History of the Paso Fino

8000 years ago the Ice Age purged the Americas of many life forms. In 1492, Christopher Columbus encountered a New World devoid of the horses that originally had evolved here. In 1493, on his second epic voyage, a wiser Columbus returned to Santo Domingo with twenty tough stallions and five brood mares from Spain.

These horses, of Barb, Andalusian and naturally-gaited Jennet stock, not only changed the history of the Americas through their partnership with the Conquistadors, but they fathered a new breed of horse engineered for its stamina, style, spirit and easy-riding gait. Later, as this original stock was selectively blended with horses from subsequent voyages, a breed developed that was perfect for the early demands of the early explorers in the Americas.

These horses were strong enough to carry heavy equipment and hardy explorers over a variety of wild terrain, vigorous enough to serve long hours without tiring and adaptive enough to survive on the ever-changing available vegetation. Best of all, they possessed a unique, four-beat gait which gave their riders an unparalleled comfort even after long hours in the saddle.