NZ Paint Horse
Assoc.

Paint horses are becoming extremely popular in Australia, New Zealand, America (the second biggest horse registry) and now have a huge following in Germany. People who don't wish to "merge in with the mob" are attracted to the varied and colourful patterns found in a Paint Horse.

The History of the Paint Horse

Imagine yourself back in the Old West, when wild horses ran free. Imagine the time when Native American horsemen followed the vast herds of buffalo across the Great Plains. When cowboys travelled hundreds of miles on cattle drives. A time when the horse was vital to survival in the great adventure that was the American West. Among the most treasured of these horses was one decorated by nature with loud splashes of color - the American Paint Horse.

Descending from the horses introduced by the Spanish conquistadors, these Paints were once wild horses that roamed the Western deserts and plains. The history of the American Paint Horse has been woven into a Western blanket of songs, stories and artwork.

It is significant that American Paint Horses share a common ancestry with the American Quarter Horse and the American Thoroughbred. The American Paint Horse Association sprang from the efforts of like-minded horsemen and women who loved the ability and speed of the Western "stock" type horse, but who also appreciated the extra eye appeal of the American Paint.

However, when the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) emerged in 1940 to preserve stock horse pedigrees, it adopted standards that excluded horses with painted coat patterns. Regardless of the AQHA registry's color requirements, many American Paints, both then and today, are the result of matings between two AQHA-registered parents.

Not satisfied to be only a color breed based entirely on coat patterns, the founders of APHA also set strict standards of conformation, athletic ability and performance, as well as demanding intelligence, a calm temperament and a willing disposition. As proof of their commitment to these ideals, the founders instituted a stringent stallion inspection program that remained in effect until the breed was well established.