Overo Paint

Overo Characteristics

1. Generally white will not cross the back between the withers and the dock of the tail.

2. An overo may have no white markings on their legs to the extremely high four white socks.

3. Overo horses generally have white markings on their faces. Usually there is a blaze or more, this would also include an apron or bonnet face markings.

4. The horse tail is generally one color.

5. The overo markings are generally scattered and irregular.

6. Overos can be either predominantly dark or white.

Overo genetics are not as well understood as tobiano genetics. There may be as many as 10 genes producing the overo color, but it is easier then the Tovero genetics below which may have as many as 16 genes producing the characteristic color. I have read several books which state that the gene is recessive but the studies which have been released recently say that the gene is dominant.

There are also genetic problems such as lethal white which is fatal to the horses which receive an overo gene from each parent. A lethal white foal is essentially a homozygous overo. There have been some solid horses by an overo which have produced overo color when bred to other solid horses. This phenomena is not explained if the gene is truly dominant.