Comments on: What is an American Paint horse’s temperament like?

By: Jim J

Jim J — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 23:13:59 +0000

My QH Paint is very laid back. He is a bit on the lazy side but for me that is fine. My sister in law likes to say "At least when you fall off you’ll be in your yard"

I hobbled him for the first time Sunday (with my trainer) and after a half dozen tugs to try to get out of the hobbles he just stood there for an hour.

I think it depends on the horse more than the coloration.
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By: Ayla B

Ayla B — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:46:59 +0000

I agree with paintgirl.
I have owned them most all my life and they have all been good hearted, willing, and have a nice nature.
Of course, with every breed, there is always a bad apple in the bunch!
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By: silvaspurranch

silvaspurranch — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:16:59 +0000

It really varies from breeding and such. But one thing remains the same…it takes a certain person to get along with a paint. I was once told that by an old indian cheif in Las Vegas when I went to Paint World Show. He said he believes that a person is drawn to a paint because they have kindred spirits.

Overall they are very warm, loving, forgiving and tolerant animals. Most paints I’ve owned have a wierd sense of humour. And so intelligent. My favorite boy will poop in one place while he is tied. And I have seen him actually move to the perfect measurements to make the barn grooms step in his crap. And low and behold he’ll start shaking his head and smiling…literally smiling. And my others are full of themselves.

They know they are all beautiful and unique and most aren’t afraid to show it and they won’t ever let YOU forget it.

.
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breeder, trainer, competitor, and ranch owner. APHA, AQHA, NCHA, NRHA, NRCHA, and NARHA member.

and retired equine and large animal veterinarian.

By: K H

K H — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:11:59 +0000

You will get everything from calm to hot. Some are more thoroughbredish, some are more like a draft breed.
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By: farmboy702003

farmboy702003 — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:45:59 +0000

My paints are Mr. Norfleet bred they all have a good calm personality & a real willingness to learn. Like others have mentioned..you will find problem horses in every breed. I think they are the best in all around performance & good looks.
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By: cowgirl22

cowgirl22 — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 21:06:59 +0000

well, paints can only be a ture paint if it is 65% QH or TB, so it will have a QH or TB temperment–not too hot–not too lazy–simple.

my paint is sort a wierd…one minute she is as slow and lazy then all of a sudden, she’s prancing and crowhopping all over.
she is a QH paint.
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By: dorim_99

dorim_99 — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:57:59 +0000

Almost every Paint horse I know is laid back, curious, friendly and level headed. I've not seen a fiery one yet.
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By: paintgirl_h

paintgirl_h — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:41:59 +0000

Let’s consider what a Paint horse is – it is a Quarter horse or Thoroughbred with excessive color. That should give you a good idea of their temperment.
In my experience, AQHA or APHA horses that are bred to do cattle work tend to be more energetic and lively than many others in their breed. I consider a cattle horse to need characteristics of a border collie, they need to be energetic, hard working and focused or they couldn’t do their job. So that end of the Paint breed tend to be a bit more frisky and lively.
The AQHA and APHA horse that is bred to be Western pleasure horses are in general very quiet, laid back, forgiving and easy going. Most of those horses naturally want to move slowly, they often are non-spooky and calm even as foals. These are the types of horses that I am mostly involved with, and if you were to come to a Paint show you would see that that sort of horse is incredibly sensible and quiet as a whole. I see young horses stand rock steady as kids on scooters, barking dogs, umbrellas, applause and everything else goes on around them.
Many Hunter under saddle or jumping type Paints have a large amount of thoroughbred in them. Don’t forget that a registered Paint only needs on parent to be a Paint, the other can be a registered Thoroughbred, so some Paints are 3/4 Thoroughbred (or more!) and will have that breed’s temperment more than a Quarter horse temperment. These horses are often higher strung, somewhat more spooky, more energetic and less laid back. An English horses needs to move out willingly, a totally asleep horse often cannot do as good a job as a horse with a more energetic nature.
So I agree with your other posters that there is a big variety in a Paint horse’s temperment. On the whole I would say the breed is one of the more quiet and easy going breeds – generally much less fiery than my friend’s lovely Morgan horses, less reactive than Arabs and Thoroughbreds, but livelier than the draft breeds. I totally disagree with the one poster’s comments that a Paint would be a 7 on a scale from 1-10 of spookiness. In general many Paints would rate very low on this scale, perhaps only matched by the Quarter horse, some pony breeds and some draft crosses in quietness. Don’t forget that not every horse with patches of white are Paints – there are many pinto colored horses in every breed from Saddlebreds to Warm Bloods, and you cannot compare their temperment to a Paint’s temperment as they are bred totally differently, for totally different jobs.
This of course doesn’t count for the huge variences in how horses are trained and raised, which can totally change your horse’s natural temperment. But that is a totally different topic altogether, and much too long for today!
I hope that helps.
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I own, show and train Paint horses in Canada.

By: Paint Pony

Paint Pony — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:34:59 +0000

It depends on how they are bred, not the breed as a whole. You can breed for western pleasure and get a nice laid back horse, or breed for speed and get a hotter horse. List teh bloodlines you are looking at and you can get better information on how that particular line’s temperment is.
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Horse Owner for 35 years. Lifetime member of APHA. Own 7 paint horses

By: clyff12

clyff12 — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:28:59 +0000

They are very calm, quiet and pleasurable. They are a very smooth ride, and I would recommend them to a beginner rider (as long as you get a well trained one)
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