HORSE AND PONY BREEDS

14. THE PASO FINO

The Paso Fino is a naturally gaited light horse breed developed from Spanish ancestors. It is known for its presence, smooth-riding gaits and striking appearance.

Paso Finos are prized for their smooth, natural, four-beat ambling gait. They are used for many disciplines, including endurance, but are especially popular for trail riding due to their comfortable paces. For similar reasons, they are also popular mounts for people with back injuries as with them being so comfortable, you can ride all day!

History

The Paso Fino’s history goes back over 500 years. Christopher Columbus brought mares and stallions to the Dominican Republic during his explorations. These horses included Barb, Spanish, Jennet and Andalusian bloodlines, and the conquistadors rode them as they explored Latin America.

Over time these horses bred and produced new generations with impressive endurance abilities. These horses were elegant and had a smooth-riding comfortable gait. The offspring of these horses became the Paso Fino breed. Landowners in Puerto Rico and Columbia rode the horses on their plantations because they were so comfortable.

During World War II, American soldiers arriving in the Dominican Republic discovered the Paso Fino breed and its smooth gait. At the end of the war, soldiers bought Paso Finos and shipped them to North America. Since then, selective breeding has helped the modern Paso Fino to stay hardy with high endurance and versatility.

Characteristics

The Paso Fino tends to be refined in features but is a compact, strong and athletic horse. The horses stand at an average height of 13 to 15.2 hands (132 to 157cm), but they are very powerful for their size. Paso Finos don’t tend to reach their full height until five years of age. They have convex heads, clean legs and short backs. The cannon bones are pretty short, and the hooves are hard. The Paso Fino often also has a thick mane and tail, which tend to be long and flowing. The breed comes in all colours!

Character

The Paso Fino is a lively horse with a natural will to work. Paso Finos are known to have good temperaments and make great equine partners.

The gait

As noted above, one of the Paso Fino’s unique traits is his four-beat gait. This gait is natural to the Paso Fino breed, and the horses can perform it from birth!

The gait is incredibly smooth for the rider since the horse keeps a foot on the ground at all times. Unlike the trot, which creates a lot of up and down motion, the Paso Fino’s shoulders only move slightly up and down, allowing the horse’s back to absorb most of the movement. The result is a rhythmic gait that riders can sit for long distances.

Paso Finos perform this gait at three speeds:

• Classic Fino: This is a collected gait where the horse steps quickly but looks like he is almost dancing on the spot.

• Paso Corto: This is a medium gait with the speed of a trot and is ideal for covering long distances.

• Paso Largo: This is the fastest gait, and the horse can cover a lot of ground very quickly.

Final thoughts

We don’t know of any Paso Finos in South Africa, but we would love to find one! If you know of anyone with one of these special horses, please get in touch with our Editor, Lizzie, at lizzie@hqmagazine.co.za