While "Paint" can be interpreted as a horse's name, more broadly it refers to a type of horse. A paint horse typically has a base color with splashes of white. A related name ''pinto" is derived from a Spanish word that means spotted or blothched with colors. Jim Bob Tinsley lists several other names for this kind of horse, Indian Pony, circus horse, skewball, calico horse and piebald. The last one was restricted to those with black as the background color. Tinsley also says the word "hoolihan" refers to bulldogging which bacame a regular rodeo sport aaround 1900. So the song could mean that the cowboy got on his paint horse and headed to Montana to take part in cowboy skills sports. There is a similar word "hoo-ley-ann" that is a roping term used for a quick thow with a small loop. Tinsley adds that hoolihan also means to "hell around in town or 'paint it red'". In some collected versions the cowboy leads "an old dam" which could be 'Old Dan's mother. Get out Old Dan's mother?

rich r