Barock Pinto horses are a relatively young horse breed originating from Friesland. This extraordinary breed – the beauty of which was also admired outside of the Netherlands – was created by crossbreeding Friesian mares with dappled Old Gelderland horses in the 1950s. The Barock Pinto horse breed goes back to a stallion named Bonte Nico, who was known for his striking dappled pattern. The word “pinto” contained in the name means “painted, dappled” in Spanish and refers to the breed's most important feature: the beautiful horses’ black and white pattern. All horses from the Pinto family must meet certain requirements regarding their coat to be recognized as such. If a horse only has a single spot that differs from the coat’s foundation color, proof of this area measuring at least 500 cm² is required. Horses with purely black coats can also be included in the breeding register. For this, they need to have at least two areas of white with a diameter of at least ten centimeters.
The beautiful, dappled warm-blooded horses that are commonly referred to as “colorful Friesian horses”, look similar to other Friesian horses. The term “Barock” (baroque) refers to the horses' baroque physique. They have a square body shape that is typical for baroque horses and an elegant head with small ears and beautiful big eyes. They are also distinguished by their strong neck, a wide chest, and well-developed muscles on the hindquarters. The horses are black and white with an overo (white-over-dark) or tobiano (white-haired, pink-skinned patches on a base coat color) pattern. Barock Pinto horses typically also have a long tail, a lush mane and extensive feathering.