Do tri-colors really exsist?

I've seen alot of threads lately with supposed tri colored paints that are really just bay paints. So I kind of decided it was extremely rare if possible at all. But today we were drivig down the road ( on vacation in Stockholm) and I saw a cute paint with brown spots and a jet black mane and tail, but as we got closer I saw on his neck was a largeish prominent black spot! I had never seem this before! Soo I'm wondering what is the genetics behind tri color? Is it possible? If not what could I have seen today? Sorry for the 20 questions :)
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I have a friend that had one. I'll have to see if I can find the pix. It was black/brown/white.....

Awesome! I find them so interesting! I wonder of he genetics are different than normal paints?
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This guy is a true tri-color.

A lot of people tend to mistake horses who have duo-colored hair as tricolored horses, or bay/black paints with sunbleached red hairs as tri-colored horses. In truth though, there are very few if any horses with more than two base colors. Bay paints are not tri-colors because if they were, any solid bay with white could also could be considered tri.

this guy confused me a bit, and I'm still researching whether he's a true tri or not. more...

click- wikipedia explanation

I believe that bridle would also be an offset of a true tri-color? I'm not sure though.

here is a nic thread on tri-colored paints once you scroll past all of the fake tri colored horses (the bays ) there is a little bit about dilutes and the difference about Bend 'or spots and some pictures of some real tri-colored horses also.

Either way, tricoloring is extremely rare and a very crazy thing. Interesting though, if you're into genetics!

ETA:
Looked up that funky pony also, out of curiosity. If you'd like, theres a whole bunch on him here awesome stuff!

Thanks Endiku, on my computer while hubby drives and couldn't find my link to the ponies' info page.

Thanks for such an informative post Endiku!! Do you think tri coloring is caused by some sort I'd chimerism?
*off to look at all the links* :)
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My Miniature gelding, Koda, is a weird sort of gray/tan pintaloosa. In some lights or angles his base color looks gray (in my avatar) and others he looks tan (below). He has pinto markings and spots. The spots on his hind end are brown. He is developing many small black spots on both shoulders. I'm not sure how to describe his color really. He is gray/tan with white patches and brown and black spots, so I guess he's sort of a tricolor. Any ideas? Oh and a teeny question, the black spots seem to be currently developing on his shoulders, he didn't have them before it seems, do horses with spotted markings develop new spots as they age?

Please, please excuse the horrible picture. He looks so weird here, but it's the only one I have where you can see the front and back spots. Plus he's a gangly yearling, and no show horse at that. But I promise he does not look that awful in person.

Can't really tell what colour he is from that pic at all to be honest. Same goes for the pictures that are in your album.

Here is a slightly more flattering picture but poorer lighting, sorry, I don't have many of him. His spots are visible here too. Since he has a weird color I guess I'll just stick to good ol' simple "gray pintaloosa".