Re: Paint and pinto coloring

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-11-30 23:10:09 EST, helgeson@lansford.ndak.net writes:

<< Yes, but a foal that is solid and does not have the pinto coloring or
 excessive white, can never produce a pinto or a paint. It can not throw
 a gene that is does not have. The only way that a breeding stock
 pinto/paint can have a pinto/paint foal is if it is breed to a
 pinto/paint.  <snip>
 
 There has been some RARE instances of two solid QH's throwing a paint
 overo foal. And for a time it was thought that the overo gene was
 recessive and did not show in the parents but showed in the foal. But
 now it is believe that the overo gene is dominate and that at closer
 study of the solid QH's that have thrown overo foals that one the the
 QH's exhibited white spots or excessive white. Which shows the overo
 gene. >>

Not so.  Cropouts are somewhat common in the QH breed.  Some family lines of
QH's are noted for producing cropouts and are much sought after by Paint
breeders.   I have personally witnessed cropouts from very minimally marked
parents.  One of the main Paint stallions in my practice is a cropout from
very "plain" QH parents--he is not very loud, but has produced more white than
he himself has when bred back to some pretty "plain" QH mares.  Some QH lines
are notorious for producing cropouts.  In fact, it was the QH registry's
refusal to accept cropouts that really gave the Paint registry the impetus to
get going in such a big way.  Breeding stock horses can and do sometimes
produce overo foals when bred to other breeding stock horses or to QH's--it
just isn't usually done because the odds are better breeding to a horse that
actually exhibits color.  I think you may be confusing the overo gene with the
tobiano gene which IS dominant--both color patterns are recognized by the
pinto and Paint people, but in order to produce a tobiano, one must start with
at least one tobiano parent.

And you are right--this is not particularly endurance related, but there seem
to be lots of folks curious about genetics, so I hope no one minds us
discussing this on list, and that those who aren't interested will use their
delete buttons....
 
Heidi