descended from these ancestors.
http://www.apha.com/breed/history.html

All Paints are Pintos (except for the small number of "solids" allowed into the Paint registry).But not all Pintos are Paints. this is a fact. In the late 1950s, the first official organization was named for the Pinto.Then in 1962, the American Paint Stock Horse Association (APSHA) was established.

Individual horses must be a full registered American Paint from both parents or a half registered Paint with a registered American Quarter Horse or a registered Thoroughbred parent.A Pinto has the markings. But without the specific genetic registry it's not a Paint.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Paint_Horse

A registered Paint has the same body type as the Quarter Horse; muscular,heavy,not too tall, with a low center of gravity for maneuverability, and powerful hindquarters for speed and sprinting.

A Paint can be registered as a regular Paint, which has color/spotting or as a solid Paint-bred,without color/spotting.The Regular Registry requires a minimum amount of white hair over unpigmented (pink) skin.The solid is without white, but has registered American Paint parents.
http://www.apha.com/breed/index.html

Each horse has different combinations of white and color including black,bay,brown,chestnut,dun,grullo,sorrel, palomino,buckskin,gray or roan.Markings are any shape or size,located anywhere on the body. There're only three recognized coat patterns:

Overo has sharp, irregular markings in a horizontal direction. It's more often dark than white, though the face is usually white, sometimes with blue eyes. The back is rarely white, and the lower legs are usually dark.

There are three Overo variations:Frames,have dramatic,ragged,sharp white patches on the sides of the body, with a "frame"of non-white color usually including the top-line;Sabino,has a slight spotting pattern with white high on the legs,belly spots,white markings on the face stretching past the eyes and/or roan patterns alone or on the edges of white markings;Splashed whites,usually have blue eyes, crisp,smooth,blocky white markings that usually include the head and legs. The tail is often white or white-tipped,and the body markings go from under the belly to the upper body.

Tobiano is the most common pattern,having rounded markings, white legs and white across the back between the withers to the tail. It's usually vertical with more white than dark. The head is usually dark,with a star, snip, strip, or blaze.

The third recognized pattern is Tovero. It combines tobiano and overo coloration, such as blue eyes with a dark head.

There are several genetic problems associated with the Paint:

Lethal White Syndrome is recessive and manifests in a horse when both parents carry the gene. A horse can be a carrier without being affected if only one parent is a carrier. Horses with Overo Frame Pattern are more often affected. A diseased foal dies within days,after birth,due to underdeveloped intestines.DNA testing helps the breeder avoid breeding two gene carriers.

HYPP,is a dominant genetic disorder from the Quarter Horse. The affected horse passes the manifestations 50%-100% of the time. The disease causes violent muscle twitching,weakness or paralysis.It's risky to ride Horses with HYPP since paralysis can occur suddenly.The horse will lose control.Some horses are more affected and some attacks are more severe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HYPP

HERDA also comes through the Quarter Horse. It's a recessive gene causing extremely fragile skin,tearing easily and difficulty healing.The skin separates between the deep and superficial dermis. There's no cure. Most injured horses don't heal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HERDA

Wobbler's Disease might come through the Thoroughbred. It's a condition of the cervical vertebrae causing unsteady gait and weakness. There're several spinal column conditions that cause similar symptoms, CSM and CVM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wobbler%27s_syndrome

Sources:

http://www.apha.com/breed/history.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Paint_Horse

http://www.apha.com/breed/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HYPP

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HERDA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wobbler%27s_syndrome