Leo Martínez
Paint horses are known for their distinctive coat patterns, which fall into three main types: tobiano, overo, and tovero. Tobiano is the most common colour pattern, caused by a dominant gene that results in a white or black base colour with large, irregularly shaped patches. Overo, on the other hand, refers to several genetically unrelated pinto coloration patterns of white-over-dark body markings, excluding tobiano. Tovero horses exhibit a combination of tobiano and overo colour patterns, often with greater white markings. While the specific causes of these colour patterns vary, they are influenced by genetics and inherited from parent horses. Understanding these patterns is crucial for horse enthusiasts, breeders, and owners, especially when registering paint horses with associations like the American Paint Horse Association (APHA).
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What You'll Learn
Tobiano is genetically dominant over overo
The tobiano gene is a dominant gene, which means that it will be expressed if it is present. This is in contrast to the overo gene, which is recessive and can be masked by the tobiano gene. In other words, if a horse has both tobiano and overo genes, it will express the tobiano colour pattern.
Tobiano is a spotted colour pattern commonly seen in pinto horses, produced by a dominant gene. The tobiano gene produces white-haired, pink-skinned patches on a base coat colour. The underlying skin of the white spots is pink, and black under the pigmented areas. The base colour can be predominantly black or white, with the patches of colour often concentrated around the flanks and hindquarters. The darker colour usually covers one or both flanks, and the tail may be two colours. Tobiano horses generally have white legs, at least below the hocks and knees, and the amount of white can vary widely. The head is typically dark, with white markings similar to those of a solid-coloured horse, such as a star, strip, or snip.
Overo, on the other hand, refers to several genetically unrelated pinto coloration patterns of white-over-dark body markings. Overo horses are what some people think of as regular-coloured horses with white spots over the dark colour. The hallmark characteristics of overo include white markings that are irregularly shaped, either scattered or splashed. The white pattern usually does not cross the horse's back between the withers and tail. The legs and bottom portion of the body are usually white, as is the head, and blue eyes are common.
The tovero colour pattern is a combination of tobiano and overo, exhibiting characteristics of both. Tovero horses have contrasting markings that are regular and distinct, with a shield-like appearance. They have dark pigmentation around the ears, which may expand to cover the forehead and/or eyes, and one or both eyes might be blue.
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Overo horses have dark legs and a dark topline
The paint horse breed is distinguished by three types of coat patterns: tobiano, overo, and tovero. Tobiano is the most common colour pattern in registered paint horses. The tobiano white pattern is genetically dominant over the overo gene, so a cross between a tobiano and an overo will produce tobiano or tovero offspring.
Overo horses are generally distinguished by their dark legs and dark colour over the topline. The term "overo" refers to several genetically unrelated pinto coloration patterns of white-over-dark body markings. It is a term used by the American Paint Horse Association to classify a set of pinto patterns that are not tobiano. Overo horses are predominantly dark or white, with distinctive white markings. The white markings are irregular and scattered or splashy. The white pattern usually does not cross the horse's back between the withers and tail. Overo horses commonly exhibit distinctive facial markings, such as bald, apron, or bonnet faces. Many overo horses have all four legs dark or at least one dark leg. The tail is usually one colour.
The three sub-types of overo patterns are frame overo, splashed white overo, and sabino overo. Frame overo horses have white spots on the flanks and face, surrounded by a dark "frame" of colour. Splashed white overo horses look like they have been dipped in white paint, with white legs and a white head. Sabino overo horses have irregular spotting, usually on the legs, belly, and face, with extensive roaning.
Tovero horses have a combination of overo and tobiano colour patterns. They are mostly white and exhibit several coat patterns simultaneously. They have dark pigmentation around the ears, which may extend to the forehead and eyes.
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Tobiano horses are mostly white
The tobiano pattern is characterised by extensive, asymmetrical patches of colour that stretch across the horse's body. The base colour can be predominantly black or white, with large, irregularly shaped patches. The white markings are regular and distinct, with clear borders, giving the appearance of a shield. The darker colour usually covers one or both flanks, with spots often concentrated around the hindquarters. The legs are usually white, at least below the hocks and knees, and the tail often has two colours. The head markings are typically solid-coloured, similar to those of non-paint horses, and may include a blaze, strip, star, or snip.
Tovero horses, on the other hand, are a combination of tobiano and overo colour patterns. They are mostly white, with contrasting markings that are regular and distinct, like those of tobiano horses. They may have dark pigmentation around the ears, which can extend to the forehead and eyes, and their tails may have spots of various sizes at the base.
In contrast, overo horses are predominantly dark or white, with irregular white markings. They have dark legs and colour over the topline, and their white markings usually do not cross the horse's back. They often have distinctive facial markings and blue eyes.
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Tovero horses have a combination of tobiano and overo patterns
Tovero horses are a combination of tobiano and overo colour patterns. The tobiano pattern is genetically dominant over the overo pattern, so a cross between the two will result in a tovero foal. Tovero horses are mostly white, with dark pigmentation around the ears, which may spread to the forehead and eyes. They have a white coat that dominates the body, with contrasting markings that are regular and distinct, appearing as ovals or round patterns that extend down over the neck and chest, giving the appearance of a shield. The tail may have spots of various sizes at the base.
Tovero horses may have one or both eyes blue, and dark pigmentation around the mouth, which may extend up the sides of the face and form spots. The flank spots range in size and are often accompanied by smaller spots that extend forward across the barrel, and up over the loin.
Tovero horses can have a completely different coat pattern on either side of their body, with tobiano on one side and overo on the other. They may also exhibit several coat patterns at once. For example, "Bussy" is a mostly white tovero horse that exhibits several coat patterns at once, including framed overo and tobiano traits.
The genetics of pinto coloration are not always fully understood, and some horses have a combination of patterns that does not fit cleanly into either the tobiano or overo category.
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Sabino is a type of overo pattern
Sabino is a generic description for a group of similar white spotting patterns. These include high white stockings on all four feet, often extending up the legs with jagged edges, a fairly white head, with markings often extending past the eyes, and roaning at the edges of white markings. Other characteristics of sabino can include lip spots, "lacing," and white patches on the lower barrel that may extend to the flanks.
The term "sabino" was in use prior to the mapping of the horse genome to describe a wide range of pinto spotting patterns that are characterised by irregular edges. Horses described as Sabino can have varying amounts of white, from bold white face and leg markings all the way up to fully white coats. Sabino patterns often have speckling and roaning. The different white spotting patterns usually have some consistency in the areas of the horse that are white and pigmented.
The American Paint Horse Association still groups sabino patterns in its "overo" family of colour patterns, even though sabino, splashed white, and frame overo are produced by different genetic mechanisms and are visually distinct. The APHA classification system was created before modern genetic studies, so it was based on physical description rather than genetics. In Spanish-speaking countries, the term "overo" refers to horses with what are called "sabino" patterns in English.
It is important to note that not all white horses are sabino-white or even dominant white. Combinations of other white spotting patterns, such as tobiano with heterozygous frame overo, can produce a horse that is 90% white or more.
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Frequently asked questions
A tobiano horse is characterised by a white or black base colour with large, irregularly shaped patches. The amount of white can vary, but they are generally more white than dark. They have white legs and white over the topline somewhere between the ears and tailhead. Most have a dark head with rounded colour patterns on the body. The tail often has two colours.
Overo horses are what I think of as regular-coloured horses with white spots over the dark colour. Opposite of tobianos, these horses have dark legs and dark colour over the topline. The overo horses are more likely to have a lot of white extending over the face and blue eyes. Overo refers to several genetically unrelated pinto coloration patterns of white-over-dark body markings in horses.
A tovero horse has a combination of overo and tobiano colour patterns. A mostly white horse can be exhibiting several coat patterns at once. They often display greater white markings. Dark pigmentation is often found around the ears, which might expand to cover the forehead and/or eyes. One or both eyes might be blue.
