Animals

Since Pintos come from many different breeds, their origin is variable. It is claimed that when Cortes came to America in the 1500's, he brought with him two Overo type horses. The term Pinto is derived from the Spanish word for painted: Pintado. Used as a warhorse by American Indians since the coloring provided camouflage.
The Pinto horse is a color breed in contrast to most other breeds which are defined by their genetic ancestry. In America, the Pinto is regarded as a proper breed. The Pinto does not have consistent conformation since it is bred for color. Pintos may be from a variety of breeds, ranging from Thoroughbred to Miniatures. There are four acknowledged types of conformation however: the Saddle type, Stock type, Hunter type and Racing type.
Height
12 - 14 hands. Pintos standing between 12 and 14 hands are registered as ponies; those between 14.1 and 16 hands are registered as horses.

Pintos have a dark background coloring and upon this color random patches of white. The Pinto coloration may occur in any breed or specific conformation. However, the Pinto Horse Association of America does not accept horses with Appaloosa or Draft breeding or characteristics. There are two color patterns acceptable for registration, "Overo" and "Tobiano".

The Arab horse originates from the desert lands of Asia and the most famous are the horses of the Bedouin Arabs, known as the Original or Elite Arab. Through selective breeding the Bedouins developed an Arab horse which was tough and yet beautiful. It was these Arab horses that were used as a cavalry horse by the Moslems and taken to North Africa and into Spain and France. Many Arab horses were left behind when the Moslems left and were left to breed with local horses creating such breeds as the Andalusian.
Small head with concave profile, large eyes and small muzzle, arched neck, sloping shoulder, strong level back, strong hindquarters, strong legs. Tail carried high, fast and free action, plenty of stamina.

The Standardbred is the fastest harness horse in the world, fueling the passion in the US for harness racing. The Standardbred eclipsed the old favorite of harness racing, the Morgan, by reducing the standard times for the mile by a full minute.
Bred in the mid 19th century, the Standardbred is widely considered as the fastest harness racing horse in the world. This particular breed can be traced back to 1788 to a Thoroughbred stallion called Messenger (a Darley Arabian descendent). This horse is bred for speed not conformation. In 1871, the American Trotting Register was founded. In 1879, a racing "standard" was laid down. Over a distance of 1 mile, trotters were to clock in at 2 minutes 30 seconds, pacers at 2 minutes 25 seconds. These "standards" gave the breed its name. The average speed of these "races" is 30 m.p.h. Since 1879, harness racing has become a hugely popular sport worldwide. It is found in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Germany, France and Russia.