Peruvian Paso

The Peruvian Paso is a saddle horse that took shape in Peru across several centuries, valued chiefly for a smooth, evenly timed four-beat gait present from birth rather than instilled through training. It suits riders who spend long hours in the saddle, since it avoids the jarring motion typical of a trotting horse.

The breed unites two qualities rarely found together. Under saddle it is lively and forward-going, showing the energy and willingness that Peruvian breeders term brio, yet on the ground it remains placid and easy to handle. A well-bred Peruvian Paso holds its head and neck in an upright, proud carriage.

Its most striking movement is the termino, an outward rolling action of the front legs originating at the shoulder. Unique to the breed, the termino gives the foreleg action a swimming appearance while the hindquarters remain low and driving.

Who it suits

The Peruvian Paso suits riders seeking comfort over distance, such as those who hack for many hours at a stretch. Its even temperament makes it manageable for riders without great physical strength, though its spirited drive rewards a confident, consistent hand. The breed is also shown under saddle and appears in parades and exhibitions.

The breed traces back to horses brought to South America by Spanish settlers in the sixteenth century. Spanish conquistadors began arriving in Peru from 1532 onward, bringing with them the Spanish Jennet, an ambling type noted for smooth lateral gaits, together with Barb and Andalusian stock.

Peru lacked the extensive road networks found in Europe, and large estates lay scattered across coastal valleys, deserts, and mountainous terrain. Owners needed mounts able to carry them in comfort over long distances at a steady pace, so breeders selected for the smooth four-beat gait, for stamina, and for a willing temperament, generation after generation.

For much of its development the breed was raised in relative isolation on Peruvian haciendas. Without extensive crossbreeding, the gait became fixed and was passed on reliably to foals, which is why it appears naturally in nearly every purebred Peruvian Paso today.

In the twentieth century the horse spread beyond Peru, and breeders in North America and elsewhere set up registries to record bloodlines. The Peruvian Paso is recognised as a national symbol of Peru, and should not be confused with the Paso Fino, a separate gaited breed developed elsewhere in Latin America.

The Peruvian Paso is a medium-sized, well-balanced horse built for stamina rather than height. It has a deep chest, strong sloping shoulders, and rounded muscling that supports its sustained gait. The neck is fairly heavy and carried in an arch, and the head is medium-sized with an alert, proud expression.

The mane and tail are fine and full, with the tail set low and carried close to the body. Movement is low and reaching through the hindquarters, while the front legs display the rolling termino action that defines the breed.

Colours

The Peruvian Paso appears in a wide range of solid colours, along with some dilutes and roans. Bay and chestnut are common, and black, brown, grey, palomino, and buckskin all occur. White markings on the face and legs are accepted. The coat itself is short and fine, while the mane, forelock, and tail grow long and silky.

The Peruvian Paso is known for pairing brio with gentleness. Brio is the term breeders use for the horse's forward energy, courage, and willingness to keep going; under saddle the horse is lively and responsive, with a clear desire to move out.

On the ground and around people, the same horse is typically placid and good-natured. The breed forms a strong bond with its handlers and tends to be tractable and willing to please, which makes everyday handling straightforward. With other horses it is generally sociable and settles well into a herd.

With strangers, a confident Peruvian Paso is usually alert rather than nervous, and its dignified carriage is as much a part of its character as its conformation. The breed suits an owner able to channel its energy with consistent, fair handling.

Grooming

• Brush the body several times a week to keep the coat clean and the skin healthy.
• Comb and detangle the long mane and tail carefully to prevent breakage.
• Pick out the hooves daily and check for stones, packed debris, and signs of thrush.
• Bathe as needed and dry the legs afterwards to avoid skin problems.
• Check the eyes, nostrils, and skin during grooming for early signs of trouble.

Exercise

• Provide regular ridden or in-hand work to keep the horse fit and the gait clean.
• Daily turnout in a paddock or field supports both mind and body.
• Vary the work between hacking and arena schooling to keep the horse engaged.
• Build up fitness gradually before longer outings.

Environment

The Peruvian Paso does well with access to grazing and a field shelter or stable to escape heat, wind, and rain. It adapts to a range of climates given proper shelter and consistent care, and the company of other horses helps keep this sociable breed settled.

The foundation of the Peruvian Paso diet is forage. Good-quality grass hay or grazing should make up the bulk of daily intake, roughly 1.5 to 2 per cent of bodyweight in forage each day. Many of these horses are good doers, so concentrates are added only when work demands the extra energy.

Fresh, clean water must be available at all times, along with a salt or mineral source. Feed at consistent times and split larger rations into smaller feeds to support digestion.

Treats and supplements

Small amounts of carrot or apple make suitable treats. A balanced vitamin and mineral supplement may help when forage alone does not meet requirements, and a vet can advise on additions for older horses or those in hard work. Introduce any change of feed over a week or more.

The Peruvian Paso is a robust breed with a long working life. Many individuals stay sound and active into their twenties, and a lifespan of 25 to 30 years is typical with good care. The breed has no single defining genetic disorder, but it shares the common health concerns of horses in general.

Routine veterinary care, attention to diet, and good hoof management are the main factors in keeping these horses healthy across their long lives.

Preventive care

• Book annual or biannual veterinary check-ups and core vaccinations.
• Worm based on a vet-guided parasite programme and worm egg counts.
• Have teeth checked and rasped at least once a year.
• Keep hooves trimmed every six to eight weeks.
• Monitor body condition to prevent both obesity and underfeeding.

The Peruvian Paso is intelligent, willing, and quick to bond with a trainer, which makes it responsive to patient handling. Because the four-beat gait is inborn, training does not create the gait but refines balance, rhythm, and collection. The horse's brio gives it forward drive, so the work is largely about directing that energy and building soft, consistent responses.

Groundwork builds trust and respect before and alongside ridden work. The breed responds poorly to harsh, forceful methods and far better to clear, fair, and repeatable cues.

Basics

1. Begin with handling and groundwork to teach leading, standing, and yielding.
2. Introduce tack and accept the rider's weight calmly in short sessions.
3. Establish go, stop, and steering at walk before adding the gait.
4. Develop the natural gait with a light contact and a steady rhythm.
5. Add transitions, lateral work, and hacking out as confidence grows.

Peruvian Paso horses reach physical maturity at around four to five years of age, though they are often not backed until they are mature enough to cope with the work. Mares are usually put in foal once well grown, and breeders select for sound conformation, a clean natural gait, and good temperament.

Gestation lasts roughly eleven months, and the mare almost always carries a single foal. Twins are rare in horses and are generally undesirable, since they carry a high risk to mare and foals alike. The newborn foal stands and suckles within the first hours of life.

A defining feature of the breed is that the gait breeds true. Because the trait has been fixed through centuries of closed breeding, purebred foals reliably show the smooth four-beat gait from a young age. Young horses are weaned, handled early to build trust, and brought on gradually towards ridden work as they mature.