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Peruvian Paso
The Peruvian Paso is a breed of light pleasure saddle horse known for its smooth ride. It is
distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral gait called the paso llano.
History: Smooth-gaited horses, generally known as Palfreys, existed in the Middle
Ages and the Jennet in particular was noted for its ambling gaits. Peruvian Pasos trace their ancestry to these ambling Jennets; as well as to the Barb, which contributed strength and stamina; and to the Andalusian which added style, conformation and action. Horses arrived in South
America during the Spanish
Conquest, beginning the arrival of Pizarro in 1531. Foundation
bloodstock came from Spain, Jamaica, Panama and other areas of Central America.
Importations increased after 1542, when the Spanish created the Viceroyalty of
New Castilla. This later became the Viceroyalty
of Peru, an important center of Spain's New
World colonies in the eighteenth century.
Once in Peru, they were used primarily for transportation and breeding stock. In the north of Peru, the vast size of sugar and cotton
plantations meant that overseers needed to travel long distances, often taking
days to cross the plantation. In the south of Peru, the arid deserts that
separated settlements required sturdy, strong horses. In both cases,
smooth-gaited horses with good endurance were required. On the other hand, Peru
did not develop a livestock-based economy, and thus did not need to breed for
the speed or agility characteristic of stock
horses. Over time, Peruvian breeders kept the bloodlines clean and
selectively bred primarily for gait, conformation, and temperament. They wanted strong, hardy animals that were
comfortable to ride and easy to control. Over four centuries, their dedication
to breeding only the best gaited bloodstock resulted in the modern Peruvian
Paso.
A decline in the use of the Peruvian Paso horse was seen in the
southern part of Peru in the early 1900's, following the building of major
highways that allowed motor travel to replace the use of the horse. Many of the
major breeders in the area gave their best horses away to peasants living in the
nearby quebradas (valleys). It was in one of these quebradas that breeder
Gustavo de la Borda found the horse that was to become the most important modern
sire in the breed, Sol de Oro (Viejo).
The Peruvian Paso continued to flourish in the northern regions
because it was still needed for transportation on the haciendas. This changed with the harsh Agrarian Reforms instituted by the
government of Juan
Velasco Alvarado in the late 1960s that had a devastating effect on the Peruvian Paso
horse within Peru. Major breeding operations were broken up and breeding stock
was lost. Because interest in the Peruvian Paso horse was growing in the United
States and Central America at the same time, many of the finest Peruvian Paso
horses were exported, leading to a period where it appeared the Peruvian Paso
horse would fade in its homeland. The past thirty years have seen a resurgence in the Peruvian Paso
horse's fortune in Peru. The annual National Show in Lima is a major event in
Peruvian cultural life. The Peruvian Paso has been declared a Patrimonio
Cultural (Cultural Heritage) of Peru in an attempt to shore up the breed
within the country. There are now laws in place that restrict the export of
national champion horses. Peruvian Paso horses are noted internationally for their good
temperament and comfortable ride. As of 2003, there are approximately 25,000
horses worldwide, used for pleasure
riding, trail, horse
shows, parades, and endurance
riding.
Characteristics
Appearance: The horse is medium sized, usually standing between 14.1 and 15.2
hands tall, with an elegant yet powerful build. The Peruvian horse has a
deep chest, heavy neck and body with substance without any trace of being hound
gutted in the flank area. A low set, quiet tail, clamped tightly between the
buttocks is a vital quality. Stallions have a broader chest and larger neck than mares, and are known for their quality temperament. The coat
color can be varied; and is seen in chestnut, black, bay, brown, buckskin, palomino, gray, roan or dun. Solid colors, grays and dark skin are considered the most
desirable. The mane and forelock are lustrous, fine and abundant. White
markings are acceptable on the legs and face.
Gait: Instead of a trot, the Peruvian Paso performs an ambling four beat gait between the walk and the canter. It is a lateral gait, in that it
has four equal beats and is performed laterally - left hind, left fore,
right hind, right fore. The Peruvian Paso performs two variations of the four-beat gait. The
first, the paso llano (a contraction of Paso Castellano), is isochronous, meaning that there are four equal beats in a 1-2-3-4 rhythm. This
is the preferred gait. The second gait, the sobreandando, is faster. Instead of
four equal beats, the lateral beats are closer together in a 1-2, 3-4 rhythm,
with the pause between the forefoot of one side to the rear of the other side is
longer. This characteristic gait was utilized for the purpose of covering
long distances over a short period of time without tiring the horse or rider.
The gait is natural and does not require extensive training. Purebred Peruvian
Paso foals can be seen gaiting alongside their dams within a few hours of their
birth. The gait supplies essentially none of the vertical bounce that is
characteristic of the trot, and hence posting (moving up and down with each of
the horse's footfalls) is unnecessary. It is also very stable, as the execution
of the gait means there are always two, and sometimes three, feet on the ground.
Because the rider feels no strain or jolt, gaited
horses such as the Peruvian Paso are often popular with riders who have
back trouble.
Termino: A unique trait of the Peruvian Paso gait is termino — an outward
swinging leg action, originating from the shoulder, in which the front lower
legs roll to the outside during the stride forward, similar to a swimmer's arms.
Individual horses may have more or less termino. High lift or wide termino is
not necessarily a sign of a well gaited horse; in fact it may be detrimental to
a good gait.
Brio: Brio refers to a horse’s vigor, energy, exuberance, courage and
liveliness; it automatically implies that these qualities are willingly placed
in the service of the rider. Horses with true brio are willing workers. Their
attention does not wander but is focused on the handler or rider, and thus they
are quick to react and fast to learn. Horses with brio attract attention, and
combined with the stamina of the breed have reserves they can tap to travel long
distances for many hoursBreeders and judges look for Brio, often translated as "spirit," but
this does not capture the complexity of the term. Brio describes a
somewhat contradictory temperament, which combines arrogance, spirit, and the
sense of always being on parade, with a willingness to please the rider. Brio is
an intangible quality of controlled energy that creates a metamorphosis in ordinary-looking horses and is an important trait of the Peruvian
Paso.
We first saw these horses in a
political rally in the centre of Arequipa
The Question of "Paso": Because of the shared word Paso, a close relationship between the
Peruvian Paso and the Paso
Fino breed is incorrectly assumed. "Paso" simply means "step," in
Spanish, and does not imply a common breed or origin. Although the two breeds
share ancestors in the Old World, and have some similarities, they were
developed independently for different purposes. The two breeds are different and
easily distinguishable. The Peruvian is somewhat larger, deeper in the body and
wider. The Paso Fino is not bred for "termino" and its finest show gait does not
require the length of stride that was required in Peruvian horses for traveling
long distances. The Peruvian Paso has been called the "national horse" of Peru. On
the other hand, the Paso Fino was developed from horses throughout northern
Latin America and the Caribbean, with major centers of development in Colombia
and Puerto Rico. The Peruvian Paso is also increasingly referred to in North
America as the "Peruvian Horse" in an attempt to differentiate its breed from
that of the Paso Fino.
ALL IN
ALL JAUNTY LITTLE
CHAPS
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