that existed back home. A number of servicemen brought Paso Finos with them upon returning home after World War II. It would be another two decades before Paso Fino were imported from Colombia, but word of this new breed was spreading and the demand was increasing quickly. American breeders, still learning about the breed, had to deal with cultural differences, language barriers, distance and the cost of importation as they continued to import breeding stock.
No doubt all of these factors played roles in the selection of horses that arrived in North America. There were those that recognized and enjoyed the horse that could perform more of the Paso Fino gaits, a remarkably versatile horse. These horses were capable of working on the ranches, hitting the trails but could also attend the weekend shows participating in the pleasure classes. Others recognized the exquisite, short strided show horse, those capable of performing the highly collected show gait. All of these horses were prized by owners and breeders alike. The timing was now perfect for creating the first
Paso Fino Gaits
Classic Fino - the horse is balanced and fully collected, utilizing extremely rapid footfall with exceedingly short steps, used for show purposes.
Paso Corto - the same four beat pattern but with moderate speed and collection which would be similar in speed to the trot of non-gaiting breeds and used comfortably for pleasure and trail riding.
Paso Largo - the fastest speed of gait in which the paso horse can reach speeds equivalent to a canter or slow gallop, speed ranges vary with the individual horse’s genetic ability.
Additionally the Paso Fino can canter, gallop and walk.
Paso Fino Horse association in North America. With the same dedication and passion that they had for the breed, a handful of people formed the association that would set the breed standards, promotion and rules that would form the American Paso Fino Horse.
Today, the American Paso Fino Horse is still a versatile, smooth gaited, all-a-round mount. Owners and breeders use their Paso Finos for pleasure riding, competitive distance and obstacle events and ranch work. In the arena we find Paso Finos preforming in gaited dressage, timed speed events, free style routines and even driving. The American Paso Fino is well suited for the entire family.
The gait of the Paso Fino is totally natural and normally exhibited from birth.
It is an evenly spaced 4-beat gait with each foot contacting the ground independently in a regular sequence at precise intervals creating a rapid, unbroken rhythm. When executed perfectly the four hoof beats are absolutely even in both cadence and impact. The Paso Fino gait is performed at three forward speeds and with varying degrees of collection. In all speeds of the gait the rider should appear virtually motionless in the saddle and there should be no perceptible up and down movement of the rider or horse’s croup.