Since I am a paso owner, I will throw in my two cents.
Some of the paso people argue that the paso gait is actually isochronal rather than lateral. I just like to hear an even pitter patter when I ride. :-)
Theoretically, I think that the more diagonally prone pasos (trocha) would be better endurance candidates than the more lateral horses. I bet they could sustain their gait over longer distances too. It just seems like it would be more effecient. Of course, my horse is not trocha so I don't have a good way to test that theory. Maybe this is an excuse to buy another Paso? *grin*
I think that Pasos in general do make good endurance horses since they have a lot in common with Arabians when it comes to personality, heart, etc. Some of the more docile gaited breeds just don't seem to have that spark. I also don't think that it comes down to trail bred vs. show bred Pasos. "Show bred" pasos can move out, they just don't let them do it in the show ring. In my mind it comes down to the individual. If you see a paso you like, don't worry about bloodlines as much as the horse you see in front of you.
Don’t forget the Paso gaits, which are a four beat lateral gait that should be even, and sound like 1-2-3-4.
My admittedly biased opinion is that they are smoother than any other gait….
The thing to watch with the Paso’s is to get a “trail bred” as opposed to a “show bred”. The trail bred Paso’s tend to have a longer, more efficient gait. The show bred horses go more up and down than forward, and use a lot of energy going nowhere. There are exceptions to every rule.
In the Paso Fino’s, the walk, corto, and largo are all the same gait, they just vary in speed and collection.
Juli and the Herd
Alpine (little palomino paso fino, who is not an endurance horse anymore due to laminitis and insulin resistance)
Merlin (paso/arab cross who we recently discovered has a SMOOOOOOOTH trot, and might even gait when he’s officially under saddle)
