Aren’t Paints lovely? They have so much character. I really don’t need to add much to this as the picture says it all.
But did you know that the breed has been traced back to the Spanish Conquistador Cortes? One of the war horses he brought to the new world was a sorrel and white pinto.
The descendants of this horse captured the attention of the Native Americans and they found them ideal for their terrain and lifestyle.
However, it wasn’t until the late 1950’s that the Pinto Horse Association was started in the attempt to preserve the breed. And in 1965 they merged with the American Paint Quarter Horse Association to form the American Paint Horse Association.
Considering that Cortes arrived with the first of these in 1519, that seems like a long time to wait for recognition. But the first Europeans to arrive in America didn’t desire these ‘painted’ animals and it took a while for them to win their hearts and minds.
Now they are highly prized and receiving the attention they deserve for not only their spectacular markings, but their solid conformation, intelligence, and temperament.
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Writingfeemail's Blog 
My cousin had a paint as a child; she was beautiful, too. Caramel & brown with a pretty face … smart, sturdy, tough and dependable. Thank you for the history on these beauties 🙂
MJ
I’d never heard the history, but they are beautiful horses! Love this picture…
I love horses of all kinds but these have always been my favorites for some reason.
I had never heard the history of these magnificent creatures before but I have always loved them! Thanks for the history lesson too!
Paints are some of my favorite horses. I grew up in the west and you see them everywhere. Good solid animal for riding or rodeo work. 🙂
Iconic American horse!
Hi,
What a gorgeous horse, such beautiful colours, and a very interesting history as well.
Thanks, Renee. I don’t know much about horses, but this is a pretty one!
I have not enough knowledge about horses. The only one I know is “Choco”. But the horse in the picture is really beautiful.
Renee, I didn’t even know there was a breed called Paint Ponies. It reminds me of a Joni Mitchell song where she sings about “painted ponies,” and now I’m wondering if that’s what she meant. Nice piece! I enjoyed learning about these beautiful creatures.
I love paint ponies. I love paint ponies. I love paint ponies. Sorry, but I do love paint ponies – they remind me of the wind and the open land and the sound of running horses. (OK I’ll sit quietly over here now…)
Darn, now I gotta go buy one cuz there so dang cute!
Ashley
Pretty cool w/his two blue eyes…I’m not a paint lover but like an old friend of the family used to say, “You don’t ride his color”…Well, you kinda do…but the wisdom was never lost on me! 🙂
~d.