Horses registered with PHPA must comply with the following colour requirements.
The coat of the ideal Pinto has a 50% / 50% distribution of the colour and white markings, however acceptable patterns range from the predominately white to the predominately dark horse.
The Pinto must have noticeable markings on the body not including the face or below the level of the elbow or stifle, jawbone markings are acceptable. The lesser of the colour must meet the minimum requirements, only colour visible from an eye height of 5ft (1.5Mtrs) at a distance of 10 feet (3mtrs) shall be considered.
1) Half an A4 page of white for Ponies not exceeding 12hh
2) 3/4 of an A4 page of white for Ponies over 12hh and not exceeding 14hh
3) Full A4 page of white for horses over 14hh
Coat Patterns
The following coat patterns and markings are common to the Pinto breed.
Tobiano
The Tobiano Pinto (pronounced toe-bee-ah-no) is basically a white horse with patches of colour.
It generally has white legs and white crossing the backbone. the head, chest, flank, buttock and often the tail are the usual coloured areas. A variation of Tobiano is the predominately dark horse with white socks and white markings on the neck and or shoulder and or buttock. Tobiano is a dominant gene requiring a Tobiano parent to produce a Tobiano. Different coloured eye, e.g. : one brown and one blue eye are commonly found but this is not always present. no discrimination is made against the colour of the eyes.
Overo
The Overo (pronounced O-vair-ro) is a dark coloured horse with white markings. The white markings are of irregular shape with jagged edges and originate along the side of the horse often spreading towards the neck, legs and back.
Colour appears to frame the white areas. Bald or white (apron) face, blue or glass eyes, one to four legs may be solid or long white stockings, white may not cross the back or neckline.
Tobero
Horses which show definite characteristics of the two patterns as described above in Tobiano and Overo are referred to as Tobero (pronounced toe-bear-oh). Their coat can consist of completely different coat patterns on different parts of their body, Tobiano pattern in one place and jagged Overo edges in another.
Sabino
Sabino (pronounced sa-bee-no) is a recessive gene of Overo and can be reproduced from solid matings. It is a dark coloured horse with a white baldy or apron face, solid coloured legs or long white stockings, white belly splashes, white always runs from the bottom upwards.
Sabino may be in the bloodlines of horses you are breeding with.