Tobiano spotting is a pinto pattern that is present in the Paso Fino breed. The tobiano gene creates a pattern of white spots, with underlying pink skin, that can occur with any coat color. This spotting is present at birth and is stable throughout the life of the horse. The main characteristics of tobiano are:
* white across the back between the withers and the dock of the tail.
* spotting is arranged in a vertical pattern
* generally legs are white below the hocks and knees.
* face markings are that of a normal horse, i.e. star, snip, strip, blaze
* spots are rounded or oval shapes and generally the dark color will extend down the neck, giving the appearence of a shield.
* typically the dark color will cover at least one of the flank areas.
* the tail often has two colors.
Tobiano horses can be predominantly dark or white in appearance. The coat pattern is single gene dominant, and can be present in a homozygous condition. A true genetic tobiano will never produce a lethal white.
