Paso Fino Horse: Breed Profile
Paso Finos perform this gait in three speeds:
Classic Fino: A collected gait where the horse steps quickly but almost seems to dance in placePaso Corto: A medium gait with the speed of a trot, ideal for long distancesPaso Largo: The fastest gait, allowing the horse to cover significant ground quickly
This gait is natural to Paso Finos, and they are able to perform it from birth.
Diet and Nutrition
Paso Finos generally don’t have any special dietary needs. They often thrive off of a diet in which they consume between 2 and 2.5 percent of their body weight in forage daily. A combination of hay and pasture is often suitable.
A Paso Fino in regular work may need a concentrated feed to supply additional calories, but this need will vary depending on each individual horse. Horses who maintain a healthy weight on pasture and hay alone will still benefit from a ration balancer to ensure they get appropriate nutrition from their diets.
Common Health and Behavior Problems
While Paso Finos tend to be fairly healthy, they are prone to degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD). This condition often affects the hind legs and can emerge later on in a horse’s life. When a horse has DSLD, the suspensory ligaments degenerate and the fetlock sinks toward the ground. Horses diagnosed with DSLD have to be retired from riding and suffer progressive degrees of lameness. There is no cure for this condition and affected horses often have to be eventually euthanized because of the pain this condition can create.
Grooming
With long, thick manes and tails and beautiful coats, Paso Finos benefit from regular, attentive grooming. Paying regular attention to mane and tail conditioning and grooming can help to minimize hair tangles and breakage. Most owners allow their horses’ manes to grow long, so braiding the manes and tails is a popular management technique.
Pros
Gaited and smooth-riding
Common and relatively affordable
Very surefooted Versatile
Cons
Susceptible to DSLD
Can be quite forward
Can be too small for larger adults
Champion and Celebrity Paso Fino Horses
There are countless champion Paso Fino horses.