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Re: [RC] [RC] for those that ride Paso Fino's - Dawn CarrieI don't know much about specific bloodlines. My husband has two Paso Fino geldings. One is just starting...he's done one LD. He's 5, going on 2 (mentally <G>). A goofy kid. His other gelding is 13...Ross has been riding him since fall 2002, when he started doing LD. He has about 500+ LD miles. He did his first 50 last April, and has 575 miles of 50/55 mile rides...100% completion in endurance, except one RO pull a few weeks ago to go back to camp with me when my horse took a bad fall with me. He's going to do a 75 on him next month, and his first 100 in May.
One thing we found when shopping for Pasos is that lots of breeders have flimsy horses...thin, china doll legs and tiny feet. You may have to look for a while to find good bone and decent sized feet. Diamante has short, nearly 8" cannons, and wears 00 shoes...sounds small, but his feet are nicely shaped, hard as rocks, and beautifully cupped.
Another thing...if the breeder says their horses have a "nice tight gait," don't bother looking..."tight" gait is another way of saying that their horses are very "fino," or in other words, they have little or no extension. Pasos can be one of two extremes...very fino - these are the ones you see where their feet are going 90 miles an hour but the horse is going nowhere...not what you want. Some breeders breed for that. The other extreme is largo...extreme extension...the horses really fly along. Most are between those extremes. You obviously want one more toward the largo end. :)
Size...don't think you have to have a 15h Paso...they "ride big." Diamante is 14.2h and narrowly built, and my 6 ft. husband rides him just fine. "D" pulses down right with the Arabs. And don't let anyone tell you that you should never trot a Paso or they will lose their gait. Ross does most of his miles trotting (a very smooth trot!), but D will immediately gait when asked. D also has a wonderful canter.
We use a Barefoot Cheyenne (treeless) on D and he loves it. When gaiting, they need a lot of clearance for their shoulder blade, so be sure that the shoulder is very free.
It's a shame your friend doesn't live in Texas...a friend of mine breeds Pasos, and she's a walking encyclopedia on the breed, which bloodlines have which types of temperaments, etc. She bred Ross's 5 yr old. Her horses all have wonderful substance and temperament.
Pasos are a really neat breed...they are pocket ponies, very affectionate, sensitive, and love flying down the trail. They're incredibly surefooted. They also bond with their people. D loves everyone, but he and Ross share something special. If I ever decided to leave Arabs, I'd get a Paso.
If you or your friend have any questions, feel free to contact me. :)
Dawn in East Texas
On 3/29/07, heidi larson <ribbitttreefrog@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I have a friend that may get a Paso after she retires her
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