So I have a really nice solid bay paint mare. She is half quarter horse, a fourth Throughbred, and a fourth paint horse. She doesn’t have the paint gene. I know a good Appaloosa stallion who has good conformation, should I breed them? I know some people hate this cross and some love them, is it that bad? Thanks
A paint horse is quarter horse, or a quarter horse/ tbd cross. If she is a solid bay and does not have the pinto gene, she is for all intents and purposes a quarter horse. The qh/appaloosa mix is quite common, in fact appies have been bred up to look more like qh in recent years, though I like the leggy old school appies myself :).
I would think that any opposition to mixing pinto and appaloosa would be the wacky colour patterns, which don’t fit the mold of what either pinto or appies fans want. I can’t see that anyone would have a problem with the mix you suggest, if the two horses were both good of their kind and complemented each other’s conformation. You might get Appie markings, but if your mare doesn’t have the pinto gene, you can’t get a pintaloosa.
BTW, have you tested her genetically, or are you just guessing? If she has just the merest snippet of white in a strange place, she has the pinto gene. If she is minimal pinto (maybe a dot of white on her neck under the main), then she has the pinto gene, it just didn’t express itself very strongly in this case.
There is no “paint gene”. If by that you mean she’s not a Tobiano, then you’re safe in that area.
However, Frame can hide very easily, so if you don’t want to end up with a visible Appy and Frame foal, you need to test her. Also, any white on her is from 1 or more pinto white pattern genetics.
As well, you need to make sure the ApHA stallion is negative for Frame if you don’t test. If the mare is negative, it doesn’t matter if he is, from a live foal perspective, but it still gives you the chance of a “pintaloosa”, so if you don’t want that, then make sure both are negative for Frame.
Even then, Splash exists in both, and getting the right combination of Splash genetics could mean a loud splash with appy genetics as well.
Registration may be an issue too.
If mare is registered APHA and stallion With ApHA neither registry will register the foal (from what I understand, I may be wrong but worth looking up).
If mare is AQHA and stallion ApHA that would be different
You are correct - couldn’t be registered with either if parents are cross-registry like this.
That’s fine if you’re happy with an unregistered horse of a different color/pattern. Depending on how the patterns express, you may get something that can be hardship registered with ApHC after it’s spayed or gelded.
Just…just don’t. Please. There are too many good horses going to slaughter in this world to breed just for the sake of breeding unless both your mare and the stallion have confirmed quality (like a ton of registered breed halter or performance points).
[QUOTE=BeaSting;8666416]
That’s fine if you’re happy with an unregistered horse of a different color/pattern. Depending on how the patterns express, you may get something that can be hardship registered with ApHC after it’s spayed or gelded.[/QUOTE]
Not if you admit that it has paint breeding.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8666469]
Not if you admit that it has paint breeding.[/QUOTE]
Enter “unknown” sire and/or dam. Plus, animal is spayed or neutered so won’t be bred.
In any case, when I was involved with breeding appaloosas in the 80’s, crossing paints and appys was a cardinal sin.
Which is not admitting it has paint breeding.
Since the OP will know, unknown does not really apply if they are being honest.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8666797]
Which is not admitting it has paint breeding.
Since the OP will know, unknown does not really apply if they are being honest.[/QUOTE]
True that. 
