In general terms, pinto can apply to any horse marked with unpigmented pink-skinned, white-haired areas on its coat.
[1] The need for the organization arose in part due to the exclusion of horses with excessive white, called cropouts, from many traditional breed registries.
Many registries that have relaxed their regulations regarding coat color in recent years historically denied papers to some examples of the breed.
Spotted horses also faced discrimination in the show ring, as solid coat colors were preferred.
This may be because whether or not a pattern crosses the back affects how the topline is perceived visually, such as when horses are judged on their conformation.
Horses that are labeled "tobiano" by the PtHA are described as having a coat that "appears to be white with large flowing spots of color, often overlapping.
Spots of white appear to be jagged and usually originate on the animal's side or belly spreading toward the neck, tail, legs and back.
Pleasure-type Pintos are suitable for pleasure riding and are typically of Arabian, Andalusian or Morgan breeding and conformation.
Some of these animals, depending on aptitude, may cross over into the Saddle type category, particularly the National Show Horse.