The Paso Fino can attribute its origins to Andalusians, Spanish Barbs, and Spanish Jennets arriving in the New World with Spanish Conquistadors more than 500 years ago. “Los Caballos de Paso Fino” (horses with the fine walk) were selectively bred for their smooth gaits and elegance over the centuries.
Paso Fino horse shows offer costume classes where the costume should relate to a time or actual situation that pertains to the history of the Paso Fino breed.
Caribbean and Latin American colonies bred the “Caballo de Criollo,” (Latin American horses) which included the Paso Fino. From Puerto Rico and Colombia, the breed spread to Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Aruba, and Venezuela. After WWII, Americans who had been stationed in Puerto Rico began importing the stunning Paso Finos into the States in the mid-1940s.
Characteristics
Paso Finos have fine heads with an intelligent face, large expressive eyes, gracefully arched necks, sloping shoulders, well-developed necks, sloping quarters with great depth of chest, strong backs, straight legs with short cannon bones, and luxurious, natural manes and tails.
An extremely willing horse that strives to please, the Paso Fino is spirited yet responsive and sensible. Unique to the breed is their smooth, evenly-spaced four-beat lateral gait, providing extreme comfort for the rider. The gait is performed at three speeds: Classic Fino (very slow), Paso Corto (moderate) and Paso Largo (fast)
This breed can be found in all colours, with or without white markings, and typically stands between 13-15.2 hands.
Uses
Called the “Smoothest Riding Horse in the World,” Paso Finos have been used to navigate the coffee plantations of Puerto Rico and are used for parades and breed demonstrations. They are often seen competing in Western classes such as trail, barrel racing, and team penning, and are also comfortable mounts for trail riding, endurance and competitive trail rides, as well as driving.
For more information, visit:
Paso Fino mare and foal.
