Paso Fino Horses

The Paso Fino Horse is a splendid, naturally-gaited horse originally from Spain. They are a mix of Barb, Spanish Jennet, and Andalusian and were bred by Spanish land owners in Puerto Rico and Colombia to be used as working horses on the plantations. They were revered for their endurance, and their comfortable ride They gained popularity in the USA in the 1950s and 1960s, with some claiming the Paso Fino is the smoothest riding horse in the world because of its natural, four beat gait that can be performed at varying speeds. The Paso Fino is described as having 3 variations of the same gate.

1. The classic fino is a collected gait with rapid footfall that covers little ground but is showy.

2. The paso corto is a moderate gait good for trail riding.

3. The paso largo is a fast gait in which the horse can reach speeds equivalent to a canter or slow gallop.

Not all paso finos can perform the classic fino, but the majority perform the other gaits with ease. These horses are versatile and can be used for trail riding, endurance riding, or in the show ring. This is a lively horse that has a natural drive and willingness, known colloquially as "brio".In Colombia there are some other gaits, namely: trocha, trocha-and-galope and trote-and-galope. Even though they are not four beat gaits (they are diagonal, two beat gaits), they retain much of the smoothness of the paso fino because of their common heritage, when paso finos were bred with modern Spanish horses around 1960's, making these gaits a stable phenomenon (before this time, these gaits were performed by paso finos only when asked by the rider and for a limited time); the pureness of the gait is very important by today's standards, therefore horses with a marked and exclusive gait, with a strong ascendance of same gaited ancestors is much preferred for professional breeding. Not as known as paso fino, these gaits are just starting to get recognized in US.

The Paso Fino Horse is a beautiful, naturally-gaited horse with a history dating back several centuries to Spain. The Paso Fino is a mix of the Barb, Spanish Jennet, and Andalusian and was bred by Spanish land owners in Puerto Rico and Colombia to be used in the plantations because of their endurance and the comfortable ride they provided.

The rise of the Paso Fino in the United States began in the 1950s and 1960s, and today, the Paso Fino Horse Association oversees and regulates registered Paso Finos there.

Its aficionados claim that the Paso Fino is the smoothest riding horse in the world because of its natural, four beat gait that can be performed at varying speeds. The classic fino is a collected gait with rapid footfall that covers little ground but is showy. The paso corto is a moderate gait good for trail riding, and the paso largo is a fast gait in which the horse can reach speeds equivalent to a canter or slow gallop. Not all paso finos can perform the classic fino, but the majority perform the other gaits with ease. These horses are versatile and can be used for trail riding, endurance riding, or in the show ring. This is a lively horse that has a natural drive and willingness, known colloquially as "brio".

In Colombia there are some other gaits, namely: trocha, trocha-and-galope and trote-and-galope. Even though they are not four beat gaits (they are diagonal, two beat gaits), they retain much of the smoothness of the paso fino because of their common heritage, when paso finos were bred with modern spanish horses around 1960's, making these gaits a stable phenomenon (before this time, these gaits were performed by paso finos only when asked by the rider and for a limited time); the pureness of the gait is very important by today's standards, therefore horses with a marked and exclusive gait, with a strong ascendance of same gaited ancestors is much prefered for professional breeding. Not as known as paso fino, these gaits are just starting to get recognized in US.