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History
of the Paso
Fino Horse...
 A
beautiful horse of proud Spanish heritage. The ancestors of today's
Paso Fino were transported in 1943 to the New World on Christopher
Columbus' second voyage to the New World. He brought with him
a mixture of Barbs (a hardy breed
from North Africa), Spanish Jennets (a gaited horse now distinct)
and beautiful Andalusians from the Spanish provinces of Andalusia
and Cordela and settled them at Santa Domingo (now the Dominican
Republic).
Bred for their stamina, smooth gait and beauty, their offspring
became the foundation stock for remount stations of the
Conquistadors. Over time, because of of its smooth "no-bounce"
ride, the breed became known as the "Los Caballos de Paso Fino"
which means "the horse with the fine step". This name was
later shortened to Paso Fino...simply meaning "fine step". The
Paso Fino continued to flourish being found primarily in Puerto
Rico, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Aruba and Venezuela.
Awareness of the Paso Fino, as we know it today, didn’t spread
outside Latin America until after WWII when American servicemen came
into contact with the stunning Paso Fino horse while stationed in
Puerto Rico. In the mid-1940's, the importation of the Puerto
Rican Paso Fino into America began. It wasn't until two
decades later that the Columbian Paso Fino was imported.
Ever since that time,
contention has existed between some purists as to which country
produced the "truest" Paso Fino because of the slight
differences between the two strains. However, a
mix of strains, sometimes called the American Paso Fino even though
there is no registry for such, also exists and is a reflection of
our nation as a "melting pot". The mix, or the American Paso Fino
if you'd rather, is often
a wonderful blend of the best Puerto Rican and Columbian bloodlines.
Puerto
Rican Paso Fino Hstory-
 In
1509 Juan Ponce de Leon, then governor of Puerto Rico, brought the
first horses from La Espanola
Dominican Republic) to Puerto Rico and hence began the Islands love
affair with the Paso Fino breed. Specific bloodlines were bred
with a vision that would benefit Island plantation owners and
cattlemen. Through careful selection and dedicated, their
breeding principles contributed to the foundation of the Puerto
Rican Paso Fino.
The Puerto Rican Paso
Fino differs from the Columbian Paso Fino in that it typically has
lighter frame and it's heritage was originally/solely founded on a
low, quick, soft-stepping, evenly timed (1-2-3-4) footfall with a
very naturally smooth gait absent of a diagonal execution (trot).
During execution of their gait, three hooves touch the ground at
the same time while one is in the air; as the one in the air touches
the ground, one new hoof will leave.
Columbian Paso Fino History-
In Columbia, two types of Pasos were bred in order to accommodate
the difference in terrain.
-The first type was for use on the
plains and in swampy areas; these Pasos had wide hooves and executed
front leg action that is today called, termino. Termino is an
outward rolling, at the shoulders and/or anterior and lateral
rotation around the axes in the knee and fetlock, of the front limbs
during extension.
-The second type was bred for use in the
mountains; these Pasos executed a smooth "pistoneo" gait, which is a
front and hind action that resembles a piston-like up and down
movement preferred for balance on uneven terrain.
Summary-
After generations of
dedication and selective
breeding in Puerto Rico and Columbia, the Paso Fino became and
remains a very unique, versatile and extraordinary beautiful equine
athlete that effortlessly captures the hearts of many. The
different strains within the breed also offer a variety of special
characteristics that help make it possible to find a special smooth
riding companion that can meet, or exceed, most all
expectations/needs.
Today's
Paso Fino breed, in general, continues to reflect its Spanish
heritage through its proud carriage, elegance and natural smooth
four-beat gait. The Paso Fino gait is performed at three
speeds known as the Classic Fino, Paso Corto and Paso Largo.
The length of stride and degree of collection varies respectively
with Classic Fino being fully collected with the shortest stride and
Paso Largo being the longest stride. Smoothness, speed,
length/range of stride and collection abilities are governed by the
horse's conformation and genetic natural abilities.
To learn more about the
PFHA Standards, click here, or visit the
link below!
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