When a modern horseman sees a naturally gaited horse, he looks upon it as something unusual, but at one time all horses were naturally gaited. The Peruvian Paso horse descended almost 500 years ago from the original bloodstock that had been brought to Peru from Spain by the original conquistadors and settlers. These horses from Spain were of Arabic and Berber origin (the Arabs brought the horse to Spain during their 800-year reign there).

For several centuries no outside blood has been introduced into the Peruvian breed, a rarity among equine breeds, and a naturally gaited breed that can guarantee its incredible gait to 100% of its offspring.

It is interesting to note that the Peruvian breed is far older than most of the breeds in North America, and may be, in fact, the first breed developed in this hemisphere.

Due to his way of travelling and confirmation, the Peruvian horse is able to gait with virtually no movement of his back between the withers and the croup. In addition, the distance between the ground and the belly will not vary, even at fairly high speeds. The result is the smoothest ride in the equine world.

Because of an inner pride and energy which make him travel as if always “on parade”, the Peruvian Paso is also one of the “showy” of all horses. Due to a long-standing tradition of not breeding animals, which have an unsuitable disposition, their temperament is one of the world's best. The Peruvian Paso is also the only horse in the world with "termino” which is a graceful movement in which the forelegs are rolled toward the outside as the horses strides forward, much like the motion of a swimmer. Both the gait and the flashy leg action are all completely natural. They are not induced or aided in any artificial way.

The origin of this unique and special all-natural gait lies in the history and heritage of Peru. The large, sandy coast of Peru, from its origins with the Spanish conquistadors, were very large Haciendas. Measurement of travel on these large farms was made in terms of days of travel rather than kilometers or miles. As a result the owners wanted a reliable and trustworthy transportation, but a comfortable one. From the outset, they began to breed only those animals that had all the right characteristics required, and did not breed any horses that did not have the traits they wanted. Animals with unsuitable disposition were not used for breeding, to prevent that same disposition from being passed on to future generations. The result was a continual improvement of the breed over almost 500 years to obtain what is today, without a doubt the smoothest ride ever, with an amazingly docile animal, willing to learn, anxious to please and generally free of vices. On the other hand, the Peruvian Paso horse is a proud and energetic horse with great exuberance, alertness and style.

The natural movement of Peruvian Paso horses is such that these animals always appear to be performing for royalty. Their extraordinary animation is inborn and entirely natural. The head is held high and proud, with great “arrogance” and the front knees bob smartly as the Peruvian Paso floats along his course. With good reason, a poet once described the Paso as 'the horse who walks like a conqueror”

The size range of these magnificent animals is from 14 to 15.2 hands, and weigh between 900 to 1,200 pounds. They come in all the basic colors, such as bay, block, chestnut, brown, gray, dun, roan, and even palomino.

The Peruvian Paso horse is not only a part of the history and heritage of Peru, but has become one of its proudest products. You can see these magnificent animals at one of the many Peruvian Paso shows, held in Lima each year. The largest and most spectacular, the “Nationals”, is in September this year with more than 500 on exhibition. There is a smaller show, the Amancaes July 13-15, with highlights on Sunday July 15th. Both shows are held at the Breeder Association grounds in Mamacona, near the Pachacamac ruins, just south of Lima, and entrance is free. It is well worth the visit.