 The origins of the Paso Fino date back to Spain almost a thousand years ago, with a breed of horse that was a combination of the Berber horse, the Spanish Jennet, and the Andalusian. This mixed breed was brought to the New World (the Dominican Republic) by Columbus, and its isolation created the new strain that would become the Paso Fino.Wherever the Spanish went in the New World, they brought their horses with them. The stock was distributed over North America, and its hardiness and smooth gait made it a horse to be prized. The Paso Fino has a distinctive lateral four-beat gait; as it moves, the horse's feet fall in a natural lateral pattern, with each foot contacting the ground independently, instead of the more common diagonal pattern. Instead of trotting, which makes for an unpleasant bounce for the rider, the Paso Fino's medium speed is a 'corto', which keeps the rider seated at all times, and allows the horse and rider to travel comfortably for hours if necessary. The Paso Fino can be recognized by this gait, which is not a trained behaviour, but one it is born with. The colours of the Paso Fino are virtually unlimited, with a variety of markings including chestnut, bay, palomino, black, grey, roan, and pinto. It is a spirited, intelligent, but gentle horse, and appears often where horses are shown. But it is also widely used in competitive trail riding, on ranches where it is a working horse, and is a favourite in gymkhana. Its exceptionally smooth ride makes it ideal for therapeutic riding programs for the handicapped. Paso Finos are ridden and trained both English and Western, and the tack chosen often reflects its Spanish heritage. |