Home    Sales    Stallion    Events     Jeans Pampered Pets     last updated 5/3/08

LINDA BAILEY

If you fancy color, stamina, animated motion, and a trainable, sensitive horse, then perhaps the Pintabian is for you.

Let’s start our course on Pintabians with the proper pronunciation of the name, (pin-TAY-bee-an).

It is important that we address the criteria that makes the Pintabian a new breed rather than a horse that is in the color registries such as the Buckskin, Paint, Pinto and Appaloosa, etc.

First, a Pintabian horse must be of tobiano markings. A tobiano marked horse has a non-symmetrical pattern of large, irregular spots. The well defined spots cover the body randomly, but white crosses the top-line at some point between the ears and tail. There must be at least 18 square inches of white on the body of the horse. The head is usually soled, but often includes the white markings that are common to those of non-spotted horses (such as strip blaze, star and/or snip, etc.). All four legs are generally white, but can be partly colored.

Because, the tobiano gene is dominate, experts in the field of genetics have known for years that it is possible to breed this popular spotting pattern into the Arabian breed to produce a "relatively pure" strain of tobiano horses with over 99% Arabian blood, but it has only been in the last few years that a few breeders have actually begun to get excited about the commercial and esthetic value of what is now known as the Pintabian. As you may already know, the purebred Arabian horse does not naturally come in the tobiano pattern. Also, because of the genetic makeup of the tobiano gene, to produce a horse with these markings, at least one parent must be tobiano. Therefore, the Pintabian breed was developed by continually crossing a tobiano back to purebred Arabians.

The easiest way to figure the percentage of Arabian blood is to use this equation: Add the percent of Arab blood of the sire to the percent of Arab blood of the dam, Then divide this number by two. It is evident then, that blood typing and it’s manipulation is the factor that differentiates the Pintabian from the pigmented colored horse registries.

The Pintabian is produced with one parent 100% Arabian and one tobiano, high enough Arabian in blood to calculate 99.21875 or higher. It is of interest here to note that this combination produces a Pintabian foal that is registrable (whether of color or not) in the IAHA Registry an a Half-Arab. Their rule being that one parent must be 100% Arabian in blood.

When two Pintabians are crossed with each other, the resulting foal still carries over 99% Arabian blood. These horses are not eligible for the IAHA Registry. Pintabian foals without the desired markings are eligible for registration in the Pintabian Horse Registry as "Breeding Stock" .

Is your interest peaked? Would you like to breed, or purchase a Pintabian? Pintabians are still considered rare. It has taken many years to produce the foundation sires. As with all emerging breeds it will take many more years until the Pintabian becomes a household word. What the breed needs is time, dedicated breeders, and a strong horse market. If the Pintabian as a "new breed" is to reach its pinnacle of success, defined by a very wise sage as: The point at which geldings are numerous", then the greatest emphasis must be placed on careful, selective breeding. The Pintabian is eligible for triple registry with IAHA, PHA, and the PHRI.

Brian and Jennifer Henry, of Pritchard, B.C. have been raising Pintabians, as well as several other colored breeds, for several years. Their slogan, or creed is, "Colour without Compromise". No compromise of the wonderful Arabian conformation, It’s versatility, the lineage, and it’s poetry in motion. Only adding to, never diminishing the historical intent of the Arab foundation. It has been quite the challenge and dedication of time, money, love, and sometimes heartache. But, when you see one of these beauties you will know it has all been worth it!

My husband and I have just purchased Monarch’s Sin Glo, a bay and white colt from Jean’s Pampered Pets in Denison Iowa. This fellow is the only Pintabian stud north of Florida on the East Coast, and to our knowledge, the only Pintabian in New England. Jean tells us that she was surprised to learn a few years ago that her colt, My Merry Monarch, "Rex" was a Pintabian! She has been breeding fine Pintabians for several years now, and her stud "Rex" is one of the finest examples of what this new breed’s foundation sires should be. By injecting the Pinto gene the resulting horses have tempered the sometimes fiery temperament of the pure Arabian. Rex has been able to consistently throw carbon copies of himself.

Jean has been a staunch believer that the dam is as important in the breeding equation as the sire, and her brood mares represent the best of the proven Arabian lines.

There is a good deal of information to be found on the Internet by searching "Pintabian". Here you will find a few web sites that you can explore. "The Spotlight on Pintos" magazine published by Tuscany Arabians, in British Columbia is chock full of information , and the "Ink Spot" published by the Pintabian Registry, located at P. O. Box A, Karlstad, Minnesota 56732 does a fine job of explaining the breed and keeping registry records.

For those of you in the Northeast, Monarchs Sin Glo will be standing to a limited number of Arabian mares in the 1999 season. He and I both look forward to meeting you! We will be happy to help you obtain more information about this wonderful breed, or put you in contact with breeders who have horses available for sale in 1999. Send your inquiry to Sunflower Farms, RR 3 Box 7125, Winslow, Maine 04901.

               [Stallion] [Sales] [Picture Gallery] [Events] [About Pintabians] [News] [Favorite Links]  

Copyright 2008  pintabia.com