Peruvian Paso Horse Australia

Breed Type: Light Gaited Horse
Country of Origin: Peru
Size: 142 to 152 cm high at the withers
Popularity in Australia: Rare, but with their own associations and clubs
Used as: Pleasure riding horse, specialist show events specific to the breed

The Peruvian Paso is a gaited horse, gaited horses are popular in the US but was only a small yet loyal fan base in Australia with stock, Showjumping and heavy horses are more well-known. The famous for their smooth ride in the breed specific four bit little gate referred to as the paso llano in their outward swinging leg action called the termino.

History
Unlike many other breeds who can trace their history back to the Middle Ages the Peruvian Paso horse was never bred as either a heavy cavalry mount, working or heavy horse - it was always bred as a riding horse were the important traits or a comfortable ride partnered with high endurance. The Peruvian Paso has as its ancestors the Jennet horse which was famous for its relaxed gait, and the Barb horse whose notability to strengthen endurance has seen them included in the development of many modern breeds in order pass this trait.

Following the Spanish conquest of South America the ancestors to the Peruvian Paso arrived and quickly became popular. Prue was primarily developed as an agricultural power with large sugar and cotton plantations that required the farmers to travel vast distances to manage them. Cattle and other livestock stations were never a big part of the Peruvian landscape of the horses primarily developed in Peru on farms were long-distance transport horses as opposed to stock horses.

Over the following 400 years the Peruvian Paso was further improved as the best horses were kept by breeders to improve the breed with a focus on gate confirmation and temperament. The result was a hardy horse smooth movement that was easy to manage.
Industrialisation in the motorcar saw them suffer a massive decline in popularity as experienced by most horses in the 20th century. Many breeders moved onto other things and gave away or sold their prime breeding stock. One breed of their continued, Gustavo de la Borda, discovered one of these abandoned stallions and recognising as quality bought the horse and introduced it into his own breeding program. He named this stallion Sol de Oro and it went on to become perhaps the most influencing stay in on the breed.

As its popularity within its homeland diminished it’s amazing gate and comfortable ride resulted in it exportation and development in the US. With such a richness of pleasure riding and eventing in the US in appear at one stage the horse would die off in Peru Withers development being completely left to the US. Fortunately steps were taken to ensure its heritage in Peru and with a national show celebrating prove in culture it seems that the Peruvian Paso within Peru is here to stay.

Appearance
The Peruvian Paso is a light riding horse standing between 142 to 155 cm tall. Their build is elegance and powerful without the squatness and short back of a stock horse. Thest is deep, the neck is heavy, they have a low set tail. Stallions are visibly more masculine than mares with a broader chest and longer sticker neck. They are known to be of unflappable temperament and are highly willing mounts. They are seen in almost every colour including brown, black, Bay, chestnut, Palomino, buckskin, Roan, grey, and dun this solid colours, greys and dark solid colours most preferred.

Gait
The Peruvian Paso does not trot instead performing a four beat gait somewhere between a walk on a canter. There are two different versions of this gait, the paso llano and the sobreandando with the latter being a faster gate.

The four beat gait is less tiring and jarring on a horse than a canter and greatly less uncomfortable on a rider than the trot. This gait enabled both horse and rider to cover long distances in comfort without tiring. This gait is a natural gate to the horse not requiring extensive training.

Termino
Curiously leading trait of the Peruvian Paso is the way they swing their legs outward during this four beat gait, this swinging out being referred to as “Termino”. The amount of roll depends very much on the horse.

Peruvian Paso in Australia
Whilst the gaited breeds are perhaps not as well known to the general public a stock horse, raising horses and shopping horses they do have a devoted and passionate following. If you're interested in learning more about these forces were acquiring one visited Gaited Horses Downunder or Paso Central