Pintabian Horse Registry, Inc.
P.O. Box 360
Karlstad, Minnesota 56732
www.pintabianregistry.com
The Pintabian [pin-TAY´-bee-an] is a horse that has certainly created quite a stir in the horse industry. Known for its timeless beauty, this elegant animal has distinguishing characteristics that set it apart from all other breeds in the equine world. The Pintabian proudly sports the aristocratic class of the Arabian, combined with beautiful spotting.
The Pintabian was originally developed in North America by crossing horses with the tobiano pattern back to Arabians until a strain of tobianos with Arabian type was created. These highly esteemed spotted horses are, in fact, more than 99 percent Arabian in blood. It took dedicated horsemen with fortitude and foresight many years to bring this vivacious breed into existence. The Pintabian’s notable physical features and its engaging markings make it impossible to mistake it for a member of any other breed.
Foundation
The Arabian from which the Pintabian so strongly descends is considered the first breed of horse known to humans. Bedouin tribes from the Middle Eastern deserts believed the exquisite Arabian was a gift from God and even included Arabians as members of their households. These horses had their own look. They were prized and guarded zealously by their ancient breeders, who carefully protected the purity of the horses and painstakingly recorded their bloodlines.
The ideal Pintabian, such as this stallion, has impeccable conformation and stunning color. Pintabian Horse Registry
Beneath the stylish exterior of the Pintabian is a foundation that is ideal for pleasure or show. Pintabian Horse Registry
Purebred Arabians, however, did not have the tobiano spotting pattern. Many authorities believe tobiano spotting was introduced to Russia during the Roman Empire, where it became common among the wild horses of the Russian plains. Eventually horses with the same type of spotting spread throughout Europe. Later, tobiano spotting was found among horses brought to North America and was associated with Native Americans, who diligently sought them out for their attractive coloring. Native owners of such horses were regarded as affluent and wealthy.
The historic beauty of the Arabian and the flashy tobiano spotting are now combined in one breed, the Pintabian. The Pintabian Horse Registry, which was officially established in 1992, carries on the traditions of the early Bedouins by keeping accurate records and detailed pedigrees. Its first sanctioned breed show was held in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, in 2001 and drew exhibitors from as far away as Alberta, Canada, to compete. Since then, popularity of the Pintabian has spread and it can now be found in Africa, Australia, and Europe, in addition to North America.
Tobiano Pattern
Tobiano is a specific and attractive, non-symmetrical pattern of large irregular markings. The well-defined spots of a tobiano cover the body randomly, but white ordinarily crosses the topline at some point between the ears and the tail. The head is usually colored, but often has the white markings common to those of non-spotted horses (such as a star, strip, blaze, and/or snip). All four legs are generally white. The perfect example of this popular pattern is displayed on the Pintabian.
All tobianos are unique and can range from a largely white horse to one with little white. Most breeders credit the ideal tobiano as being 50 percent colored and 50 percent white.
Due to the simple dominant genetics involved in this spotting pattern, at least one parent must be a tobiano to produce a horse with tobiano markings. A tobiano cannot be produced by two non-tobiano horses.
While tobiano markings are one of its distinguishing characteristics, the Pintabian is not a color breed based solely on this trait.
Arabian Blood
Virtually all modern-day light horse breeds are believed to descend, with varying degrees, from the Arabian. Experts in the field of genetics have known for years that it was possible to augment the captivating tobiano spotting pattern into the Arabian to produce the Pintabian breed.
It is important to note, however, that the Pintabian is not merely a Pinto/Arabian cross. As breeders across the United States and Canada will emphatically explain, these spotted equines do not have 50 percent Arabian blood running through their veins, as the uninitiated may incorrectly believe the name Pintabian indicates. Knowledgeable horse people know that it took devoted breeders a minimum of seven consecutive generations of backcrossing horses with the dominant tobiano trait to purebred registered Arabians to achieve their beloved Pintabians. Since the Arabian is considered one of the purest breeds and the Pintabian is more than 99 percent Arabian, the Pintabian is also considered one of the purest breeds in the world today.
The following two-step mathematical equation is used to determine the percentage of Arabian blood of any particular horse:
• Add the percent of Arabian blood of the sire to the percent of Arabian blood of the dam.
• Divide the result by two.
• Crossbred example: If a Pinto stallion with no known Arabian blood is bred to a purebred Arabian mare, the result would be a crossbred that is 50 percent Arabian in blood. (0% + 100% =100; 100/2 = 50% Arabian blood.)
• Pintabian example: If a Pinto stallion that is verifiably 63/64ths Arabian, is bred to a purebred registered Arabian mare, the result (provided the offspring has tobiano markings) would be a Pintabian because it would carry over 99 percent Arabian blood. (98.4375% + 100%=198.4375; 198.4375/2=99.21875% Arabian blood.)
The chart below shows the degree and percentage of Arabian blood of each backcrossed generation:
Generation Degree Percentage
First generation=1/2 Arabian=50 percent Arabian blood
Second generation=3/4 Arabian=75 percent Arabian blood
Third generation=7/8 Arabian=87.5 percent Arabian blood
Fourth generation=15/16 Arabian=93.75 percent Arabian blood
Fifth generation=31/32 Arabian=96.875 percent Arabian blood
Sixth generation=63/64 Arabian=98.4375 percent Arabian blood
Seventh generation=127/128 Arabian=99.21875 percent Arabian blood (Pintabian)
Pintabians are born with an innate desire for human companionship. These are lovely foals. Courtesy Pintabian Horse Registry
A minimum of seven generations of backcrossing tobianos to Arabians results in a relatively pure strain of spotted horses with a distinctive appearance. Obviously, this takes dedication and determination on the part of the breeder to breed consistently for seven generations before obtaining a Pintabian, so this makes the breed quite valuable. These parti-colored horses have a standard set of characteristics, unlike crossbred horses, which are hybrids showing the attributes of two separate breeds.
Pintabians consistently produce offspring of similar body type and disposition because of the concentration of their breeding and, like their Arabian counterpart, are one of the purest breeds in existence.
Standards
Each Pintabian is uniquely marked and, quite predictably, physically resembles the Arabian. Traits include a head with a dished face and large, wide-set eyes. The neck is arched, the back is short and strong, the hip is relatively level, and the tail carriage is high.
Pintabians generally stand between 14.2 and 15.2 hands and weigh between 900 and 1,100 pounds.
They come in a variety of colors, which can include black, bay, buckskin, dun, chestnut, gray, grullo, and palomino, along with the contrasting white.
Beneath their stylish external appearance are horses that have the relentless staying power necessary for hard work. They are ideal for pleasure, showing, competitive and endurance sports, racing, driving, and they make wonderful youth and family horses. Known for their exceptional gracefulness, stamina, intelligence, versatility, and good disposition, their gentleness, tractability, and willing attitude make them suitable for children as well as adults.
Divisions
Horses that are less than 99 percent Arabian can’t be registered as Pintabians, even if they have spots.
Horses that possess the desired tobiano markings and that are more than 99 percent Arabian in blood (but less than 100 percent Arabian, as purebred Arabians do not come in the tobiano pattern), are registered as Pintabians in the Colored Division of the Pintabian Horse Registry. At least one parent must be a tobiano to qualify for registration as a Pintabian.
Horses that are more than 99 percent Arabian in blood (but less than 100 percent Arabian) without the desired tobiano markings may be used to produce Pintabians and are registered in the Breeding Stock Division.
When horses registered in the Breeding Stock Division are bred to Pintabians registered in the Colored Division, the resulting offspring are more than 99 percent Arabian in blood. If the offspring is tobiano spotted, they can be registered as Pintabians. By continually breeding horses from the Colored Division to either those in the Breeding Division or to another Pintabian, the possibilities of producing a Pintabian are greater because both carry the spotting gene and have the required Arabian blood (as opposed to breeding to another spotted horse or an Arabian with no spotting). In this way, foundation breeding stock is utilized and the breed is progressing more toward the ideal Pintabian. Purebred Arabians may also be used as outcross horses to allow for additional bloodlines and are registered in the Arabian Outcross Division. These horses are of a purebred registered Arabian heritage and are generally solid colored (without spots), but may possess patches of body white.
Pintabian Excellence
After much time and effort, foundation Pintabian breeders have finally seen their hopes and dreams come to fruition. They have successfully attained their goal of producing horses with the ability to perpetually pass on the many fine qualities associated with the Arabian, but with the added dazzle and appeal of spots, to future generations. Pintabians are, to their owners, the most beautiful horses in the world today.
Credit: Pintabian Horse Registry and Rozanne Rector