Paso Finos: The Horses With The Fine Step.

We have the pleasure of having a guest post today by Cori Webb about the Paso Fino breed and what makes them special and interesting. We hope you enjoy this post and learn about another breed that you may not be so familiar. We hope you enjoy the post as much as we did!


They are all strength, pure power in your hands, yet responsive and smooth as glass – los caballos de paso fino, the horses with the fine step.

I was first introduced to the Paso Fino breed around the age of seven, when I visited a small ranch that belonged to family friends, where they trained, bred, and showed Paso Finos.  I began attending local shows to support my friends, but like most people, the concept of the breed and its unique gait surpassed me.  Coming from a hunter jumper background, I only understood walk, trot, and canter, not corto, largo, and fino.  The shows nearly bored me to tears - the horses only seemed to dance around the arena.  Where was the action?  What was the purpose?  But the more shows I attended, the more I began to understand the breed and why they enthralled so many people. 

The Paso Fino is a gaited horse of Spanish descent.  It is said that they derived from a combination of the Andalusion, English Barb, and Spanish Jennet breeds, which were brought to South America by Christopher Columbus. These horses eventually migrated north and populated North America, helping to mold today’s Mustang, Appaloosa, and Quarter Horse breeds.  The horses interbred and created a smooth-gaited, sure-footed horse with exceptional beauty and stamina.  The Paso Fino was selectively bred for riding in the steep, mountainous terrain of South America.  As the breed progressed, they were sought after for their intelligence and agility, and were often used as ranch horses.  Throughout the years of selective breeding, the horses’ unique gait has remained a predominant characteristic for the breed.

In addition to their famous gait, the Paso Fino’s willingness, strength, and energy captivate the hearts of anyone around them.  Until you have ridden one yourself, it can be hard to understand what makes these horses so unique, but I will do my best to explain it to you.  When you ride a Paso, you sit back as if you were in a Western saddle, while maintaining light contact with the bit like you would riding English.  As the horse gaits, your body is nearly motionless, rocking only slightly forward and back.  The power and energy the Paso exudes beneath you is intense, with the horse’s legs moving rapidly underneath, yet the Paso is responsive and controlled.  For first time Paso riders, this combination results in an immediate smile that spreads from ear-to-ear!

But what makes the Paso Fino any different from other gaited breeds?  Most people are familiar with the gait known as “pacing”, a two-beat gait where the lateral limbs (that is, the right front and hind, or the left front and hind) move simultaneously.  This is different from the well-known trot, which is a two-beat gait during which the diagonal limbs move in succession.  However, the Paso Fino performs a different gait entirely.  The Paso Fino performs a four-beat lateral gait, meaning all four limbs move independently.  The footfall is evenly distributed in time and distance, and there is no suspension, or a time when all four hooves are off the ground.  The same motion is produced in all three gaits: the corto, largo, and fino.  The gaits only differ in speed and extension/collection.  The even cadence and lack of suspension result in an unparalleled, smooth gait.  Riders will often demonstrate this by holding a glass of water as the horse performs.         

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The Paso executes the walk as any other horse would, although some will perform a more animated walk, as seen in the Performance division, while others have a flat walk, seen in the Pleasure division.  The corto is the slower, more collected gait.  For those individuals showing in the Pleasure division, the corto is more extended and less animated compared to those in the Performance division, where the gait is flashy and quick.  The largo is simply an extension of the corto, showing a notable increase in speed and length of stride.  Horses who are able to perform the fino, which is the tightest and quickest footfall, are shown in the Fino division.  Those who are exhibited in the Fino division do not perform the walk, corto, or largo, but only execute the fino gait.  Likewise, those in the Pleasure and Performance division do not perform the fino gait.  Beyond their natural gaits, the Paso Fino is capable of performing the trot and canter.  In fact, classes such as Western Pleasure and Versatility require the horse to perform the canter.

I have had the wonderful opportunity to be involved with both the Tennessee Valley Paso Fino Horse Association and the Deep South Paso Fino Horse Association for many years now.  These associations cover the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee regions, but welcome members from any state.  We encourage anyone interested in the breed to contact a regional association in your area to see if there is a scheduled show near you.  Who knows?  You may even get to ride one of these spectacular horses while you’re there!


Cori Webb is an undergraduate at Mississippi State University as a senior studying Animal and Dairy Science. Cori has been riding horses since she was three and showing Paso Finos since she was 13. Cori is currently managing the websites for Tennessee Valley and Deep South Paso Fino Horse Associations.

Cori did a wonderful job writing an article about the Paso Fino breed. Leave some feedback in the comments and let her know what you thought! 
Thanks again, 
NotAnotherHorseBlog

Paso Fino Horse Association: www.pfha.org

Tennessee Valley Paso Fino Horse Association: www.tvpfha.org

Deep South Paso Fino Horse Association: www.deepsouthpasofino.com

Paso Largo Farm: www.pasofino.com