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"What makes a Paso Fino so special?"
Many of us in Paso Finos are asked that question on a daily basis. There are a
myriad of reasons that a Paso can get under you skin and into your heart
forever. But the bottom line is always the RIDE. It usually takes only one ride
to convince people that the Paso Fino is completely different from any other
breed you have ever encountered.
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Although not well known in the
US, numbering fewer than 40,000 in the entire US, the Paso Fino horse is
gaining great popularity among the more horse savvy community. The long held
secret is getting out and more and more horse enthusiasts are looking for that
very distinctive tic-a-tic-a-tic-a-tic-a sound of a Paso going by. This is the
Mercedes of the horse world. Like a Mercedes, the Paso Fino's power steering,
power suspension, low-slung carriage, and high performance motor, give a glass
smooth ride that effortlessly glides along the trails, providing immense
pleasure to both horse and rider. |
More and more chiropractors and orthopedists are
recommending Paso Finos to their injured clientele that just won't give up
riding a horse for anything in the world. Paso Finos have become "horse
therapy" for all of those injured backs, hips, and knees.
Second to the ride in
importance has to be the personality of these horses. Not in 45 years around
horses have I had another breed as a whole just take my breath away. They are
smart, enthusiastic, willing, mischievous, strong, loving, sharing, and oh so
many other adjectives that come to mind. The Paso Fino will enlarge and
challenge your vocabulary just trying to describe it. |
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And don't let their smaller stature fool you. An
800-pound Paso can carry a 6'+, 250 pound person up and down the worst trails
without thinking twice about it. The trick is in how they move. The Paso pulls
his rear end carriage up underneath himself to support himself and any weight
he may be carrying. Since their steps are so short relative to other breeds,
there is no rocking motion caused by great extension of stride. They are
shorter horses so they are easier to get on. A 14-hand Paso Fino can usually
carry more weight comfortably, over a far greater distance, than a 16 or 17
hand Thoroughbred. Think about it, you wouldn't question that a burro or small
donkey could carry a full sized man up and down the grand canyon trails.
If you watch a Paso Fino they have a similar
movement to a burro. The legs go up and down underneath themselves, instead of
extended out behind and in front. If you watch where a saddle goes on any other
breed, it is placed higher on the withers so that the horse can support the
weight placed on them. That is because, traditionally, a horse carries 60
percent of its body weight in the front end and 40 percent of its body weight
in the rear end, with a sleight back and rib carriage suspended between. That
is why your longer backed, taller horses can not carry as much weight in the
center of their back, unlike a burro or a Paso Fino.
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Small size enhances their
ability to carry a bigger person. It has to do with conformation, or the way a
horse is put together. The longer the back, the longer the leg, the greater the
extension in stride, the less weight a horse can carry in the center of his
back and the rougher the ride. For all of you out there who are hung up on the
"I have to have a BIG horse, I'm not riding that pony!" syndrome,
watch out for those powerhouse "ponies." They will leave you and your
big horses in the dust on the trails. A good friend told me that he has a
"19-hand horse in a 14-hand body," and he runs rings around all of
the trail riders out in the National forest. The Paso Fino is like a finely
tuned sports car. |
They have a powerhouse, energy efficient
engine, with all the comfort of the smoothest ride in the horse world. We
encourage all of you to come out and meet our horses. Take a chance, ride a
Paso Fino, then you will know first hand what all of the fuss is about. The
Paso is not a horse you can describe well, you have to experience them on the
ground and in the saddle. Don't be afraid to give us a try. Horse enthusiasts
of all ages and occupations, from the first time rider to the most experienced,
are flocking to see this wonderful, exciting breed that is not so new.
Remember, the Paso Fino came here with Columbus, so he actually has native
American claims that few of the rest of us have. It is just recently that
people are rediscovering the advantage of the comfort, intelligence, power, and
enthusiasm that you will find in the Paso Fino.
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Enjoy the dream -- Experience
the reality! The Paso Fino. |
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Now
Available!!
The Paso Fino Handbook, A Guide to Buying and Owning Your First
Paso
The book contains 162 pages and 38 chapters and sells for $45
Please visit www.ParadisePasoFinos.com for further details |
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