Characteristics of the Pintabian Horse

Height:  14.2 hands to 15.2 hands at the withers, with occassional individuals going slightly over or under.

Weight:  Generally between 900 and 1,100 pounds.

Action:  Graceful and well-coordinated with a natural, easy stride; animated and stylish yet sure-footed and athletic.

Temperament:  Mannerly, responsive, enthusiastic and sensitive.  Gentleness is important.  

Attitude:  Docile and willing; possesses good sense and intelligence.

Head:  Beautifully formed and well-shaped with a broad forehead; concave face.

Eyes:  Bright, clear, prominent, kind and soft.

Nostils:  Large.

Muzzle:  Small.

Neck:  Well-arched with good length and definition; meets the shoulder smoothly.

Shoulder:  Long, well laid-back with good slope and withers.

Chest:  Broad.

Back:  Short, strong and muscular with ribs that spring well from the backbone.

Hindquarters:  Relatively level croup with good length of hip.

Tail:  Full, set on high and carried proudly.

Legs:  Straight and true both front and rear.

Bone:  Clean, hard and flat.

Feet:  Hard, strong and sound.

Markings:  Must have tobiano markings. (Tobiano is a non-symmetrical pattern of spots found in horses. The well-defined spots cover the body randomly but white crosses the topline at some point between the ears and the tail. The head is usually colored but often includes the white markings common to those of non-spotted horses such as a blaze, strip and/or snip. All four lower legs are generally white.)

Colors:  Many and varied; some of the base colors (the color of a tobiano that is not white) that a Pintabian horse may be are black, bay, buckskin, chestnut, dun, gray, grullo and palomino.

For more information about the characteristics of the Pintabian horse, see It's NOT "All About The Color".

Official Breeds Standards Guide Available

Review by Kate Tully of the "Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar" of the book
"The Official Horse Breeds Standards Guide" by  Fran Lynghaug
672 pages, hardcover, Voyageur Press, 2009 

I know what you are thinking...you already have a book of horse breeds, maybe even two or three.  This one, however, is a bit different.  Endorsed and verified by North American equine registries and containing information on over 118 breeds of horses and ponies, it is a real deal.  Ever heard of a Pintabian horse or a Racking Horse?  Well, now you can learn about these horse breeds, and also find out how to get in touch with their registries.  Lynghaug's exhaustive research has led to a book that's light on fluff, heavy on facts...and actually, it's just heavy in general, due to the hard cover and its 672 pages.

If you want to familiarize yourself with all the breeds in North America before buying a horse, or if you just want to expand your understanding of breeds, both common and uncommon, then this guide has a lot to offer you.  A few pages are dedicated to each breed, including color photos and information about the breed's history, characteristics, conformation, standards, and even social issues that may be affecting the breed (such as various wild horses). Each entry also includes contact information for the registry or club associated with it.  It's clear that these organizations contribute significantly to the detailed information about their beloved breed.  The breeds are organized alphabetically after being divided into six "types":  horses of the range, pleasure horses, gaited breeds, draft breeds, ponies and Warmbloods.  It should be noted that the book isn't concerned with only the breeds that "originated" in North America, but in fact all breeds that can currently be found here.  BOTTOM LINE:  Probably the most comprehensive breed guide available,

Order "The Official Horse Breeds Standards Guide" today!

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