Page 164 - June 2017

A HoRsE of A
DIffEREnT ColoR
Your solid Paint might qualify for Regular Registry under APHA’s newest registration rule
by Desiree Heath, photos courtesy Paint Horse Journal
Have you ever had a Paint Horse whose mark- ings were too close to call when it came to Regular Registry? Maybe his white markings didn’t extend far enough across the body or that high white stocking just wasn’t high enough? These “close call” horses usually have to be classified as solid Paint-breds when their color doesn’t quite meet APHA’s requirements, but that’s changed for select horses under APHA’s new rule, RG-070.E.
Rule RG-070.E.
With this new rule, select solid Paint-breds are now allowed to advance to the Regular Registry IF they meet all three of the following criteria:
• Both sire and dam are APHA-registered
• Horse has at least one Paint trait
• Horse carries at least one Paint Pattern gene All three requirements must be satisfied to qualify for advancement to the Regular Regis- try under this rule.
Let’s go into more detail about each criterion.
First, the sire and the dam must be APHA- registered. This means that they can be in either the Regular Registry or Solid Paint-Bred Registry to qualify. As long as they are registered with the APHA, they meet the parentage requirement.
Second, the horse being considered must have at least one Paint trait. Nine accepted Paint traits are outlined in the APHA Rule Book under RG-070.G; they are:
• White leg markings extending above the
knees and/or hocks
• Blue eyes
• Apron or bald face, described as outside a
line from the inside corner of the eye to the
inside corner of the nostril
• White on the jaw or lower lip
• Blue zone around a natural Paint marking
• Two-colormane,onecolorbeingnaturalwhite
• Dark spots or freckles in white hair on the
face or legs
• White areas in the non-visible zone, exclud-
ing the head, completely surrounded by a
contrasting color
• A contrasting area of another color in the
non-visible zone, including the head, on a predominantly white horse
Finally, the horse being considered must carry at least one Paint Pattern gene, confirmed through DNA genetic testing at an APHA-approved lab. Many genes can create white patterns, but the most common and the ones that we test for are: Tobiano, Frame Overo (OLWS), Splash White (SW1, SW2, SW3), Sabino 1 (SB1), and Domi- nant White (W5, W10, W20). There are more than 20 known Dominant White genes that can cause white-spotting patterns, but the three listed here are the most common in the Paint breed.
To meet the third criteria, you must submit a DNA hair sample for testing through one
of our APHA partner labs: the University of California-Davis or Etalon Diagnostics. No other labs’ results are accepted. Testing should be done through APHA in conjunction with the lab; if it’s done directly through the lab, a $40 test result recording fee will apply.
UC-Davis offers a Color & Pattern Panel, and it can be ordered through APHA via telephone fax or email. To find the DNA order form, visit apha.com/forms/registration-forms/.
The other option is with Etalon Diagnostics and their All-Inclusive Panel. To order from Etalon, visit etalondiagnostics.com to create an account. Once you’re on the site, list all of the horses that you would like to test, click “Order Test” tab, and select the APHA $139 option. This option includes the recording fee with APHA.
APHA’s new RG-070.E. rule allows a horse to
earn Regular Registry status if he has an APHA- registered sire and dam, displays a Paint trait, and carries a Paint pattern gene confirmed through DNA testing. If your horse meets those requirements, he could be eligible for a status change with APHA.
I’ve Got the Golden Ticket!
So your horse meets all three criteria and is ready to be considered for Regular Registry—what do you do now? After you’ve gotten your genetic testing taken care of, it all depends on your horse’s current status. Is he already registered or not?
If your horse is already registered as a solid Paint-bred, you will follow the status change procedure as follows:
• Submit “Request for Corrected Certificate”
form indicating a status change
• Pay $75 status change fee
• Remit the original registration certificate • Remit photos of the qualifying Paint
characteristic(s), as outlined in the rulebook • Remit DNA genetic testing order form from
an APHA-approved lab
• Order this through APHA
The materials will then go through the Registra- tion Review Committee to be reviewed for approval.
If your horse is not already registered, you will submit their materials as part of the registra- tion process; include extra photos of the qualify- ing characteristic and order your color/pattern panel testing at this time.
If the Registration Review Committee deems a horse eligible to advance into the Regular Reg- istry, that horse’s papers will include a notation in the “remarks” section denoting the qualifying trait(s) and genetic testing results.
Horses’ white markings sometimes don’t extend quite far enough to earn Regular Registry status under APHA rules. This new rule helps horses that look like Paints and have two Paint parents earn a more accurate registry classification based on their genes.
162 SPEEDHORSE, June 2017
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