Welcome to the Wonderful World of

Paso Fino Horses

This is just the beginning of some informative pages on this unique Spanish breed.
If you have a question about the breed be sure to send me an Email.

Produced by Larry Volbruck at Casa de Ladera - lvolbruck@qconline.com

[History] [Breed Standard] [FAQ] [Tack] [Training]
[Paso Breeders] [Photo Album] [Classifieds] [Equine links]

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History - A short historical summary of the breed.

It was the Moors invasion of Spain that would bring together a wealth of equine genetic material. For over 400 years the Spanish horses reined supreme. The Andalusian, the Barb, and the Spanish Jennet were crossed bred to produce the Paso Fino. These horses soon found their way to the New World where they became the mounts for the Conquistadors. Ranches were set up on the Islands of the Caribbean, eventually in Latin America, South America and Southern United States.

The Spanish stock contributed to many of the modern day American breeds, the Mustangs, the Quarter Horses, and Appaloosas just to name a few. While the United States grew and grew and more and more horse were crossed, the blood was soon diluted except for extreme cases of isolation or careful attention to breeding practices.

This was the case in the Latin and South American countries. The Paso Fino became a prize posession of Puerto Rico and their National Horse. Columbia, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and other Latin Countries bred the Paso Fino in semi isolation. It wasn't until World War II and a good fifty years after the peak of the last great world horse culture had ended that the Paso Fino was rediscovered by the American soldiers stationed in those countries. Soon they were being imported by an adventurous select few. It was not long before the advantages of the breed became apparent.

Today they are being used in all equine disciplines and are unequalled when it comes to the luxurious ride that they produce. For no other equine is called Los Caballos la Paso Fino, which some day I hope you experience, The Horse with the Fine Walk.

Breed Standard - Paso Fino Horse Association - Standard of the Breed

For information of the public and the guidance of the breeders, the following standards for conformation and description of the basic natural gait were prepared in 1967 by Rosalie McWilliams after consulting with leading authorities on the Paso Fino horse.

GENERAL IMPRESSION: a light horse of great grace and style and with definite, but controlled, spirit. No extreme muscling.

HEAD: The ears should be short and generally curved inward at the top. Eyes, widely spaced and large, shall have a soft expression and not show white around the edges. The profile is straight or slightly convex just above the nostril not between the eyes. This feature comes from Andalusian blood.The concave or dishface is not typical and a extremely Roman nose is not desirable. The lips should be firm and well formed and the nostrils should be large and dilatable.

NECK: Medium in length, set on at an angle permitting rather high head carriage, but neck is carried in an arch. Throat latch should be well defined, but not to narrow.

FOREHAND: Shoulders are sloping with great depth through the heart. Moderate width through the chest. Withers well defined, but not pronounced.

BACK: May vary from short to long and still be quite typical. Extremely short coupled or long backs should be penalized in the halter classes.

CROUP: Sloping, but rump should be well rounded. Tail is set low but carried gaily when the horse is in action. Extremely low tail sets are undesirable.

LEGS: Straight, rather delicate in appearance, but having strong tendons and well separated from the bone. Hooves are small and do not show much heel.

MANE & TAIL: As long and as full as possible. Forelock also left long.

SIZE: 13 to 15.2 hands with 13.3 to 14.2 being the most typical. Weight from 700 to 1100 lbs. Full size may not be attained until the fifth year.

COLOR: Every color can be found with or without white markings.

DISPOSITION: Gentle at hand but spirited under saddle.

GAIT: The Paso gait is essentially a broken pace, a lateral, not diagonal gait. The sequence of the hooves are: right rear, right fore, left rear, left fore; the hind foot touching the ground a fraction of a second before the front foot.When performed on a hard surface, a definite 1,2,3,4 beat can be heard. This serves to eliminate the jarring effect of a true pace and causes the rider practically no up and down movement. The motion of the horse is absorbed in the back and loins giving the rider comfort. This gait is performed at three speeds with the collection of the carriage decreasing as the speed increases.

The three forms are :

PASO FINO Sometimes called "Fino - Fino" the classic show ring gait. It demonstrates rapid, steady, unbroken rhythm of the hooves with every slow forward speed. Performed with the horse balanced and collected.

PASO CORTO A more relaxed form of the gait that is commonly referred to as the natural Paso gait. Paso Corto is the ideal trail and pleasure gait, executed with only medium collection and light contact on the bit. Most Paso Fino horses prefer this gait to walking.

PASO LARGO The speed form of the gait. The same 1,2,3,4 rhythm must be maintained and the rider should appear motionless in the saddle as he should be at all speeds of the gait.

A Paso Fino can, of course, walk in a free manner and may have a delightful canter.

FAQ - What's my gait, are they really that smooth, they're just a little horse, what's the difference between ...

What is a Paso Fino?
Paso means step and Fino means fine. The proof is in the ride. Once you ride the smooth naturally gaited Paso Fino you will never want to post again.

What kind of gait is that?
What you are looking at is what every horse does, a flat walk. The Paso Fino has the unique ability to perform the gait at various degrees of speed.
The Classic Fino gait has a very fast cadence with very little extension the horse is fully collected and is usually reserved for the show ring. Only a small percentage of Pasos perform at this level, Capuchino, a famous stallion is reported to have 126 beats per minute and a 4 inch extension. When going down the sounding board it was like rolling thunder, enough to give anyone goosebumps.
The Corto, the same lateral four beat gait, but this depending on the horse, can be soft, silky smooth and executed in a relaxed manner. This is a great pleasure horse. A horse you could ride all day and still dance all night. On the other hand, the Corto of the Performance horse is executed with brio (more heart, style, and brilliance ) a bit more collection. Get ready for an exciting ride, this heads up balanced form and even four beat gait will demand onlookers attention.
The Largo is the speed form of the gait. It too is of four beats and is equally comfortable for the horse and rider, but be ready to move out, some can reach 32 mph. That should get a flag snapping in the breeze.

They're just a little horse.
It's true that the breed standard requires the horse size to be between 13 and 15-2. I will take a small horse with a big heart and we will have a great time. The average is about 14-2, just the right size for easy mounting and dismounting. It is all in conditioning, a horse should be able to carry a third of it's weight comfortably.

Are there special shoes for the Paso?
No, the Paso usually has good dense hooves and can remain unshod if not ridden in rocky terrain. They should be trimmed according to conformation. A lightweight satellite shoes should be all that need be required. Angles, toe length, and shoes are all variables that will effect your horses way of going, pay attention to what your farrier does and learn what is right for your horse.

Can the Paso Fino canter?
I have found that my pleasure and performance horses have a very nice canter. They usually have the extension to perform it. We don't encourage it until they are about six years old. By that time they are fully trained and they can easily switch between gaits. There is nothing like a good Corto or Largo to get you wherever you want to go both in style and comfort.

Where can I find more information on Paso Fino Horses?
Here is a list of magazines. that I find very informative.

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Paso Fino Horse World
101 N. Collins Street
Plant City, FL. 33566-3311
Tele. 813 - 719 - 7777
Fax 813 - 719 - 7872

This is the official magazine of the Paso Fino Horse Association. They will be happy to help you with any questions concerning membership, shows, events, and general info about the breed.

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Conquistador Magazine
The World of Spanish Horses
1645 Ballard Canyon Road
Solvang, CA. 93463
Tele. 805 - 686 - 4616
Fax. 805 - 688 - 3427
EMail AmigoPub@aol.com

This magazine is excellent in representing all Spanish horses. From Andalusians to Mustangs, you'll learn of history, structure, training and what is picture special about each breed. This is a must for all Spanish Horse enthusiast.

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Brio International
North Road
Bridgton, ME. 04009 - 0102
Tele. 207 - 647 - 2712

A magazine dedicated to the Paso Fino. Plenty of to the point articles by people who are active in the breed. International show coverage and results.

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4 Tiempos
Carr.# 1 B-15 Bajos
Villa Carmen
Puerto Rico, 00626

Billed as the Worlds Largest Paso Fino Magazine. It is written in Spanish and English. The latest reviews of horses, shows and events from around the world.

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Questions? contact us at our farm Casa de Ladera we will be happy to answer them for you.

Breeders

Casa de Ladera / Paso Fino Farm

Tack - Under construction. The Official PFHA show costume, Latin American show and training tack
(click on the thumbnail image for a more detailed view)

Here, the Official Paso Fino Show Costume is worn by Kathy L. Volbruck riding Shadows Rosa. It consists of a Bolero jacket, Tuxedo slacks and black boots (not Western) A white shirt, bowtie, cumberbun and should be topped of with a black hat with flat brim and crown. The Panama here is slightly out of order. No Silver! This is the costume that is to be worn in all Performace and Belle a Forma classes. In Pleasure classes you may ride either English or Western.

The Jaquima - This is one of the most versatile pieces of training gear that I have found since entering the breed about 10 years ago. It comes in many styles: rolled rawhide, nylon rope and leather. They all work the same. It is basically a halter with interchangable bosal and barbada (chinstrap). The bosal and bardada comes in many configurations from soft leather to hard metal covered with leather. The barabada has two rings that the reins are connected to. It also has a pisador (leadline) attached over the pole and down thru a ring on the barbada. Some Jaquimas are very ornate and used for in the showring while others are used for training. The proper use of the Jaquima is a whole other chapter.

Training - New Midwest trainer offers helpful training tips to new Paso Fino owners.

EJ Dosier has been riding horses most of his life. In the last 4 years he has been impressed with the Paso Fino horse and has worked with them almost exclusively. He has attend some of the top training clinics and was encourage to continue his practice by Larry Whitesell and Juan Carlos Iriarte. EJ's has observed some common problems with new riders over the years.

Problem: My Paso tends to get excited and wants to largo all the time.
Solution: Pasos are a hot blooded horse and it is very easy to get them up. For the horse to learn the basics of control he must be relaxed. If your horse wants to go out fast stop him and back a few steps and ask him to go out slow. Work in circles until you have control and he is responding to your cues and not trying to rush thru the head gear. Be light with your hands, don't jerk on your horses head. Change your routine so your horse does not anticipate your moves or cues. The horse should go out easy and come back easy. Although the horses may have brio, they should only largo when YOU ask for it.

A Stretching Exercise.
This is a suppling exercise demonstrated to us by an equine chiropractor. It was to be used two or three times a week to help supple the horse.

Step 1. Halter your horse and square him up. Stand at the side of the horse and display a carrot Draw the carrot back to the hip point. Do not let him move his feet but let him reach around and take a bite a carrot at his hip. Practice on each side acouple of times.
Step 2. From one side display the carrot and then draw it down the out side of the front leg and stop 6 inch behind the pastern on the ground. Let him take a bite without moving or bending his front legs. Again work both sides.
Step 3. From the same position now draw the carrot down the front legs and end up with the carrot between each leg and about six inches behind the pasterns. No bending of the knees or walking backwards.
Step 4. Step out in front and face your horse at the end of the lead rope. Present the carrot to the horse again this time slowly draw the carrot toward you. He should eventually extend out his nice long neck to reach the carrot without walking forward. If he move reset him, if he reaches his goals reward him.

By the end of a month you'll need a new bag of carrots.......ohh! and your horse should be a lot more flexible. Be sure to get whole carrots and don't lose your fingers.

Photo Album - Under construction. A few images with more to come of Foundation Stallions, Great Paso Finos - yours & mine.
(click on the thumbnail image for a more detailed view)

When the replica of Christopher Columbus' Nina came cruising up the Mississippi and stopped in the Quad Cities for a week, we could not resist the photo opportunity. From the left, Shadow's Rosa and Fogoso Uno dock side. By the size of that ship I would guess they could have carried maybe 3 horses, 4 max. They were kept in the hole and suspended in a sling during rough seas to keep from breaking their legs. Tough horses.

Fogoso Uno on the rail and on his way to Reserve Hi-Point Over All Award at the Quad City All Breed Horse Association's show held at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport, IA.

Sally and her horse Buba and I at a recent show.

Head to Head, Amigo, the red chestnut and Uno, the black, go head to head as they play circling the arena on a warm afternoon spring day.

Classifieds - Paso Fino Horses for Sale

More classifieds coming soon!

Equine Links on the Web

Hay.net an exhaustive list of horse sites on the internet.

Classy Horsewear..... by Daisy Designs