Red piebald horse. Pinto suit: general information, color types, genetics, photos of pinto horses

In the Russian expanses of piebald colors, horses are used to distinguishing precisely by the main suit. Against the background of their main suit, snow-white spots that have an uneven shape are scattered. The legs of such horses are either completely snow-white or not entirely white. Such as the mane and tail are most often white or combined white.

Piebaldness in horses is partial albinism, like any other snow-white markings on horse bodies. And, a consequence of partial albinism in pinto horses, there may well be blue eyes. And fair-haired can be equally, both eyes, and one of them. In the States, piebald animals are always registered as either paints, subdivided into two main types of color. such as tobiano and overo.

When coloring with the name tobiano, in horses a dark shade most often covers both sides or one of them. Often all four legs are snow-white. At least if we talk about the area that is under the knee. Most often, all dark areas are symmetrical and they are round or oval in shape. And at the same time they go down to the chest along the neck of the horse, forming the so-called shield. And the tail of such horses most often has two shades at once. The tobiano gene may well manifest itself in varying degrees of intensity. And leads this moment to the fact that sometimes piebald foals can be born from parents who are not piebald.

But overo, there are three types at once:

Frame-overo. Where frame, translated into Russian, will mean the word "frame". And the suit has this name for that reason. That either an oily or a snow-white spot arrives surrounded by a different shade, as if it is in a frame. At the same time, snow-white spots are scattered along the main suit, with torn edges. The so-called "chintz" pattern. The snow-white area can never cross the line of the back, with the exception of those rare cases when this shade is in serious predominance or when only the painted top remains with the ears from the entire main suit. This pattern is also called the "medical cap". With this option, the head area has a shapeless color, and the eyes of such mares are blue without any impurities. Well, the legs, or at least three legs, coincide with the main suit. As for the tail, it is of a single-colored type.

frame overo

sabino overo: On the legs of these horses there are snow-white marks, which often can rise quite high. Almost the entire length of the leg. Often they are located on the stomach, given the capture to varying degrees of two sides. On the head with this color variant, there is something in the form of a bald head or an extensive flashlight, taking into account the capture of the lower lip. And this manifests itself, either in the form of the purest snow-white spots with torn edges, or in the form of snow-white hair, which is mixed with the main suit, and this strongly resembles a roan. But at the same time, it has absolutely nothing in common with her in genetics. And ordinary white marks on the legs and head are also manifestations of sabino.

sabino overo

Overo splashed white. The snow-white shade is located in the direction from the bottom to the top, and the horse looks like it accidentally walked through one rather deep puddle, in which white paint was spilled, also putting its ears with a muzzle there. This is an incredibly unique feature.

Photo of a bay-pinto horse

Toveros are horses that combine both the characteristics of Tobiano and Overo. In the process of breeding horses from Overo and Tobiano, such a foal may well be born that will resemble a mixture of both types of its parents. Due to the fact that the Tovero shares characteristics of both species, confusion can often arise in the process of registering such a horse. It happens that they are registered erroneously. And, in principle, never with such animals, there is not the slightest guarantee associated with the attitude to a particular species. Such foals may well have absolutely unusual-looking marks that have the characteristics of both species at once.

Those of the tobianos that have a bald head (lantern), which is mentioned above, or a “hat”, almost always turn out to be Tovero, in fact.

Tovero's hat

And Overo-like, or jagged spots, also belong to the distinguishing features of Tovero. Those Overos whose manes are predominantly white are under deep suspicion. And if white prevails on four legs, one can also doubt it, but often Toveros do not come with snow-white legs. So here, it's a little easier to decide. In fact, the issue with an unambiguous definition of Tovero is too confusing. There are cases when there is only one way to determine.

Tovero with dark legs

To understand what kind of piebald color a certain horse has, in difficult situations, you will have to thoroughly study all its offspring as a whole.

Piebald horses may be more sensitive to the light of the sun than ordinary animals of this kind.

However, this moment does not affect the quality of their vision in the slightest. But some believe that horses with similar shades of eyes are simply blind. Those people who believe that snow-white spots are scattered over the body of Overo of the main suit are also mistaken, while Tobiano has a white body with colored spots on it. In fact, any of the variants of the piebald suit has a full spectrum, which starts from almost entirely snow-white, to almost entirely dark animals, which have not so significant deviations in their own pigmentation.

selective breeding

Despite all the efforts that breeders strive to put into their own difficult business, in the process of breeding skewbald horses. You can never guarantee with complete certainty that the foal will end up with a certain type of piebaldness. However, this is not some too terrible problem. A striking example of this can be the process of crossing two Overos. When such breeding is going on, it may seem to an observer who is very little privy to the essence of the matter that this undertaking represents an excellent chance for a colt with a colorful appearance to be born. Most often, this is true. But, if both of these Overos carry a special gene that is responsible for the “frame overo” appearance, there is a possibility that a white foal will be born dead.

Based on a special study, it can be argued that with both parents possessing such a species as "Splashed White", the case described above, with rare exceptions, cannot take place. The same can be said about Sabino.

The beauty of skewbald horses

The colors of these horses are so outlandish and unusual that it seems that great artists created it. The horses are piebald in color and invariably remain very picturesque. In ancient times, the Indians always chose such horses for themselves. There was an opinion that it was they, with their such an unusual color, that could bring good luck in battle, protect the rider from injury. In all films, circus performances, you can always meet piebald horses. They certainly riveted the views of the public from young to old.

It is exactly what color the main suit is that gives us reason to divide horses into red-skewbald, crow-skewbald, bay-skewbald and other colors.

Some myths and facts about pinto horses

Myth 1. Only Overo can have gray or blue eyes.

In reality, at various types piebald, may have a similar eye color. With light shades of the eyes, the susceptibility to light increases, but does not affect visual acuity.

Myth 2. Tobiano, have colored markings on a white body, while Overo have light spots on the main background. But it's not. Each individual of the piebald color has its own version of the location of the spots. It is not excluded and the predominance of a dark color.

Myth 3. Piebald colors of horses have "shaded" spots. In fact, shading is present in many skewbald horses, but not all have such spots. The shadow is obtained due to the fact that light hairs grow on dark skin.

“Good horses are never bad colors.”
old Yorkshire proverb

“Sivka-burka, prophetic kaurka, stand in front of me, like a leaf in front of grass!” - this call from folk tale familiar to any Russian person. Probably, every child, listening to these words, asked adults a question, why does the name of a magic horse sound so strange? The answer is found if you read the material to the end.

The color is hereditary, it is a trait responsible for the pigmentation of the skin, pile, iris, mane, tail and brushes. Hippologists divided the horses into 4 suits:

bay,
black,
redhead
gray.

They are divided into several sub-suites. Such a systematization took place in Hellenistic Greece.

Bay horse color in terms of the set of genes, it is most similar to untamed relatives. considered one of the most tireless, obedient and fast.

Many nomadic tribes who know a lot about chose this suit. Today, the bay stallion Frenkel is reputed to be the most expensive horse, its cost is $ 200 million.

The first place among centenarians is occupied by the bay Cleveland gelding Billy. The old man lived for 62 years, that is, twice as long as the due date. All his life he worked, towing barges along the shore.

Where do they come from horse color names- a fascinating topic worthy of a separate story. "Gnidor" in Latin - "smoking flame". The bodies of bays are brown, and the mane and tail are black.

The bay suit is divided into apprentices:

light bay;
dark bay;
deer bay;
cherry;
golden;
chestnut;
mean;
Karak.

With the first six, everything is clear, but with the last 2 - a moot point. The mean horses have whitened, as if burnt, areas of the eyes, muzzle, groin and elbows. The word "podlas" is the opposite of "tan", dark places.

In the photo, a horse of a low-colored suit

Karak suit of a horse suggests a deep dark brown tone of hairline in combination with black legs, mane and tail. In Turkic, "black-brown" sounds "kara-kupa".

In the photo, the horse's caracal suit

black horse just right to call a dark-skinned girl: black eyes, skin and hair. Hot-tempered, wayward handsome men have long been in demand, including among the highest of this world. black horse in the form of an offering among nomads, it was known as a symbol of deep respect and even admiration.

But in many cultures, black horses symbolized something unkind. They were associated with hunger, death and otherworldly forces. So, the Komi people have an ancient legend about three horses, alternately carrying the world: if black is starvation and pestilence, white is enmity and death, red is peace and tranquility.

black horse

Black as pitch, the horse caused horror and awe on the battlefield. According to historians, Bucephalus of Alexander the Great was one of those. Have their apprentices:

black (blue-black);
black crow in tan;
silver-black;
ash-black.

The tanned crow is so named for the brownish sheen on the upper body. She seemed to have burned out in the sun, receiving a daily portion of ultraviolet radiation on pasture. By color of horses, suit this one is easy to confuse with karakova, they are recognized by their dark skin and hair roots.

Black horse color in tan

Silver-black is a catchy suit, where the light mane and tail contrast with the anthracite color of the body. Ash-black horse - with a reflection of the color of dark chocolate. They look especially advantageous in the rays of sunset.

Silver black

Blacks are found among many breeds, but there are those for which this is the only acceptable color - and arriegeoises. Red horse color- not a curiosity, in ancient times it was called "kissed by fire." Color varies from apricot to dark brick. The color of the mane and tail depends on the apprentice. The "solar" suit includes:

playful;
buckskin;
brown;
nightingale.

For playful color of the horse a reddish-brown color is characteristic, coupled with a light mane and tail, which have different shades: from sandy to creamy. If either the tail or the mane contrasts, the horse is also considered to be playful.

The adjective "playful" is a fusion of the Turkic "jeren" - that is, and the Russian "playful". Naming the suit, they apparently described the temperament of the horse: cautious and lively.

Playful color of the horse

Regarding buckskin suit of horses, among the Tatars "bulan" means "deer". The color of the horses is yellow-gold; legs, tail and mane are black. Dark brown horses are often mistaken for light bay horses.

In the photo a horse of a buckskin suit

The brown is confused with the dark bay, but its legs, unlike the tail and mane, have the same dark chocolate color as the body. The villi of black and red color, when mixed, give a juicy brown color.

The famous "cloak" was the Karabakh mare Lisetta - the famous mare of Peter the Great. It is she who flaunts in most of the paintings depicting the emperor on horseback, the same applies to the Bronze Horseman.

The legendary Lisette was a lady with a temper and listened to one sovereign, which made life difficult for the grooms. Once, in the battle of Poltava, a mare saved the king's life by dodging aimed fire. It is not known what would have happened to Russia if this wayward beauty had not been under the saddle of Peter. The effigy of Lisetta is exhibited at the Zoological Museum of St. Petersburg.

Brown horse

Nightingale horse color, so named from the ancient Icelandic "solr" - "dirt, yellowness", has an ocher-golden pile, the tail and mane can be the color of straw, milk, smoke. Eyes are brown or amber.

The fashion for nightingals falls on the 15th century - the era of the reign of Isabella of Castile, Queen of Spain. This monarch owes the name to a rare suit, genetically interconnected with the nightingale - isabella.

In the photo a horse of nightingal color

Isabella horse color surprises with its beauty and sophistication. Only they have pale pink skin, and the hairs on the body are a pleasant champagne tone. This suit is sometimes called cream.

But the unique color of the skin and pile is not their only advantage; horses of the Isabella suit have piercing eyes of the spring sky. Less commonly, specimens with emerald eyes are born. This rare color of horses occurs in (2.5%).

Isabella horse color

What color is characteristic gray color of horses, it's easy to guess. For many, a peculiar pattern appears - light circles on a darker background - these are “horses in apples”. This coloration is typical for.

The gray suit is characterized by a change in color during life. A black foal can molt to light gray in six months. Light horse color over the years, it is reborn into snow-white.

With a new molt of gray hair on the body of the animal remains, but the skin remains grayish. This suit is common among Arabian thoroughbreds. Count Orlov acquired just such a stallion from the Turkish Sultan to create his famous breed. The light gray horse Smetanka laid the foundation for a breed that has become a symbol of Russian horse breeding.

According to history, the Roman emperor Caligula, known for his eccentricity, had a light gray Incitat (swift-footed) as his favorite. He became the only horse to be granted the seat of senator.

gray suit horses

White horse color- fiction. These are either greys, brightened with age, or albinos. The latter can be born from absolutely any suit, being a genetic anomaly in which melanin is not produced by the body.

White horses are prone to various ailments. How beautiful they are in the photo, just as vulnerable and vulnerable in life. They are often sterile, and foal mortality is at least 25%. It is for this reason that a truly white horse is a great rarity.

The favorite of Napoleon Bonaparte was a white stallion named Marengo. He went a long way with the great commander until he was captured by the British at the Battle of Waterloo. Like his crowned master, Marengo had unique qualities. If the emperor slept for 3 hours a day, then Marengo could gallop without slowing down, as much as 5 hours in a row.

white horse

An interesting variety of gray suit is “gray in buckwheat”. It manifests itself with age: small dark spots appear on the body of a gray horse. Instances with red speck are classified as "trout".

Domestic horse breeders, among others, distinguish one more apprentice gray horses- ermine. In addition to the lead shade of the body, it has a darker mane and tail.

The color of the horse is gray in buckwheat

Roan horse color- the result of the admixture of white hair to the main suit. The head and legs do not actually have light, retaining the original color throughout life. In the Turkic dialect "chal" - "gray hair". Russian experts distinguish the gray color of the horses- this is black with gray hair.

In the photo a roan horse

Savrasu horse color often referred to as "wild". Horses living in the wild tend to have this coloration. Savraska has a dull reddish-brown body coloration, with a dark stripe along the ridge. The lower legs, scruff and tail are darker than the base color.

In Russian, there is a catchphrase "run like a savras". In Rus', such horses were noted as frisky, swift and strong. Many saw in the zoo - an unsightly squat ocher-colored horse with dark legs, a mane and a tail. These animals fully fit the description of the savras.

Savras horse color

Famous apprentice savras - brown horse color, in which redness prevails. Mouse-colored horses are characterized by an ash-colored color with a slight brownish coating.

Brown suit

At pinto horses whitish spots of irregular shape, called pezhin, are scattered all over the body. They can be so large that it looks like a white horse with dark spots. valued by Indian tribes, they were considered lucky.

In Europe, piebald stallions were called "gypsy", "cow" and even "plebeian", the demand for them was small. You will not find this suit among breeders, it is typical for ordinary outbred hard workers.

pinto horse

Extremely rare are gray-piebald horses, in which snow-white asymmetric blots are scattered on a silvery background. In Russia, such horses were called porcelain.

Grey-piebald horse color

Other motley horses are dappled. Here nature has had its fun. Chubaraya color of horses It is distinguished by small egg-shaped spots scattered throughout the body. Color can be anything, like specks. The name is also taken from the Turkic "chubar" - "spotted".

There are also quite a few apprentices here: snowy, leopard, spotted-black-black, chubaraya in hoarfrost. It is worth mentioning the breed, for which the chubar suit is the norm. This is a knabstrupper, they have black or dark brown spots appearing on a white background. What can I say, and among the horses there are!

In the photo a horse of a chubar suit

Astrakhan suit of horses(it is called curly, curly), it is distinguished by dense hair in curls. Genetics is an interesting thing: in these “lambs” curly hair can appear not only on the body, but even on the eyelashes, tail and mane.

Astrakhan horses- meek, docile and friendly. They are ideal for the village children's sports and various presentations. They are also used for hippotherapy. The smell of "insulated" horses, like sheep. Two breeds with "fur" are known:

Transbaikal curly;
american curly.

Astrakhan suit of horses

Summing up, I want to believe that many wonderful names are now quite understandable, and everyone can imagine both a gray gelding and a piebald mare. With regard to the fabulous Sivka-Burka, it can be assumed that the horse was gray-brown-red in color, and then - who has any imagination.

Nature endowed horses with a huge color variety, and artificial selection only emphasized the beauty of these animals. Each breed, like the suit, has its admirers.

Do not get tired of being surprised by wealth suits of horses. Photos and names such graceful creatures leave absolutely no one indifferent, because as one of the classics said: “There is nothing more beautiful in the world than a galloping horse, a dancing woman and a sailing ship ...”

The piebald horse is always in the spotlight, and all thanks to the bright, unusual and even exotic color, which differs from other colors of horses.

A spotted horse is called piebald, but only if there are exclusively white spots of various sizes and shapes on the body. The history of origin and features of the suit is the topic of the article.

Origin story

The spotted horse began to arouse interest in ancient times - ancient Egyptian historical documents testify to this. In addition, archaeological excavations have shown that this suit was often found in the steppe herds of Mongolia and China.

But the spotted horse is not a typical phenomenon, it is not a color characteristic of horses, and therefore the question arises: where did it come from? Specialists in the course of numerous studies have found that these representatives have an anomaly of genes, which is inherited. It is she who leads to abnormal pigmentation of the skin of the horse.

In addition, it has been scientifically proven that different genes are responsible for the color of a certain area of the horse's body. Piegot - partial albinism. For this reason, in horses of this suit, the iris of one or both eyes may have a blue color. There is also a theory of incest with Mongolian horses, among which the same piebald individuals were often found. For this reason, skewbald horses have become common.

Pinto

Attention! As a rule, horses with an incredible color are outbred, of unknown origin. For this reason, they can only occasionally be found in breeders.

In Europe, spotted horses began to be treated with disdain centuries ago. Even in the Middle Ages they were referred to as "gypsy". Their unusual color was considered "cow". The heaviest equestrian labor fell on their “shoulders”. And this despite the fact that they could not boast of excellent health, because many of their diseases are laid down at the gene level. The prospect of breeding skewbald horses did not attract anyone.

As for the American continents, they were treated quite differently there. Horses were brought to North America by conquistadors. Most of the horses are feral. The extraordinary beauty quickly attracted the attention of local residents. The skewbald horse was a symbol of the Wild West, the Indians were sure that such horses would bring them happiness. The name of skewbald horses was different, they were called - pinto. Somewhat later, an American breed was formed, which is called the American Painthorse.

American Paint Horse

In the middle of the 20th century, a community dedicated to skewbald horses was created. The founders of the club were the owners and connoisseurs of horses. Today, horses are used in equestrian tourism, on the ranch, they perform at demonstration events.

Piebald horse: external features

Often, beginners have a question: what color is a piebald horse? The question is quite common among people who wish to purchase a stallion. A piebald foal can absorb all existing colors. White fragments on the skin can be small in size, and sometimes cover almost the entire body of the animal, including the tail and mane.

In Russia, there are 4 main colors. They are, in fact, classified on the basis of the suit:

piebald not very common, or rather, it is generally difficult to meet her. A characteristic feature of these horses is that the shade of the mane is grayish-white, and the legs, as a rule, are also light. The shape, size and number of light spots may vary. There are also completely white horses that have small spots a little darker.
Piebald. These horses have a reddish skin color to a greater extent, there are not so many white spots and they are indistinct outlines. Although rare, there are stallions with limbs and a mane of completely white coloring.
Piebald Crow It has a beautiful bright contrasting color. The skin is black, there are white marks on them, their number is not very large.
Piebald bay. The body of the horse is abundantly dotted with white spots, the limbs, mane and tail, as a rule, are also white. Also on the tail and mane there may be red and black strands.

Temper and behavior

The piebald stallion is famous for its submissive and calm disposition. In America, it is used for exhibitions, and in Russia they help people in every possible way with the housework. Even a child can ride a well-bred horse.

bay piebald gelding

Many horse breeders are still concerned about the health of the pinto. They cannot boast of good health, a large number of their diseases are already at the gene level. The weakest representatives are the frame and overo lines (about them we will talk further). If both parents belong to this type, as a rule, the offspring have underdeveloped organs of the digestive tract, mainly the intestines. Often this leads to the death of the foal. Pathology develops due to the presence of the FR gene in both parents.

Piebald horse color: breeds

American horse breeders use their classification of skewbald horses.

Horses belonging to this type are usually called Pinto, they are united by one common characteristic - a multi-colored color and blue eyes. By color they are divided into the following types.

Tabiano

The name comes from the name of the abnormal gene - To. As a rule, horses have dark sides. White spots are round or oval, most often located symmetrically to each other.

On a note. The color of the legs is white to the knees. Body color usually includes two colors.

A gene can manifest itself in different intensities, so such offspring can even come from solid parents. There is an opinion that another non-allelic gene is involved here, which contributes to spotting.

Overo

A fairly large group of horses that have asymmetrical spots.

It, in turn, is divided into three subgroups:

frame overo. The stallion's head, as a rule, is monophonic, it is rarely possible to contemplate marks of a white color. On the body itself, white spots that do not have a border can form in unlimited quantities. Light areas do not cross the back. But there are exceptions when the color of the horse is dominated by white. The limbs are painted in the main color, monophonic. The tail is also monophonic, the cause of albinism is the F1 gene.
Overo splashedwhite. A characteristic feature of such horses is that their color does not have clear boundaries, it seems that the horse fell into the paint and stuck its muzzle there. White spots can be located on the muzzle, sides. Dark color, as a rule, remains on the back and neck. Scientists believe that the SPL gene is the cause of such piebaldness, and the intensity of the manifestation of spots will depend on its concentration in the individual.
sabino overo characterized by the formation of white spots on the limbs, quite often they stain the entire leg. Sometimes white spots can be found on the sides and abdomen. Coloring of the head is also acceptable - in this case, the white spot often touches the upper lip. On the markings, the coat has a pure white color, whitish hairs may also be present on the main part of the body.

Tovero

A unique subgroup that combines the characteristics of Oveiro and Tabiano.

If two varieties are mated together, the offspring will acquire the characteristics of both parents. As a rule, the cub inherits the color of the parent whose white spots are more pronounced. But there are exceptions, it is impossible to predict this.

Tovero horse

When mating, each parent shares their spotting gene, so white markings on a foal can turn out to be completely unusual. For this reason, confusion often occurs in the definition of a stallion variety.

Due to the unusual color, the piebald suit has many assumptions regarding its origin and myths:

Only horses belonging to the Overo group have blue eyes.
In fact, all representatives of the piebald suit can become owners of blue eyes. A common phenomenon is that the area around the eyes also has a white color, which modifies the perception of the true color of the eyes. The non-standard color of the iris does not affect the quality and visual acuity. There are horses with a high sensitivity to sunlight, but vision and eye color have nothing to do with it.
Light spots on skewbald horses are shaded.
Some horses do have this feature, but it is quite rare. This is due to the dark skin tone of the horse, which is visible through the white hair.
In the course of numerous studies, a unique and only lightening gene has been identified in pintos, which has no analogues in pearl. If he is in a homozygous state, then the red horse will acquire an apricot hue.

A piebald mare is a unique animal that, in addition to its power, grace and good breeding, demonstrates its unique and inimitable color. The content of the animal is not very whimsical, but not everyone can afford to buy it.

The piebald color of the horse is distinguished by the presence of large white spots (pezhin), as a rule, of irregular shape and large size, which can be randomly scattered over the main color. Sometimes these spots are so large that they can merge into the main color of the horse - white, and then it seems as if the horse itself is white.

There are also white spots on the legs, tail and mane of the animal, or the animal may be completely white. At spotted horses the phenomenon of albinism is pronounced, due to which the iris of the eyes often has a blue color. And also blue eyes can be.

According to experts, horse spotting is not a pattern and pigmentation disorder. But this problem did not stop horse breeders from breeding white horse breeds. Otherwise, today we would not be able to meet piebald beauties and beauties in any corner of our world.

At all times, mankind has tried to establish a natural dependence of the temperament (working capacity) of a horse on the color. According to this opinion, the most reliable and hardworking are dark bay horses. And gray and white individuals, and especially albinos, have a more supple and gentle character.

Red horses are characterized by weak endurance, and the behavior of black horses is vicious and hot-tempered. An Arabic proverb says so that the breeder never buys a red horse, if necessary, sold the black, he went to the bay and took care of the white. In addition, there is a prejudice about horses of exactly faded shades of color, which suggests that a red or bay horse has poor performance.

From time immemorial, white horses have been highly valued by North American tribes. namely the Indians. They believed that horses of a light white color invariably bring good luck to their rider and help to avoid trouble on the path of life, being a kind of talismans.

Gallery: piebald color of horses (25 photos)

Historical reference

Studying the emergence of the piebald suit, scientists concluded that it has existed since very ancient times. Evidence of the existence of skewbald horses is found in the historical documents of ancient Egypt. In China and Mongolia piebald horses occupied leading positions in horse breeding. But in Europe, skewbald horses, on the contrary, have developed a dismissive attitude. In the Middle Ages, a piebald horse was called a "gypsy horse." The color of such a horse was called "cow" and it was used specifically for hard physical work - draft labor. Due to this feature, no one was engaged in breeding skewbald horses in Europe.

But in America, a completely opposite attitude was formed towards the pinto color of horses, where they were brought by the conquistadors. Over time, piebald colors appeared among the feral horses. Among the Indians it was believed that the spotted horse helps the rider in battle and save him from failure. The piebald horse is a symbol of the Wild West. The number of fans of pinto horses has increased greatly over the years.

Against the backdrop of widespread affection and the emerging idol of the pinto horse on the American continent, amateur horse breeders sought to create as many color options as possible. Piebald horses there began to be called pinto (sometimes paint). A little later, a breed was created - the American Paint Horse, based on the American Quarter Horses and riding horses. The skewbald horse has been the most popular and easily recognizable horse on the American continent since ancient times.

Historians are still concerned about the question: where did the piebald color of the horse come from?. Experts are inclined to believe that this is caused by an abnormality of the genes, which leads to a violation of the pigmentation of the hairline and is inherited. There is an opinion that the reason for the wide distribution of spotted horses was incest with Mongolian horses. Among factory breeds, piebald color is a rather rare phenomenon, while among outbred working horses of unknown origin, this phenomenon is more common than usual.

In the middle of the 20th century, namely in the year 62 of this century, lovers and owners of skewbald horses united into a single American Association. A horse with any exterior and pedigree could join this association. The only and main condition is the possession of a piebald suit. Horses were actively used on the ranch, in equestrian tourism and in demonstration performances amateur show jumping.

Types of spotted horses

Piebald horses (pinto) are divided into two types of spotted horses, depending on the color and location of the spots on the body of the animal:

tobiano;
overo 2.1. frame overo; 2.2. splashed white; 2.3. sabino overo; 2.4. tovero.

The piebald color of the horse has tobiano, dark sides on both, less often on one side. Legs below the knees of a certain white color. Plots of dark colored hair, round or oval in shape, as a rule, symmetrical and form a kind of shield on the neck towards the chest. The tail of such a suit often has two shades at once.

The Tobiano gene, which is dominant, is responsible for the formation of the tobiano suit. This gene manifests itself with varying intensity. For this reason, the birth of piebald foals from parents who are not piebald themselves can be explained. Geneticists have proven that, in addition to the To gene, the tobiano suit also has another gene called “non-allelic”, which is responsible for the manifestation of piebald color. It is this gene that allows the features characteristic of skewbald horses to manifest. In the absence of a "non-allelic" gene, only non-skewbald stallions will be born. Foals of this species can appear both from monochrome parents and from representatives of different breeds (overo and tobiano).

In overo horses, white spots are located on the lower part of the body, in particular, on the stomach, capturing the sides, and the area of \u200b\u200bthe back between the withers and the tail is usually not affected. In general, it seems that the horse has three multi-colored fields, where the first and third are of a dark solid color, and the second is white. Among the representatives of the overo suit, individuals with a white head are very often found, in which the limbs are dark in color.

Like the tobiano, the overo can come from crossing non-skewbald horses. It should be noted that Overo parents do not always produce offspring from piebald foals. In addition, the overo suit has several dominant allelic genes. For this reason, among the representatives of this suit there are white foals who die. Currently, to eliminate the possibility of this undesirable phenomenon, American geneticists use a biochemical method to test all pinto horses.

Varieties of overo suit

The overo suit includes three varieties:

Frame Overo;
Splashed White (Splashed Overo);
Sabino Overo.

. Frame literally from English. frame. On the body of the horse there is a spot of predominantly white (sometimes of a different) color, which is located, as it were, in the environment (frame) of its dominant color. In this breed, white color appears on the neck of the animal in the form of small spots. Rare individuals have white spots not only on the neck, but also partially on the back. Frame overo animals have blue eyes and generally white legs. Geneticists have noticed that at least three of the four limbs of the animal are white in color. The tail of the representatives of this suit is always one-color.

Sabino overo. The limbs of representatives of this suit are most often completely white. The spots are light, white in color, often located on the lateral parts of the body and the abdomen of the animal. The head and lower lip are also white.

Overo splashed white. Individuals of this suit have a bright distinguishing feature- white ears and tails. And this makes them memorable and special animals.

Tovero. This is a species that combines the characteristics of both breeds - Tobiano and Overo. When such breeds are crossed, a foal is born that combines the characteristics of both parents. In most cases, the cub inherits the gene of one of the parents with the most white spots on the body. But horse breeders are aware of exceptions.

Representatives of the piebald suit, unfortunately, are not the owners of excellent health. Most health problems in animals are at the genetic level. It is generally accepted that representatives of the frame overo suit have the weakest health. It is highly undesirable to breed horses of the same color frame overo due to the fact that the offspring will have an underdeveloped colon. In this case, in addition, there is a high probability of death of the offspring.

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Piebald suit characterized by the presence of large white spots (most often irregularly shaped), distributed throughout the body on the main color. From this, its individual types are distinguished, for example, crow-piebald, red-piebald, bay-piebald, etc. The spotted suit is not entirely considered characteristic of horses, therefore experts call it a violation of color pigmentation. Today, skewbald horses are distributed throughout the world, but were originally associated with North American Indian horses.

A piebald horse can also be partially albino, so it sometimes has blue or different-colored eyes. Such uniqueness does not affect the quality of animals' vision. Also, the piebald suit is characterized by white legs, a light mane and a tail with partial pigmentation, if the main color is present in this area.

Origin

It is believed that the piebald suit is as ancient as all monochrome ones. In particular, unique spotted mares are mentioned in the works of art of Ancient Egypt. However, geneticists cannot say for sure whether these horses are descended from ordinary monochromes or if they are a separate type. Today, spotted horses are obtained by crossing the same piebald representatives. And in America, these spotty beauties arose thanks to the conquistadors.

Their freedom and wild life did not last long. An interesting coloring did not go unnoticed by local cowboys, who eventually began to domesticate horses. This is how their favorite paints and pintos appeared.

Appearance

We figured out that the piebald suit is distinguished by the presence of various white spots on the main color. But the spectrum of colors includes all shades known in the horse world. Patterns range from a minimal white blotch to an almost completely white coloration with isolated colored areas, as shown in the photo. From this, several types of piebaldness are distinguished. Note that in America there are much more of them than in our country, but more on that later.

Basic types by main color

Today, depending on the main color of the horse, four types are distinguished.

Red-piebald - against the background of the red color, white spots are scattered, the shape of which is fuzzy. Most often, such horses have white legs and the same mane, which can be clearly seen in the photo.
Bay-piebald - the basis is a bay suit, on which there are several white spots. Tail, mane, legs - light or combined red and black strands.
Crow-piebald - the base of the suit is black, on which there are several white spots.
Grey-skewbald is the rarest color, which is notable for its white legs and gray-white mane. See the photo above for more details.

American piebald types

In America, horses with such a unique pattern on the coat, as we have already said, are called paints or pintos. However, there are two main types with several subspecies. They no longer depend on the main suit, but on the location of the colored areas on the horse's body.

Tobiano (dark color covers one of the sides, legs are white, dark spots on the chest form a “shield”).
Overo (the photo shows that the light spots on the horse's body are not symmetrical, the legs are dark in color, the tail and mane are plain). This variety includes:

frame overo - in this case, the white spot is surrounded by the main color, as in a frame. In addition, these horses often always have a painted head;
sabino-overo - clean light spots with ragged edges that look like signs of a roan breed. The most common in America, their color resembles spots on cows, which are located on the sides and legs (see photo);
oversplashedwhite - whitish spots spread from bottom to top, capturing the muzzle.

Successful and unsuccessful crosses of the suit

If the horses had piebald relatives in the family (Tobiano), then there is a possibility that the foal will be spotted. When crossing Tobiano and Overo, young animals can be born, the characteristics of which will be mixed. However, breeders should be extremely careful when crossing different colors to avoid the death of foals.

The following table shows the crossover result different types piebald suit.

Type	Sabino	splashedwhite	Frame overo	Tobiano	Tovero	normal pigmentation
Sabino	1	1	2	1	1	1
splashedwhite	1	1	2	1	1	1
Frame overo	2	2	3	2	3	2
Tobiano	1	1	2	1	1	1
Tovero	1	1	3	1	1	1
normal pigmentation	1	1	2	1	1	normal pigmentation

Explanation:

Green color (1) means that the crossing is safe and there will be a minimum of stillborn foals.
Yellow color (2) is a risky cross, in which you can bring out a beautiful suit. This mixing of blood rarely produces dead babies (about 1 in 4).
Red (3) marks completely unwanted pairs, because according to statistics, 25% of the offspring of these horses will die.

Photo gallery

In these photos you can see representatives of the beautiful spotted, as well as see their varieties in more detail.

Video "History of spotted suit"

In the video you can see different types such a horse as piebald and find out what exactly this suit is remarkable for.