The type of horse named from the Spanish word meaning “painted” is a pinto. The word pinto can also mean “dappled” or “spotted,” fitting horses whose coats have large patches of white and another color.
Pinto describes a color pattern rather than one single breed. Pinto horses may have many different ancestries, and the pattern can be produced by genetically distinct forms such as tobiano, frame overo, splashed white and sabino. A horse may therefore be a pinto without belonging to a specific registered breed.
The term is often confused with Paint horse. An American Paint Horse is a recognized breed with particular bloodline requirements, while a pinto is generally identified by its coat pattern and may come from many breeds or combinations. Most Paint horses have pinto coloring, but not every pinto qualifies as an American Paint Horse.
Spotted and patchy horses have existed for thousands of years. Ancient DNA evidence has identified tobiano-patterned horses dating back roughly 5,600 years, and spotted horses appear in artwork from antiquity. European settlers and conquistadors later brought patterned horses to the Americas, where the coloring became especially influential in horse culture. Pinto patterns are also genetically different from the leopard spotting associated with Appaloosas.