The Paso Fino is a unique, gaited breed known for its beauty and spirited temperament. These horses are compact and muscular with long, flowing manes and tails and are most noted for their naturally-occurring gaits. In the show ring, horses in performance and pleasure classes demonstrate the Paso Corto, a smooth, four-beat gait, and the Paso Largo, a similar but faster gait. The highest level of show-ring performance for the breed is the Fino division. These horses perform the Classic Fino, a highly collected gait with very fast footfalls but minimal forward motion.
Watch as trainer Ricky Mendoza of Quinta Chiappetta Paso Finos in Shelbyville, Ky demonstrates the gaits with Milagra, a Fino mare, and Campeon CQ, a performance stallion.
As U.S. athletes look back on valuable experience gained at the 2025 FEI World Cup Finals in Switzerland, the next…
If you’ve never cleaned a horse’s sheath, you probably have questions. First and foremost, is it really necessary? And more…
After a nail-biting two years of speculation about the inclusion of equestrian sports in the next Olympic Games, it was…
Welcome to Horse Illustrated’s weekly installment of the Right Horse Adoptable Horse of the Week, offered in partnership with the…
Equine arthritis can affect horses of all disciplines and ages, and early intervention is crucial for maintaining comfort and performance.…
Mother, grandmother, and winning 5* eventing rider—these three titles don’t typically go together. However, Tamie Smith, 49, is all of…
View Comments
Wow I think that gaited horses are wonderful to ride! I have ridden, a Paso Fino and Iit was sooo wonderful, Although If I had to choose between a gaited and non-gaited horse I would go with a non-gaited horse (im a jumper). I think PF's are limited to certian things and I like horses with a wide variety of abilities. But Paso Fino horses have earned my awe, and admiration just the same :)
Paso Fino's are actually very versatile. There are even jumping classes at some of the Paso Fino Shows and since the majority of Paso Fino owners trail ride, they are good at jumping trail obstacles.
Paso Finos are also very people oriented. They love to be with you and bond very strongly.
Very interesting facts on them.
I watched this video and was wondering why this horse appeared to be drooling constantly? Is this normal, or is this horse in distress?
Not distress but salivating on the bit. They hot horses in the show ring, burn lots of energy and love to be on the go -- they lather at the shoulders too, during show classes or training. They are wonderful, smart, and eager to please and have a high-revving engine like a compact sports car. They possess what is known (admiringly) as brio. I adore this brilliant and beautiful breed.