The Paso Fino is a gaited horse. The Paso Fino exhibits this quality from birth, with foals only hours old, performing the perfect four beat rhythm. Paso Fino horses come in all sizes, shapes and colors. Their height is from 13hh to 16hh. The body styles vary from stocky to streamlined. All colors are found except the Appaloosa pattern. The breed is noted for agility, intelligence and hardiness. Paso Fino horses come from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Columbia and Venezuela as the original countries. There is also the Peruvian Paso Fino. For many generations the Paso Fino was a Latin breed. The native population was small so the horses were small. The popularity of the breed in other countries has caused the need to breed larger horses. The pride in appearance and execution of gait have been carefully bred into larger horses. "Brio" is a word that is ascribed to the Paso Fino. The Paso Fino is all heart. He carries himself with much pride, a unique short stride, and a rapid footfall. This footfall is called the classic Fino or Fino Fino.
Paso Fino horses walk, gait and canter. The Paso Fino gait is performed at three speeds with varying levels of collection. The speeds are Classic Fino, Paso Corto, and Paso Largo The horses perform the gait in three styles: the Classic Fino, Performance, and the Pleasure style. The gait is a perfect four-beat. (neither lateral nor diagonal) The footfalls are left hind, left front, right hind right front. This is the same as the natural walk. The gait is natural. It is not uncommon for newborn foals to be gaiting shortly after birth. Gait may be refined through training, however, no artificial training equipment or special shoeing is used.
Classic Fino is by far the most breath taking gait to watch or experience. The horse is balanced and collected with rapid footfall and slow, forward speed, demonstrating a rapid, steady, and unbroken rhythm. Their feet are moving faster than you can drum your leg with your hands. They are moving forward at a speed slower than your normal walking speed. The Classic Fino (or Fino Fino) has extremely short rapid footfall and sounds like the rapid roll of a drum, with very slow forward speed. The horses perform in complete collection, with upright carriage and neck breaking at the poll to allow the head to be held almost on the vertical. Only a small percentage of the Paso Fino can perform this gait. To perform it well requires natural ability and an athlete. The horse must be supple, balanced, and in great physical form to be able to sustain the Classic Fino. The Dons of the countries of origin found it a point of pride to own and ride the finest of these Classic Fino stallions. These men often weighed 200 to 400 lbs., and the horses would carry them for hours as their riders surveyed their land. The Paso Fino became a breed with much heart and endurance and a natural gait which was passed on from one generation to the next.
Paso Corto is a ground covering gait that is ideal for pleasure, and trail riding. It is about the speed of a trot, rack, or running walk. The Corto moves forward at about the speed of the trot in non-gaiting breeds. Collection is mild and extension varies within the two styles. (Pleasure and Performance) Performance horses tend to perform a slower Corto, with a shorter stride and more rapid footfall. Hock action and rear end drive and execution is prized in this style of Paso Fino (The Performance Paso). The Pleasure Paso Fino tends to have a faster, more relaxed Corto. Less execution is expected, but no loss of smoothness or gait footfall pattern. Most Classic Fino horses are also capable of performing a Corto. When they execute this it is in the style of the Performance Paso.
Paso Largo can achieve speeds up to 22 miles per hour. It is as fast as the canter in many horses, and equal in speed to the speed rack. The Largo is the speed form of the gait, with speeds equivalent to that of a canter or in some cases a gallop.. Both Performance and Pleasure styles of Paso Fino perform the Largo with, once again, hock action and hind end drive and execution stronger in the Performance Paso. The Largo is not just a change of speed; there must be obvious extension of stride from the horse's Corto, as well as the speed change. They can do a normal flat walk, a collected walk, and can canter and gallop.
The Paso Fino has increased in size as they have become more common in the USA. Improved nutrition and selective breeding in the USA tends to produce larger Paso Finos. Horses can be found in the 15 hand range with some reaching 16 hands. Smaller horses are still the most common in the breed.