American Paint Horse

The Spanish Conqistadors brought 16 war mounts to the Americas in 1519, and at least one of them was pinto colored. These Spanish horses were among the first to return to the Americas in the early 16th Century, and they were soon so common that they became popular targets of Indian raids. Many escaped captivity to become the founders of the mustang herds that ranged across the Great Plains. By the early 1800s, there were thousands of wild horses living in the West, and many of them were pinto colored. The Comanche Indians in particular favored pinto horses when white settlers generally did not, and it was this favoritism that helped to establish what would eventually become the American Paint Horse breed. Today, the American Paint Horse is one of the most popular breeds in the nation.