# What is our Bella Girl???



## tecara (Nov 28, 2011)

My husband fell in love with an 18 yrs old horse and sent me pictures... My first reaction was OMG what an ugly horse... Once we got her home and cleaned up... She wasn't as ugly as the first pics made her out to be. I am wondering what her color would be called? Now that her winter coat is in she is all but totally white. The black is only seen when she is wet now. 

Also we were told she's arab/mustang... I really have problems believing that... Though she does hold her tail to one side when being worked or ridden.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

A pinto that has greyed out. You can still see the markings when she is wet, because of the different skin colours.


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Yep, gray tobiano. Most likely on the tobi, anyway--hard to make out her markings. I'd doubt her breed, too. Just looks like a Paint to me....


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I could see Arab/Mustang. Her croup and whole hindquarter area looks like most of the Arabians I've seen.


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## RiddlesDarkAngel5 (Jun 2, 2009)

I agree. She looks like gray tobiano. As for the breed, id say paint/arab cross, but im not certain. Whatever she is she's adorable =)


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## HorseLovinLady (Jul 18, 2011)

I'd say paint/mustang cross. She sure is pretty and welcome to the forum!


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## tecara (Nov 28, 2011)

Thank you for the suggestions and welcome... Really love the forum and look forward to participating as much as possible.

Yes she is really a pretty girl now... but what really won me over is her great personality!!! I was thinking foundation QH in her because of how muscular she is... even though she hasn't been worked much she still has very defined muscles. I wish there was a way of knowing for sure, not that it really matters just would be nice to know.


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## BlackCricket (Oct 20, 2011)

tobiano/splash for her pattern. She is a lovely lady


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## lilruffian (Jun 28, 2010)

I can see a little arab in her if you look hard, especially in her hindquarters and even a tiny bit in her face. As for the mustang part, that would be probably close to impossible to tell since mustangs dont generally have many breed specific characteristics to go by.
My guess would be that there is some paint in there as well


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

I agree on the colour. Arabian, though? Maybe if she is a real small percentage.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

she could be an arab mustang cross. alot of mustangs are pinto colored anyway. and arabs when cross bred are pinto colored. but it really is hard to tell.


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

lilkitty90 said:


> she could be an arab mustang cross. alot of mustangs are pinto colored anyway. and arabs when cross bred are pinto colored. but it really is hard to tell.


I have several purebred 'pinto' Arabians. They come is a variety of colours/patterns. Colour had nothing to do with my opinion.
That's just me though.


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Pinto Arabs are not tobiano. Doesn't exist in their gene pool.

Neither Arabians nor Mustangs are that thick and bulky, with very rare exceptions in the latter's case.










Look at that giant stock horse butt, and at the thick, heavily muscled legs! She even has a bit of a Roman head--the opposite of the typical Arab face. She may very well be a cross-bred of some sort, but I definitely see no substantial hints of Arab or 'Stang.


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## tecara (Nov 28, 2011)

bubba13 said:


> Pinto Arabs are not tobiano. Doesn't exist in their gene pool.
> 
> Neither Arabians nor Mustangs are that thick and bulky, with very rare exceptions in the latter's case.
> 
> Look at that giant stock horse butt, and at the thick, heavily muscled legs! She even has a bit of a Roman head--the opposite of the typical Arab face. She may very well be a cross-bred of some sort, but I definitely see no substantial hints of Arab or 'Stang.


Her thickness was what makes me question what we were told. For 18 and not being worked, she is really muscular for sure! Sorry for my ignorance but what is "Roman head"? So would it be worth doing the genetic color test?? Could eliminate some possible breeds???

Also she has a "rotation" when she walks... Could that be a breed specific trait?? Her hips and legs are sound the vet tells us and her hoofs are well done as well... Just wondering


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

Not sure what you mean by "rotation."
There is also, unfortunately, no genetic test for determining breed. And you don't need to color test her; she's clearly a gray pinto.
"Roman" refers to a convex rather than concave head.

This is a pretty extreme example:









But compare that to the classic Arabian dish:









And a nice QH head:


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I agree with Bubba13. She looks like a stock horse to me. I would venture to guess she is likely even be a purebred Paint. 

I don't see Arabian. And Mustang, well, what is Mustang anyway? I own a Mustang and he looks like a small Belgian or bulldog QH. Other Mustangs look lanky, others more drafty, others more thoroughbredy. Some are the size of ponies, others full sized horses. I never really "get" what a Mustang is supposed to look like. They can look like anything. 

What I see looks a lot like a Paint horse, which also explains the color.


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

I think that the rotation you are talking about would have to be dishing. This is a fault, not a breed trait.


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## tecara (Nov 28, 2011)

Chiilaa said:


> I think that the rotation you are talking about would have to be dishing. This is a fault, not a breed trait.


Dishing??

It's like she is wiggling her butt. It's sorta cute. Well found it cute once we found out she wasn't injured.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Oh ok. Butt thing. No idea.

Dishing or paddling is when the feet go sideways in an arc as they go forward.


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## bubba13 (Jan 6, 2007)

I'd love to see a video of her movement....


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## WSArabians (Apr 14, 2008)

bubba13 said:


> Pinto Arabs are not tobiano. Doesn't exist in their gene pool.


Neither does overo. That's why I said "pinto". 
But I think we can agree on the no Arabian part. 

As for the our test, that is up to you if you want to put more into an aged grade mare. It will satisfy your colour curiousty, but they won't give you a breed. 
I'd just love her!


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## BlackCricket (Oct 20, 2011)

overo is anything other than tobiano, so overo does exist in arabs in sabino and splash  Just not frame. I don't believe they clump Dominant White in the overo catagory though, and I'm not sure why...as it is a KIT mutation (Sabino is also a KIT mutation)...and Arabs have it too. 
There was a big "to-do" with a "purebred registered tobiano arabian" a few years ago...but it was later found out her papers and such were all falsified.


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## BlackCricket (Oct 20, 2011)

as far as a breed goes...she looks all the world like my friends TWH/QH and STB/QH crosses..LOL I think it's the face....


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## tecara (Nov 28, 2011)

Oh we do love her... She is showing such an amazing personality!!! Some place along the line she had some professional training too because she preforms more then we told she could when we got her. Actually we were told that she was stiff and sore and couldn't do this and that except maybe some light trail riding ( I think hubby took her more out of pity then anything else... we have no regrets that's for sure).... After some love and attention she has proven she wants to and can do so much more!!! 

I was more curious because of what we were told about her breeding and what I see when I look at her... One way or the other she has a forever home with lots of love and attention... and in the end that's all that really matters!!!


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