Paso Fino Horse Breeding

Thoughtful selective breeding was fundamental in shaping the Paso Fino horse we know today. Since the first horses came to the New World over 500 years ago, Spanish explorers and landowners began carefully refining this elegant breed from existing Barb, Andalusian, and Spanish Jennet riding stock. The result was a horse with magnificent carriage, a friendly and willing disposition, and the naturally smooth, rhythmic four-beat gait that made the Paso Fino famous. 

In modern times, Paso Fino horse breeding programs remain essential to preserving and promoting this unique breed. These programs play a crucial role in maintaining the purity of the Paso Fino bloodline, ensuring that desirable traits such as elegance, agility, and smooth gaits are passed down through subsequent generations. By carefully selecting breeding pairs based on conformation, movement, and temperament, breeders can work towards improving the overall quality of Paso Fino horses while remaining true to the breed’s distinct heritage.

Paso Fino horse breeding programs also help to safeguard the genetic diversity of the breed. By maintaining a diverse gene pool, breeders can reduce the risk of inherited health issues and ensure the long-term viability of the Paso Fino horse population.

In the following guide, we will explain the origin of Paso Fino breeding programs and outline what to look for in Paso Fino horses intended for breeding. We will also discuss basic horse breeding techniques and how to raise and train Paso Fino foals.

Though the Paso Fino is one of the oldest horse breeds in the Americas, it was not officially recognized in the United States until 1943, when the Federation of the Sport of Paso Fino Horses of Puerto Rico was established, along with a breed registry. Since then, multiple organizations and associations have arisen to help protect and maintain the breed, including the American Paso Fino Horse Association (APFHA), the Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA), and the Canadian Paso Fino Horse Society (CPFHS). The PFHA maintains the largest Paso Fino breed registry in the world, with over 60,000 horses listed from various countries, including the United States, Colombia, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba.

Selective breeding remains the cornerstone of modern Paso Fino breeding programs, with breeders carefully choosing parent horses based on both genetic lineage and desired traits. In addition to having a natural four-beat gait, Paso Fino breeding stock must meet specific height requirements (falling between 13 to 15.2 hands tall) and demonstrate endurance, excellent conformation, and a friendly disposition. In many cases, DNA testing is also used to confirm the bloodlines of breeding stock, ensuring that only eligible Paso Fino horses are registered.

As with other horse breeds, Paso Finos can be bred using several different techniques. This versatility allows Paso Fino horse breeders to select stock from distant locations or overcome natural challenges that may occur during reproduction. Some of the most common horse breeding methods are as follows:

This traditional method involves allowing a stallion and a mare to physically mate after an introductory period. This can be done on 2 ways:  in total freedom, out in a pasture (pasture breeding), or constrained in a controlled environment (in-hand breeding). Breeders carefully select compatible pairs based on breed standards, conformation, temperament, and genetic compatibility. Natural breeding has the advantage of being relatively inexpensive compared to artificial insemination, but it carries a higher risk of injury to the horses involved and sexually transmitted diseases. This breeding technique also requires both horses to be in the same location.

Equine reproduction has evolved such that the mare and stallion no longer need to be in the same location. In AI, semen collected from a stallion is manually deposited into the mare’s reproductive tract using specialized equipment. Because semen can be frozen for transport, this method allows breeders to overcome geographical limitations and reproductive challenges, which can help preserve valuable genetics.

A form of surrogate pregnancy for horses, embryo transfer involves fertilizing a donor mare and then transferring the resulting embryo to a recipient mare for gestation. This technique allows breeders to produce offspring from mares that would not otherwise be able to carry a foal to term; for example, older mares, mares with reproductive challenges, or performance mares committed to a busy event schedule. ET also makes it possible to produce multiple offspring from the same donor mare in one breeding season, increasing the supply of high-quality horses more rapidly.

Successful Paso Fino horse breeding involves more than just selecting the right parent horses. Early training and socialization are also crucial to bringing out the best in this intelligent, sensitive breed, along with premium nutrition designed to support foal health. 

Breeders should begin imprinting on each foal within the first few days following birth. Doing so helps ensure the horse learns to trust humans from an early age. When ready, young Paso Finos should be socialized with people and other horses; ideally, they will be allowed to share a pasture with other horses of a similar age. Throughout this period, and after the horse is weaned, horse owners should continue regular handling with frequent stall sessions (which allow for one-on-one interaction between foal and breeder) and preliminary training lessons, such as leading and hoof cleaning. Taking these steps ensures that when training begins in earnest, the horse is already comfortable with handling and responsive to commands. 

If you’re interested in starting a Paso Fino breeding program (or breeding a Paso Fino horse you already own), it’s helpful to know how to evaluate the potential of a parent mare or stallion. When selecting Paso Fino horse breeding stock, look for specific traits and genetic characteristics that represent the best of the breed, such as:

Paso Fino horses are known for their unique four-beat lateral gait, which is smooth, rhythmic, and natural to the breed. While training is sometimes used to refine the Paso horse’s gait for the show ring, it does not create the gait, which should be present from birth. As such, the most important trait to look for in any Paso Fino horse is the correct execution of the breed’s signature gait.

Look for breeding stock that exhibits a clear, well-defined step with an even footfall, wherein one foot meets the ground as soon as another lifts. Evaluate the smoothness, balance, and consistency of the gait across multiple speeds, including the Paso Fino (walking gait), Paso Corto, and Paso Largo. Ensure the horse does not lose collection or break into a canter when moving at faster paces. The horse should also be able to transition seamlessly between each pace with no visible breaks in stride.

Assess the conformation of breeding stock to ensure they meet the breed standards for Paso Fino Horses. Look for horses with well-balanced proportions, strong musculature (especially around the hindquarters), sloping shoulders, a short back, a well-arched neck, and a refined head with wide-set expressive eyes and alert ears. Pay attention to the horse’s height, overall body structure, leg conformation, and hoof quality for soundness and athletic ability. 

Ideally, the horses you choose should also clearly show their Spanish heritage in their carriage and features. A long, lush mane and tail, for example, is highly desirable in this breed, and the tail should be carried gracefully while the horse is in motion.

Select breeding stock with the gentle, willing, and trainable temperament that is considered characteristic of Paso Fino Horses. Look for horses that exhibit a calm disposition, willingness to work, and responsiveness to handling and training. The perfect Paso Fino horse is sociable, eager, and enthusiastic while still being attuned to their rider and easy to manage, even for novices.

Consider the bloodlines and pedigree of breeding stock to assess their genetic heritage and potential for producing quality offspring. Research the lineage, ancestry, and performance history of potential parent horses to understand their genetic strengths, weaknesses, and contributions to the breed. High-quality Paso Fino horses will have at least one ancestor with a strong record in the show ring or another competitive discipline (or be the sire of other successful competitors). Champion Paso Fino horses, on the other hand, will have a proven track record of placing prominently in Championship shows or another discipline in which the Paso Fino breed typically excels, such as dressage or trail riding competitions. 

The horses you choose should also undergo health and genetic screening to ensure they are free from genetic defects, inheritable diseases, and health issues that could impact the quality of their progeny.

As a final note, remember that your breeding program should be geared towards the goals you have for your horses while preserving the core traits of the Paso Fino breed. For example, if you intend to breed Paso Finos for trail riding, select breeding stock based on endurance and agility foremost (rather than, for example, performance in the show ring). What constitutes the perfect Paso Fino horse for your farm may differ from the preferences of someone else, and that’s perfectly acceptable – Paso Fino horses are, after all, known for their versatility. As long as your chosen stock adheres to established breed standards and is free from health and genetic defects, you can feel confident in producing high-quality foals that are an asset to the Paso Fino breed. 

At Hacienda Santa Maria, we provide stud services that give Canadians easy access to champion Paso Fino breeding stock. Our prize-winning stallions, including El Manto De Santa Maria, have won multiple international competitions, earning the highest rank of any Canadian-bred Paso Fino at the World Cup Paso Fino competition and the Extravaganza International, among other events.  

Contact HSM today to learn how we can help you establish a Paso Fino breeding program with an exceptional lineage.