Colored Cowhorse Ranch

There are a some issues that are out there and of concern to horse owners and breeders.  Hopefully this page will give some basic information on these and for those that are interested or affected you can do searches on-line for more info or for groups that are actively involved in these issues. 

Solid Paint Breds

These are horses that have APHA registered Paints but don't have enough white markings to qualify for Regular Registry papers.  This means that there are limited opportunities within APHA shows for these horses to show or earn points. 

One of the problems with the SPB's is that some of them truly are solid horses without the genetics to produce "color" (white markings) while others DO have color genetics but lack sufficient expression to qualify for regular registry papers.  This means they are less likely to be used for breeding and that their bloodlines may well not be part of the gene pool no matter how good a quality horse the individual is. 

APHA has historically changed the amount of white markings and the location of those markings to qualify for regular registry papers over time.  This means that the definition of a "Paint" is subjective at least to some degree.  APHA has also historically stated that the solid horses are a risk one takes when breeding Paints and that they are essentially "breeding failures" meaning that despite the efforts of the breeder the foal didn't get enough white markings in the right locations to get regular registry papers.  They argue that breeders of Paints just need to understand this possibility and to expect a certain level of non-colored horses. These horses, due to lack of equal showing opportunities within the breed association, are seen as being of less value.   APHA has suggested that these horses either go to owners such as 4-H families or that they show in other associations that have no color requirements such as NCHA, NSBA, NRCHA, NRHA etc. and if they do show well there APHA will be happy to provide PAC points.   APHA has also argued that allowing the solid horses to show next to the colored horses in the show ring would somehow reduce the value of the colored horses.  They have adamantly denied the possibility of solids and colors showing next to each other, claiming among other things that allowing for solids and colored horses in the same classes would make the classes too big and separate classes would make the shows too long.   

NAIS

This is the US Dept of Agricultures program that has a goal of permanently identifying every animal that could be part of the food supply or affect animals in the food supply and to develop a means of tracking any contact between animals within a 48 hour period.  There is a lot of information, misinformation, rumors and fear regarding this program.  The USDA feels it is important to implement this while many breeders of livestock of various kinds feel it is intrusive, that there are already procedures in place to accomplish the same results and that the cost of this program to small farmers and owners of single or small groups of animals is burdensome at best.