Paso Fino Horse: Breed Profile

The Paso Fino is known for its brilliant presence, smooth-riding gait, and beautiful appearance. These horses are popular in the show ring, but they’re surefooted and great choices for trail and endurance riding, too. This versatile breed is often a favorite of riders with back pain or other injuries, and with its comfortable gaits, you can ride all day. Many Paso Fino owners say that once you ride this breed, you’ll never want to ride another breed again.

Breed Overview

WEIGHT: 700 to 1,000 pounds

HEIGHT: 13.3 to 14.2 hands

BODY TYPE: Compact, strong, and athletic

BEST FOR: Trail riding, showing, endurance riding

LIFE EXPECTANCY: 25 years

Paso Fino History and Origins

The Paso Fino’s history spans more than 500 years. Christopher Columbus brought mares and stallions to the Dominican Republic during his explorations. Those horses included Barb, Spanish Jennet, and Andalusian bloodlines, and the conquistadors rode them as they explored Latin America.

Those horses bred and produced new generations with great endurance, that were elegant, and that had a smooth-riding, comfortable gait. Their offspring became the Paso Fino breed. Land owners in Puerto Rico and Columbia rode the horses on their plantations, favoring them because of how comfortable they were to ride. 

It wasn’t until World War II that American soldiers arrived in the Dominican Republic and discovered the Paso Fino breed and its desirable smooth gait. After the end of World War II, soldiers bought Paso Finos and shipped them from Latin America to North America. Since then, selective breeding has helped the modern-day Paso Fino to retain the hardiness, endurance, and versatility of its ancestors.

Paso Fino Size

The Paso Fino typically stands between 13.3 and 14.2 hands high, though some horses can be as short as 13 hands or as tall as 15.2 hands. Paso Finos take time to mature, and some horses won’t reach their full height until they’re five years old. This breed weighs between 700 and 1,000 pounds.

Breeding and Uses

Today’s Paso Fino is a highly versatile mount. Paso Finos excel in many disciplines and activities, including competitive trail riding, endurance riding, mounted shooting, parade riding, drill team competitions, working cattle, and so much more. You’ll often find these horses in the show ring, where they’re ridden both English and Western. Paso Finos are also shown by riders in official traditional show costumes including bolero jackets, Spanish-style hats, and a suit or jacket and pants.

The Paso Fino is favored as a riding mount, and its surefootedness makes it particularly well-suited for trail and endurance riding. Paso Finos are people-oriented and smart, and they can be trained in many different disciplines. Because Paso Finos are heavily bred for the show ring, they tend to be spirited, forward-moving, and elegant.

Colors and Markings

You’ll find Paso Finos in any coat color, and horses of all colors can be registered. These horses tend to have distinctive long, flowing manes and tails.

Unique Characteristics of the Paso Fino

One of the Paso Fino’s most distinctive trait is its four-beat gait. This gait is incredibly smooth for the rider, since the horse keeps a foot on the ground at all times. Unlike the trot, which creates lots of vertical motion, the Paso Fino’s shoulders only move slightly vertically, allowing the horse’s back to absorb most of the motion. The result is a rhythmic gait that riders can comfortably sit for long distances.