Horse
Pronunciation:
Piroo-vee-in Pas-o
Breed Description:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse is known for its four-beat lateral gaits. The forelegs of this breed of horse tend to arc out sideways, and the hind legs are able to take long, straight strides. The hocks work well under the body. For this reason, it is often called the Peruvian stepping horse – paso meaning "step" in Spanish.
This breed is commonly used for endurance races, pleasure or trail riding, and sometimes entered in other types of horse shows, including Western riding.
The Paso is not a big type of horse, and does not normally choose to canter or gallop, even though it can. It has three, exceptionally comfortable gaits that are quite different to the gaits of other gaited breeds:
1. The Paso Corto, a normal, smooth and easy gait.
2. The Paso Fino, a slow, collected and elevated gait, and
3. The Paso Largo, which is a fast, extended gait.
If you watch a Peruvian Paso in work you will see how the front legs arc out to the side of the horse, while the back legs remain straight.
All of the Peruvian Paso’s gaits are known to be very comfortable, and the horse is able to reach speeds of 16 mph (or 26 kph) without being bouncy or uncomfortable for the rider. It can even maintain a steady speed of 11 miles per hour over rough mountain terrain for long periods of time.
These horses should have strong sloping shoulders, for elevation of the forelegs, strong pasterns, and great strength through the hind legs. They are very sure footed and agile horses, with good hoof quality.
There are many different coat colors, but chestnut and bay are the most common. Sometimes part-colored coats are seen.
Temperament:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse generally has a wonderful nature. They are intelligent, kind horses that are easy to manage and handle, and most of them have great stamina.
Height:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse small, with an average height of between 14 and 15 hands, or 56 to 64 inches at the withers.
Weight:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse is stocky and has an average weight of around 900 to 1100 pounds.
Health Problems:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse does sometimes have health problems. Some say this is because of their paddle-like gait. If they do have health problems these tend to relate to ligaments and other leg problems.
Living Conditions:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse is normally stabled.
Exercise:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse has a lot of natural stamina, but to keep the horse healthy and working, it requires regular exercise.
Life Expectancy:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse normally lives to between 25 and 30 years.
Grooming:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse should be groomed daily to maintain a healthy coat and prevent to coat from getting thick and matted.
Origin:
The Peruvian Paso breed of horse comes, not unexpectedly, from the South American country of Peru. But the Paso’s ancestry may be traced back to the Spanish Jennets, which were known to have ambling gaits, the North African Barb, which gave it great stamina and strength, and the Andalusian, which provided good conformation and style. In 1532, a Spanish adventurer, Francisco Pizarro brought horses into the Peru, during the time of the Spanish Conquest. In 1535, Pedro de Mendoza, who founded Buenos Aires, also took Spanish horses to Peru. But when the native Charros attacked and plundered the settled, the horses escaped into the wild. By the end of the 16th century there were herds as large as 20,000 horses running wild. Some of these horses were captured and then bred selectively over the following centuries. As Peru developed, horses were used either for transportation or as breeding stock. There were vast sugar and cotton plantations, particularly in the north, and farmers needed to go long distances across the plantations, sometimes traveling for days along arid deserts. For this reason they needed very strong and sturdy horses, rather than ones bred for speed and agility, either for racing or galloping after stock. So breeders made sure that the bloodlines were very selective. They only chose lines with the best conformation, a very good gait and excellent temperament, for both comfort and control. So after centuries of great attention to breeding with the best bloodlines, the modern Peruvian Paso emerged, a success story for this South American country. 