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| HORSE REGISTRATION |
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TYPICAL PAINT HORSE COAT PATTERNS
Tobiano
(pronounced: tow be yah' no)
The head will usually be marked like a solid-coloured horse, either being solid or having a blaze, stripe, race or star and snip.
All four legs may be white, at least below the hocks and knees. Body markings will usually be regular and distinct, often being oval or round patterns that extend down over the neck and chest giving the appearance of a shield.
The Tobiano Paint will usually have the dark colour in one or both flanks. The Tobiano may either be predominantly dark or white.
Unlike the Overo gene, a horse carrying the Tobiano gene will always display some Tobiano characteristics. There is a test avilable to identify the Tobiano gene (T), which is normally used to test for homozygosity.
A TOBIANO MUST ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST ONE TOBIANO PARENT. TOBIANO IS A DOMINANT GENE
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Overo
(pronounced: oh vair" oh)
The head markings on the Overo are usually a blaze or bald face. The true Overo will usually have four dark legs and the white markings on the body or neck will appear to be framed by the contrasting coat.
As a general rule, the white markings will not cross the back between the withers and the tail. The tail will normally be one colour. The Overo paint may be either predominately dark or white. Blue eyes are more often encountered in the Overo colour pattern than the Tobiano or Sabino. The breeding of Overo to Overo may produce lethal white foals. More information on this is available from the Association.
It is possible for a horse carrying the overo gene to have next to no white anywhere on its body and be registered as 'solid'. There is a test available to identify the Overo gene (OLWS).
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AN OVERO MUST ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST ONE OVERO PARENT.
IMPORTANT NOTE: As stated on the APHA web site, "In the United States, overo is usually used to mean "Paint, but not tobiano." This has resulted in the lumping together of three different spotting patterns under one name, and the result can be confusion in breeding programs."
In Australia we only use the term Overo to refer to the colour produced by the OLWS gene. The other colour patterns of 'Sabino' and 'Splashed White' are referred to individally in Australia and are NOT referred to as 'overo' as in the US.
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Tobero
(pronounced: tow bair' oh)
The Board of Directors has agreed that the progeny of a registered Tobiano and a registered Overo, that displays both colour patterns, is to be known as a "Tobero", and will be recorded as such on its Registration Papers and in the PHAA Stud Book.
By breeding Overo and Tobiano you could get a Tobiano, an Overo, a Solid, or a combination Tobiano-Overo, "Tobero". A Tobero has the genetic potential to breed either Tobiano or Overo from a Solid coloured partner.
One characteristic of Toberos, can be for the horse to appear to have a completely different coat pattern on either side of its body - tobiano one side and overo on the other.
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A Tobero horse is a combination of Tobiano and Overo patterns only. In Australia a Sabino/Tobiano or Splashed White/Tobiano combination is NOT termed Tobero. There is a test available for both the Overo and Tobiano genes
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Sabino
(pronounced: sa bee no)
The head markings of a Sabino can be a blaze, bald or apron face. These markings can be quite irregular and can appear to have slipped to one or both sides of the face.
White markings are common on the bottom lip and at times extend up the jaw. One or up to all four legs will have white markings that come to an upward shaped point, and quite often the Sabino will have a high stocking. These stockings can extend up as far as the elbow or stifle.
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The Sabino may at times have markings appearing from under the horses belly. It may have white flecking through its coat and the edges of its white markings may be speckled or broken.
The Sabino colour pattern can crop-out of the purest bloodlines as many Quarter Horses carry these markings. In Quarter Horses, when the markings extend past the top of the knee and hock joint and beyond the corner of the eye and mouth including the bottom lip, the horse becomes eligible for the the Paint Horse Registry. Many other breeds such as Thoroughbreds, Arabians, Welsh ponies and Clydesdale and Shire horses also display sabino markings.
There are now thought to be at least two genes responsible for the Sabino pattern. A test is available for the Sabino 1 gene (Sb1).
Sabino/Overo
The Sabino/Overo is a very common marking of the modern day Paint Horse. The horse will show both the Overo and Sabino coat patterns and has the potential to produce either the Overo, Sabino or Sabino/Overo coat pattern on its coloured offspring.
The head will usually have quite a lot of white on it ranging from a small blaze through to a bonnet face (dark ears only). At least one leg will be white (most of the time) going up to a point. The body markings will appear quite irregular and splashy, usually starting on the belly and can then extend up the neck and back towards the rump.
A predominately white Sabino/Overo is a horse displaying markings called a War Bonnet or Medicine Hat. In this pattern the horse may have as little as it's ears in contrasting dark colour.
Splashed White
Rare pattern, typical characteristics are two pale blue eyes, bald face and head, all four legs are white, all white or partially white tails, white coat pattern progresses from the lower abdomen, shoulders, hindquarters and lower neck, upwards. One explanation of this trait is as if the horse has walked through a pool of white paint. Topline of the horse is usually a solid colour. Deafness is common to this pattern in Australia. |
MORE INFORMATION
For information on Registration of Paint Horses, go to our Registration Guidelines page.
For information on base coat colors and descriptions go to our Coat Colour page.
Date of last page update: 17.03.2008
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Paint Horse Association of Australia
PO Box 1008, Dubbo, NSW, 2830, Australia
Phone: (02) 6884 5513 Fax: (02) 6884 5517
Email: office@painthorse.com.au
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