Living in Peru : your everyday companion

There are many different types and breeds of horses that are used for many different things. Some are specialized in jumping, some in racing, others in showing or parades, and some are great for rodeos. However the qualities that make the best all around horse are temperament, beauty, versatility, low maintenance, and being all around pleasurable. The one breed of horse that meets this criteria and is the most pleasurable of all is the Peruvian Paso.

The Peruvian Paso is known as one of South America's best kept secrets. The first people to introduce the horse to the America's were the Spaniards. Christopher Columbus brought the first horses to the island of Santo Domingo in 1493 that were used to start the first breeding operation. The most outstanding breed at the time was the Andalusian which became the foundation of the Peruvian Paso (Peruvian).

Soon after, the breed moved down into the central parts of South America and were used for mounting troops during their conquests. In 1532 Francisco Pizarro's troops used an early version of the Peruvian Paso when he conquered the Inca empire. It was here, in Peru's rough terrain, where these lovely animals stayed isolated and were bred to perfection. It would be 450 years later before the secret was unleashed to the rest of the world.

The most important quality in a horse is temperament; and the Peruvian has the best. Due to it's isolation in Peru for so many centuries, the Peruvian is one of the purest breeds in the world. During their 450 year isolation, the Peruvian breeders would only breed the horses that had the best temperaments. Any horse that had an unsuitable disposition was banned to field work or even worse, literally banned to the dinner table. This way bad traits and habits such as biting, bucking, and kicking faded with each generation and is a very rare occurance today. Currently, if a Peruvian has a bad habit, it was most likely taught to them by a human and is not inherited.

So if their temperament lacks in bad qualities, what are their good qualities? The best quality is it's willingness to serve. The Peruvian lives to serve. Horse breeder Annie Kiesow said that Peruvians are so willing to obey that they will literally be shaking when asked to do something scary, yet will still obey. It is almost as if they say, " I am scared about this, but you asked me to do it, so I will".

Furthermore sensibility, patience, loyalty, and dependability are cherished Peruvian qualities. One example of how sensible and patient the Peruvian is, if it gets hung up in a fence it would usually stand and wait to be untangled by its owner rather than go wild such as other horses would. Annie commented on their loyalty in the following quote: "My Gelding would die for me, I just know it, bred down from the horses of the Spanish conquistadors, they have the heart of a warrior. I had a young horse once that stood his ground while an angry cow hit him so hard she knocked the wind out of him. But he stayed between her and me."
"You can even see them reason and they sense your feelings and act accordingly", Carole Photiadis commented. Once they learn something, they generally never forget, which makes them extremely dependable. The Peruvian, because of their great temperament, is the national horse of Peru and is highly respected.

This horse was also bred for a quality called brio. A horse with brio is focused, willing to work, and is quick to react and learn. The word brio isn't synonymous with the word "spirit" referring to a horse that is hard to
control, such as the spirit of the Arab. Rather, the energy and heart of a horse with brio is completely at the service of the rider. Underneath all that energy is a calm and completely willing horse. Willingness is the
most important characteristic in brio. One great example of Peruvian's easy temperament combined with their brio took place at a pre-show press conference at the luxurious Radisson Hotel in Odessa, Texas. Joan Box and her associate brought their horses to the show and to accommodate the journalists, they took their horses through the glass doors, down the stairs, and into the lobby with complete calmness. One man in the hotel hoped that they would be staying in the room next to him because they were better mannered than the people who stayed there the night before. After the Press conference, they gave pony rides to all who wanted.

"Those who saw them in the show arena a few days later were treated to high-stepping, fire-breathing, show-stopping excitement. Watching them in competition, it was hard to believe that the same horses had calmly walked inside a busy hotel and given pony rides to tourists on a crowded sidewalk. I know of few breeds where this would be typical of high performance show horses", Verne Albright said.

These great horses will be quiet in the pasture and when they are with other horses but as soon as they are under saddle they really "wake up" and all their energy is at your, the rider's service. Carole describes how brio can be felt by just sitting on a Peruvian. "Climb aboard and feel the muscles quiver beneath you, waiting for your command".

Watching a Peruvian should induce a special feeling for even the most naive equestrian. Brio brings out the spirit, pride, and heart of the horse that makes it thrilling to watch or ride. Verne interprets the sensation of brio in the following quote: "He comes into view, elegant and handsome... maybe even a little pretentious and arrogant. Always on parade, he fills the scene with his ample movements. The universe is barely big enough to contain his boastful gaiety. He is a source of great pleasure to his owner and to those who see him."

Brio is the controlled energy that the Peruvian gives off simply in it's presence. When watching the horse it looks full of energy, movement, and pride but underneath all that, the rider feels complete calmness. Brio is something you have to see yourself because words cannot accurately describe it. It creates the pleasure of catching every eye you pass.

To compliment a Peruvian Paso's brio is the pleasure of it's majestic beauty. The Peruvian has a body full of strength and stamina with well developed muscles giving it a refined appearance. It's height is between 14 and 15 hands ( about 4½ to 5 feet to the withers). It's head is of medium size, proportional with it's body, and has a small muzzle. It's eyes are dark and expressive with a graceful, arched neck. The body is long and muscular. The coat is always a deep color that shines and looks and feels soft and silky. The mane and tail are long, thick and beautiful. Overall they are one of the most beautiful breeds to look at.


Another reason owners find pleasure in the Peruvian is because they require such little maintenance in care, riding, and training. They eat very little because of their high metabolism and small size. Consequently, they don't cost as much to take care of. Where some horse breeds require extensive foot care, the Peruvian's feet require little maintenance. Their feet are so tough that they don't need shoes or any other special care. The Peruvian is generally less dominant than most making them easier to handle while in the pasture and during training Michelle Ripley commented that "I got my mare out of the pasture when she was six years old and got on her bareback and lead lines on her halter. That was how I "trained" her." Compared to other horses they are very easy to train , which saves the rider much frustration and time.

After considering all the above qualities, one might question what is a Peruvian like to ride? Their sensitivity and responsiveness makes them extremely easy to ride and train. They require very little effort for communication. They can pick up even the smallest body movements of their rider and are very light with the reins. It's easy to concentrate on other things while riding because it's not necessary to be always jerking on the reins.

Along with their responsiveness, comfort is a quality that can make riding a great pleasure. The years of their isolated breeding has resulted in the Peruvian having the smoothest gait in the world. After riding a Peruvian Paso Arlene Margrino stated: "After traveling over three continents and riding countless trails on every breed of horse ... I've found the end of the rainbow. The Peruvian is by far the smoothest riding horse. I've ridden them all and believe me this is it!". They are so smooth that a common way to judge a show is to have each rider carry a champagne glass and see who spills the least. Quite often nobody spills a drop. The best thing about their gait or paso is that they pass it on to one-hundred percent of their offspring. Even a Tennessee walking horse and other gaited horses seem bouncy compared to the Peruvian.

The Peruvian has four unique four-beat gaits: The Walk, Paso Llano, Sobreandando, and Huachano. These gaits are lateral instead of diagonal like trotting horses, and so the weight is more evenly distributed and little to no movement is transferred to the rider which creates a smooth ride. These gaits always include three feet on the ground at a time. Even though these are their most common gaits, just like any horse the Peruvian can still canter and gallop.

Another quality that is unique to the Peruvian is a component called termino. The word termino describes the front leg action that is similar to that of a swimmer. This action creates a lot of front leg action without any bounce transferred to the rider; it also looks very beautiful because of how high they pick up their feet.

Additionally, what makes the Peruvian a great all around horse is that it is good for all types of people: old, young, big, little, experienced, or not. Because of their quiet disposition and dependability, anyone can handle these horses. In most Peruvian shows there are separate sections for juniors because they are so good with children. Michele Ripley even lets all her nieces and nephews ride her gelding and never has to worry about them. Carole believes that "the younger the child, the more gentle the horse becomes. I have seen toddlers on the Peruvians and the horses acted as if their cargo was glass." Many buy this breed as their first time horse, including retired people because the Peruvian gives a nice smooth ride and is easy to handle. So easy in fact, that seventy-nine year old Rose Walker from Oregon and her mother, who is one hundred years old, often go on all day rides on their Peruvians. "The largest of stallions can be ridden by the smallest of children", one breeder said.

These horses are a joy because they can also be therapeutic. Where most people with back problems, hip problems, pregnancy, and many other problems shouldn't ride horses, the Peruvian is actually good for them. Linda Garro has chronic arthritis in her spine and hips. Throughout her life she had always been a fox hunter but the doctors prohibited it because of her arthritis. But since she has found the Peruvian she is able to ride again with no pain. She even claims that her back feels better on days when she rides. This is just one of countless other stories. Some doctors familiar with the Peruvian Paso even recommend the breed.

Because of the Peruvian's unique body build it is very athletic and versatile. The chest is wide and deep which allows a large breathing capacity, which improves endurance. The Peruvian also has an extremely sure foot because of it's gait and the angle of the pasterns. The original purpose of the breed was to cover a lot of Andean ground while giving the smoothest ride possible. Plantation owners could ride up to forty miles a day and feel like they've only ridden one. This horse was meant for anything; from the mountains to the dessert, to the beach. Thanks to the Peruvian Paso the great Andes mountains were conquered by man. Some may argue that their small size might hinder their abilities but on the contrary, it proves to be no disadvantage at all. They don't feel small at all because their heart is so big. Their brio and the way they carry themselves makes the rider feel as if they are riding a much larger horse.

Their size contributes to their agility. Their size was originally preferred by the farmers because of the easy mounts and dismounts (Peruvian people are not known for their giant-like size). They are also much stronger than expected and can carry up to 250 pounds.

A man from Idaho took a Peruvian on an elk hunt and after another larger horse refused to pack an elk out of the rugged country, they put the meat on the smaller Peruvian who not only brought the meat out, but did it in record time. Another example is when rider Joan Box attempted to compete her Peruvian on an endurance race and the organizer almost wouldn't let her come but she ended up being one of the first to finish. "I think Peruvians and their riders should have to go back out and ride at least another hour. It's only fair. The horses aren't tired, and neither are the riders!" a competitor commented.
Although some think that the only uses for the Peruvian is for show. Audrey Gaisfield from the Que Sabe Ranch in Santa Ynez Valley, California, often rides her most successful show horse on the trail (or would it be more correct to say that she uses her most successful trail horse in the show arena?)". There is a saying in Peru: "The Paso is a work horse suitable for showing-not a show horse suitable for working".

Peruvians can participate in many other activities as well. Some additional activities in which they excel include showing, pleasure riding, parades, endurance racing, drill teams, sidesaddle riding, polo, and just about
anything any other breed enjoys. He is capable of performing, at least moderately, in all activities and you can be sure it will be the most beautiful horse participating. "There is no other breed that is close to the Peruvian. He is in a class of his own", Carole said.

Therefore for being strictly rodeo queen, the quarter horse is the best. For racing the thoroughbred would be the best. For pulling a carriage the Clydesdale is great, but for the best all around horse that does a little bit of everything and makes the most pleasurable friend, the Peruvian Paso is perfect.

(Peruvian Paso breeders, experts and horse lovers Verne Albright, Annie Kiesow, Brad Kruger, George Hirthler, Hugo Bonilla, Carole Photiadis, Dale Roberson, Arlene Margrino, Michele Ripley, Dan Mindel, Gunther Knorzer, and Barbara Windom contributed to this article.)

Credits:

Thanks to Brad from "The Peruvian Paso" (-website no longer active-) for giving us permission to republish this article.