American paint horse

noun

variants or American Paint Horse

: any of a breed of horses developed in the U.S. from quarter horse or Thoroughbred ancestry that have irregular broad markings of white interspersed with some other solid color

While the colorful coat pattern is essential to the identity of the breed, American paint horses have strict bloodline requirements and a distinctive stock-horse body type …

—Alicia Doyle

American Paint Horses boast bright colors of bay, black or chestnut overlaying white in large patterns. It is a registered, pedigreed breed, which sets it apart from the similar pinto horse.

—Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Colorado)

Word History

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above