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.

How do you identify the gait?

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. 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 ferrier does and learn what is right for your horse.

Can the Paso Fino canter?

Pleasure and performance horses have a very nice canter. They usually have the extension to perform it. It is not encouraged 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.