What is your ultimate recreational pleasure Paso Fino like?

[LynnG]

so... 8-)
What are the physical attributes and mannerisms of your ultimate recreational pleasure riding Paso Fino?

What makes it so ideal by you to be enjoyed and valued?

IF you were looking for your dream pleasure horse, envision it here in words. Who knows????

List as many or as few attributes as you'd like.............(and not naming any horses' names ...yet at least...this is hypothetical).

:confused :prancer

[DebJ]

Well gaited so it is comfortable to ride. Has nice ground manners, listens to all you ask. When riding on trails, will walk through mud, water, streams, over logs, anything that is safe without becoming stubborn about doing it. Will go off trail also, if needed, without becoming upset. Will walk down steep hills on the trails, (and not eat all the leaves hanging over) ;- Not a spooky horse, can have turkey, deer, 4 wheelers, all come at them and not be spooked. As in, stand ground and watch, not turn and flee.
Trailers well, if need to go to other places to trail ride.
I think this would be my dream horse for our trails around here.

[LynnG]

:smile: :D :smile:

[Pinto Paso]

Strong, natural range of gait with low to moderate lift.
big motor (butt)
shorter back
wide chest floor
good bone and tendon - show refinement not required
shorter pastern
strong hoof
brave and willing attitude
independent nature
brio (no deadheads here please)
trainability, I want a thinking horse that understand the process of being part of the decision making.. this is hard to explain, I dont want a robot, I want a riding partner.

forgot to say - Pretty.. I like a pretty horse.

[ErinC]

yup pretty much DITTO
I want a horse that can self load, go off any place, have that said horse stand calm, go with the flow, and do as asked. go off alone, lead, lag behind, etc.... ( because he trusts me )
No I do not want a robot , you are right. but I want a horse that has a personality but is a willing pleasing partner.

Size, color, and range of gait along with beauty is nice too!

;-)

[DebJ]

Actually, Ladybug ( I know, no names) is a very good trail horse. The one thing she does that I have to work on, is that she "takes" over if she thinks I don't know where we are going. :lol: If she sees no passage, even though I do, she will stop and think about it first. Which is fine, but sometimes she has to be encouraged to go forward, by a heel to the side (OH MY) She does go over logs, through water etc. and trailers well, and does eat the leaves on the trees going up or down hill LOL--but she does stand and look at all the sights even though we have had lots of turkey, deer, and such fly up in our face and scamper ahead of us on the trails.
She is a good horse on the ground and I like to think that she does trust me. And I think she is very pretty and built well, the ol' big but !!
I just hope her daughter does just as well while at Rick Shaffer's next month. ;-)

[Linda Y]

My dream pleasure horse...
14.1 to 15 hands
substantial
good gaited, but has a nice fast flat walk
low keyed, non-spooky. Trusts me and doesn't argue.
able to be mounted from any surface.
stands tied with no fuss
loads and rides on the trailer
gets along well with other horses and people
sweet temperment
a horse I can relax on and around
and the real dream would be if this horse were a pinto!

[Carol Nelson]

Yeah...actually...I had one. All of the above...except for motorized vehicles...he doesn't like them. My old gelding...I still have him but he foundered badly at 17, and now at 22, even though he's my demo horse and he rides fine in a sandy arena for twenty, thirty minutes...I don't trail ride him anymore. He was a great trail horse though...just lively enough to make people turn their heads, but not so hot that he scared me. ;-)

That's why I'm trying to create my designer horse...to be just like him...except maybe Palomino... ;-) :lol:

[ErinC]

Linda, I have this horse and I would not sell him for a million $$
My dream pleasure horse...
14.1 to 15 hands
substantial
good gaited, but has a nice fast flat walk
low keyed, non-spooky. Trusts me and doesn't argue.
able to be mounted from any surface.
stands tied with no fuss
loads and rides on the trailer
gets along well with other horses and people
sweet temperment
a horse I can relax on and around
and the real dream would be if this horse were a pinto!

we rode the trails again yesterday only his 6th trail ride in a group. and 1 demo.
ask Kim , Terri and Abbie he is by far the best horse I have ever had in all situations, cars, motorcycles, water, other horses, trailer.
he will hang back and babysit, never pushes to catch up. gaits when asked, and walks when asked. gets along with every horse he has been with, loves people too!
and he is a 14.3 H PINTO! ( not done growing in size )

O NO Sorry Lynn, I broke a rule :oops: :oops:
I just could not help myself.

[CarolU]

Great question.

Linda described to a T the type of horse I like to buy and train for resale as a Plesure mount. They are suitable for the average rider. Rosie is like this and already trustworthy as a horse for a biginner.

Stef described MY personal pleasure mount, but I prefer some 'fire.' I like to have FUN when I ride and prefer a horse with a bigger 'go-go gene. However, since I already OWN this horse (Zar), I don't have to shop anymore. I will be looking for a new Zar in a few years though.

[motorgypsy]

Small, sturdy, muscular, agile, fast, explosive, feisty, funny, smart, spunky, silly, cute, loads of personality, lots of endurance, smooth gait with excellent range, gets along well with other horses, kind, extremely responsive, a "showoff", hot but relaxes easily,alert but not wired, stubborn (yes I love stubborn), tough physically and mentally and drop dead gorgeous helps!! We have several that we consider very close to perfect. Most are bigger than we'd like - all that great nutrition available today.

I was at a rodeo talking to a guy getting ready to ride in a roping competition and talking about paso finos. He told me that what he wanted from his horse was "power on demand". An on/off switch. When you signal that horse goes like the wind. When you signal that horse stands there relaxed and chills out. That made a big impression on me and is what I expect of all our horses. When I signal stop and drops those reins that horse not only stops but relaxes and almost snoozes. I see too many paso finos like cars waiting at the starting line of the drag strip with their engines revved to the red line. I know it's waiting when I want it but I sure don't want it all the time. To me it's like a kid showing off a hot car at at a stop light by revving the engine. I don't need to keep my "engine revved constantly" because I know the power "under the hood" on my horses. I don't use energy when I don't need to and I don't expect my horses to either.

[Pinto Paso]

The only thing I dont agree on is the FIRE part - I dont want fire... I want brio (controlled, willingness, "up" attitude) ALL of my Paso Finos have this kind of brio but all can be ridden by beginners when the proper foundation of training is there...

I guess I learned about brio at a different time- I think it is a good thing.

Now a horse that is spooky, jug-headed, ill mannered and fearful does not have brio - it has issues.. :new confused

My NC performance stallion is ridden as a primary demo horse here as is my NC pleasure stallion and all of my country pleasure type mares etc.

I have ridden some "family type" advertised PF over the last few years and they were dead heads - other than an alright gait they had nothing to offer the rider. No ambition or drive in life what so ever :lol:

I see alot in this thread that describes training not physical attributes of a horse.

Training makes all of the difference in a horse yet people dont give it enough credit, nor do they want to spend the $ to get the horse that way.
The ability to be trained is an attribute but unless someone is there to do the training they will never have the ability to do what people here are listing. JMO

[Minouri]

People pretty much have the physical side covered and gait, so I won't go into that.

I'll add on the personality side:

sense of adventure, curiousity....enjoying going new places and trying new things. (That's different than just doing it because you know I want you to.) Swimming for example - are you swimming because I asked you into the water and staying there only as long as I ask you to....or once we get in the water are you enjoying it as much as I do? Do you know how to play?

sense of humor - I do like a horse who can make me laugh.


Love of people: a general feeling you get when you're around a horse who cares for the people who rides him. A horse who changes into a calmer boy when children ride him, but lets his feet fly when an experienced rider gets on him.

A horse who stops and stays with you if you fall off.

A horse who comes when you call.

A horse who enjoys a good old fashioned conversation in the paddock when you've had a tough day.

A good hugger.

A thinker. When playing a new game with a horse...I like a horse who is actively trying to figure out what I am doing rather than passively waiting for instructions or nervously reacting.

A horse who tolerates children well. (ok, I think tolerance is key)

A horse I can ride bareback with a halter when I want a relaxing ride...

A horse that keeps it's head even at top speed.

A horse who loves to go fast, but you dont' have to fight to hold back.

A horse who can pony or be ponied.

A horse that knows the difference between an accidental kick (or some idiot smacking his rump) and a command to move. A horse the kids could play lacrosse from the back of that wouldn't lose its mind if it were hit by the ball.

I'm lucky to have a horse pretty dern close to my ideal horse. (not saying names...but it rhymes with Nooter) is not as brave on new trails as I would like him to be...nor was he as brave in the parade as my dream horse would be. However, I think some of that is training (some just basic personality) and if it were really important to me I'd work on it till neither were an issue. But the fact is that most of the time we ride on trails we know so it doesn't affect us very much. And if he were my IDEAL horse, he'd have a natural smooth gait that he preferred to be in.


Did anyone mention good for farrier and vet? I've seen some horses that made both such an ordeal I cannot imagine owning them.

Oh, and lack of desire to escape is nice. Horses that respect fencing.

Horses that dont' chew up your barn is nice, too.

Oh, and how about a hearty/sound/easy keeper while we're dreaming - one who is neat about what he does in his stall.

What the heck....my IDEAL horse would be self-cleaning :lol:

[CarolU]

Gosh Ruth, you're describing Rosie...even the 'self-cleaning' part. She's even too prissy to get dirty. LOL

No one mentioned stall manners. I really like horse that poop in one corner and don't track it all over and make it hard to clean up. One that would poop IN the wheelbarrow would be nice.

[LynnG]

Thanks y'all!

Okay...keep them coming....I'll compile a master list. And for those who broke the "rule" about not mentioning names....it didn't take long for that to happen did it. I figured as much, it is just something Paso Fino owners are bound to do due to love of their horses.

any other personal traits you desire... if you were looking for your dream pleasure Paso Fino?

way of going?

how much training?

size preferences?

vices that could be tolerated or not?

conformation types?

[SharonP]

Since I am horse shopping right now, I thought I would chime in. Naturally, I am looking for all the qualities you all have mentioned. To me, the top three are disposition, conformation, and smooth gait.

In the "looks" department, it would be nice to have a horse that can change color according to my "taste du jour." (A palimeno on Monday, a bay on Tuesday, and a pinto on Wednesday?) ;-)

[LynnG]

and a dun on Thursday!!!

[Linda Y]

Thanks y'all!

Okay...keep them coming....I'll compile a master list. And for those who broke the "rule" about not mentioning names....it didn't take long for that to happen did it. I figured as much, it is just something Paso Fino owners are bound to do due to love of their horses.
I already had my perfect horse...except for the pinto part. I keep wondering if that is why I am finding it so difficult to get another one.

any other personal traits you desire... if you were looking for your dream pleasure Paso Fino?

way of going?

how much training?

size preferences?

vices that could be tolerated or not?

conformation types?

Way of going...very smooth, capable of a fast largo or a fast flat walk. Can also canter, but not the paso proink. Head carried above level naturally. Not a lot of brio, but enough to WANT to go even when getting tired. Can go for a largo or canter, then stop and stand with no fussing.

Training? ...since I am older now, I don't want to have to train. So I want my horse to have all the basics down pat. I don't care about neckreining and side passing...things like that. But I want to know that this horse has enough experience under it's girth to handle about any situation with ease. Or the mental capacity to trust me when I say the situation is safe.

Size?... 14.1 to 15 hands, altho 15 is pushing too big for me. I have to use a mounting block to get on a 14 H horse...if I had to get off a 15 H one I could never get back on if I couldn't find one!

Vices?...Only 'vice' I tolerate is loving people.

Conformation type?... I have a tendancy to prefer PR types. I also love a 'round' Paso. Apple butt, thicker neck, thicker body, lots of hair, straight or slightly convex profile with a square muzzle. Big eyes, broad forehead. Very dry. Good bone, but with good definition.

[motorgypsy]

self trimming is good and good feet are critical but a lot of that is diet.

I don't want hyperflexy although it does give a smooth ride. Too accident prone. I don't like a thick neck with no narrowing at the throat. I don't like
"weenie horses" with those overly long skinny bodies. Please - good legs with no major sickle hocks and no cow hocks.

[ErinC]

LYNN
And for those who broke the "rule" about not mentioning names

I did not say ANY name! so I must be safe!
( ducking - and running out )

[CarolU]

way of going?

how much training?

size preferences?

vices that could be tolerated or not?

conformation types?

Since you asked.

I prefer a smooth, consistent gait. I don't need anything fast or showy, smoothness is the most important part. I have to have a big, ground covering flat walk. Some horses have an ambling walk that is very smooth, covers a lot of ground and I love (only drawback is that it's hard for other horses to keep up with).

I prefer to get youngsters and do my own training. It's easier to start with a clean slate then have to undo a lot of abuse and mishandling. I enjoy the challenge of training and undoubtedly spend more time training then I do riding.

I like all sizes, but for mountain riding, I prefer a larger horse, 14.2 - 15.2 hands. When I'm climbing steep or rocky terrain, I don't want to worry about not having enough horse under me.

There are four vices that will get a horse punished here, they are kicking, biting, rearing, or bucking. But all vices will be dealt with and/or trained away. I've never had a horse with stall vices like cribing or weaving. I'm really not sure what I'd do with them. I don't like horses that are mean to other horses beyond establishing herd status.

On conformation I guess I'm all messed up. I do not prefer the "breed standard" as I see it in the show ring. Most PFs don't meet MY standard. I prefer a stockier horse, short back/long underline ratio, square butt, sloped shoulder, average neck (not long or short), beautiful head with natural carriage, and STRAIGHT legs with a STRAIGHT way of traveling. When I sit at the end of the fino board or watch horses moving down a barn aisle, I can't believe some of the breeding stock. In MY mind, awesome speed of gait does not count more then good conformation - ever. I realize slight cow hocks or sickle hocks are 'acceptable' and hard to get away from. The word SLIGHT should be capitalized.

[ErinC]

Ditto
I prefer to get youngsters and do my own training. It's easier to start with a clean slate then have to undo a lot of abuse and mishandling. I enjoy the challenge of training and undoubtedly spend more time training then I do riding.

[motorgypsy]

Perhaps I'm incorrect on this but physically speaking I don't see slight sickle hocks causing physical breakdown as much as cow hocks because the horse is hitting straight down on the leg even though slightly in front of vertical. Cow hocks with that inward bend just look like they will "fail early" because with each footfall the leg is bent inward which stresses the joint severely. Try walking like that yourself. It's not comfortable!

My perfect horse...

Stands still while saddling and mounting, actually dozes I think.
Loves attention, baths, brushing, and treats.
Self assured.
Confident.
Opinionated.
Loves, loves, loves to get out and go riding.
Talkative.
Takes interspecies encounters in stride.
Goes fast, in fact prefers it.
Smooth.
Rather crash through brush and hop logs than take the easy way.
Tolerates being shown.
Not picky about eating.
No health issues.
Beautiful big heart.
Amazing apricot yellow color.
Trained to the hilt.
A little sneaky.
Never runs away from me.
Faces the vet with aplomb.
No amount of fumbling or bumbling can shake her.

I love this dream horse to pieces. She is one of a kind and everything we could ask for.

Jennifer

[CarolU]

My perfect horse...

Stands still while saddling and mounting, actually dozes I think.
Loves attention, baths, brushing, and treats.
Self assured.
Confident.
Opinionated.
Loves, loves, loves to get out and go riding.
Talkative.
Takes interspecies encounters in stride.
Goes fast, in fact prefers it.
Smooth.
Rather crash through brush and hop logs than take the easy way.
Tolerates being shown.
Not picky about eating.
No health issues.
Beautiful big heart.
Amazing apricot yellow color.
Trained to the hilt.
A little sneaky.
Never runs away from me.
Faces the vet with aplomb.
No amount of fumbling or bumbling can shake her.

I love this dream horse to pieces. She is one of a kind and everything we could ask for.

Jennifer

Just so you didn't name 'her'! ROFL Sounds like a great horse. I love the "opinionated" and "tolerates being shown" ones. Sounds like someone else I know! ROFL

[Pasogirlz]

A little sneaky

I liked that one. :lol: I really appreciate a smart horse.

[LeAnn]

What i would love to have in a trail pleasure horse. A stout 14.2 h would be nice with some flash. I like a horse that has some action. Non Spooky i am tired of clinging. Has a natural even gait. Will walk on a loose rein. If it doesnt neck rein ti will soon learn to. It most stand next to anything for mounting. It would have the hair gene and have a nice head. I used to want a chestnut with lots of crome but a black/bay would be very nice as well.

[Candice Burger]

Sorry Lynn, but the more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized I really like them all just the way they are.

I don't want my expression in them, I want theirs in me.

[motorgypsy]

A lovely thought Candice.

All the ones we have "speak to us" which is why we chose them or I might say - they chose us - even the foals.

[Candice Burger]

Well thing is MGs, I got to thinking about my "ideal" and then I got to thinking about the ones I have that aren't. About my lovely young mare that loves people, so gentle and kind. About my struggling orphaned filly who amazes me how determined she is. They are not ideal nor will ever be. There's no way I'd want it different.

[ErinC]

Amen, well said!

They are not ideal nor will ever be. There's no way I'd want it different.

[motorgypsy]

That reminds me that as a child and later a teen many of us have in our mind the "ideal horse". Black Beauty, Black stallion, Flicka, Misty of Chincoteage and so on, but when it's time to really go horse shopping and choose the one that is going to live with you and share your life suddenly the criteria you had for the perfect horse goes out the window. Finding the right horse is as difficult as finding a good mate. And if you fear, hate or just don't like a horse you own you owe it to both of you to find a new owner for this horse. So regardless of how beautiful the horse is it may not be the right horse.

I've posted this many times but I never cease to be amazed that we are going to so much trouble to seek out intelligent species on other planets and in other galaxies when we can't even communicate with the ones on our own planet. We as carnivores/omnivores/hunters/gatherers have no clue what it's like to be an herbivore and a prey animal. We fuss and complain about our horses spooking, running away, yelling when separated from the herd and yet these very traits are those that keep the species alive. Your horse has to trust you to keep it safe before it's going to modify its behavior and reduce these natural traits. And many of us do just the opposite of what is needed to gain trust. We yell, yank on the reins, smack the horse, when it acts fearful, tell everyone how much we hate the horse, how stupid or crazy it is. Do we really think these things create trust?

So first and foremost my ideal paso fino has to be one that finally trusts me - at least 80% of the time and one that I trust. And a lot of this ability to trust comes from prior experience with owners and trainer, but a lot comes from how I treat the new horse. Do I push the horse into experiences that are bound to cause a negative reactions? Am I patient when the horse is afraid? Do I look for the cause of bad behavior or blame it on a bad trainer or the dumb horse??? Do I ask the trainer and previous owner about the horse, what frightens it, what kind of things I need to do to help it trust me? Do I give it time to adapt to its new home? If I don't I am treating it like a new car, not a thinking animal.

[sporthorse]

:D primarily presence( includes those lookers i.e.dunskins or palominos)
heart of the warrior /warhorse type
Strong, natural range of gait with abilty to extend
big motor (butt)&(heart stamina)
shorter back
wide chest floor
good bone and tendon - show refinement not required
shorter pastern
strong hoof
brave and willing attitude
independent nature
brio
Stands still while saddling and mounting, actually dozes I think.
Loves attention, baths, brushing, and treats.
Self assured.
Confident.
Opinionated.
Loves, loves, loves to get out and go riding.
Talkative.
Takes interspecies encounters in stride.
Goes fast, in fact prefers it.
Smooth.
Rather crash through brush and hop logs than take the easy way.
Tolerates being shown.
Not picky about eating.
No health issues.
Beautiful big heart.
Amazing apricot yellow color.
Trained to the hilt.
A little sneaky.
Never runs away from me.
Faces the vet with aplomb.
No amount of fumbling or bumbling can shake
yeah all that
I am" lucky" X 6 so far(we are)
deadhead via trust in me unless prompted by stimuli of the competitive nature.Channeled vigor=brio naturally
been" lucky" thanks to :roll: with his get and grand get. and :oops: and :idea: get (:idea: :roll: :oops: ) &grand get. We have some dream horses incase you want to know why they are keepers here.( I do know where one grandget is in Tennessee that may come up for sale someday in near future thuis is for my edit
.............(and not naming any horses' names ...yet at least...this is hypothetical).
Steph thanks I guess I messed up thanks for the below post.

[Pinto Paso]

sure glad you didnt mention any names though ;-) :rofl

[Pam M]

I think almost any horse can become your dream horse if you just give it the time and attention it needs. It's taken me (and others that helped!) 4 years to transform Pia from a spooky, distrustful nut case into a horse that I feel I can count on and it's been worth every little headache to see her blossom into a confident trail horse. I wouldn't trade our experiences for anything. And we've had some experiences...quicksand, rattlesnakes, stitches, bolting issues, more stitches, yellow jacket attacks, a few more stitches - it's not always been cookies and cream! I think in 2-3 years she'll be just about perfect!

[Pinto Paso]

great post Pam... really it is, for those that have the time dedication and willpower LOL - a great horse can be created and a bond like no other will accompany it... even if you have to sew one :lol:

[Pinto Paso]

"Steph thanks I guess I messed up thanks for the below post."

hehehe all in good fun!!! We know how great your guys are and all that they have accomplished - and it is great to see all that you are involved in with them.

[LynnG]

Wow everyone has some great responses!

Now think about whether your dream recreational pleasure Paso Fino horse depends upon how old (or condition) you are?

Are your thoughts/goals the same as when you are/were younger 20-30 something vs age 45-50+ ?

Are you less restrictive or more so in what you would want?

For me, I would say I am more goal-targeted, but more likely looking at what I see in my pastures is: I have a wider range of horses that have different aptitudes and ablities, and young and old, some have some rehabilitation (physically & mentally) issues I have taken on, different ways of going, etc. I'd probably take some qualities of each that I like, and put them together into one horse ..so maybe one of the younger untrained horses wil fit that category in the future. Truthfully, though I have the choice of what I feel like riding as per what type of pleasure ride I'd want on a certain day... so with that...variety is the spice of life!

In my younger days, I don't think it mattered as much or I even thought about it.... I just would go ride my Paso Finos. Time must be going by faster and I dont seem to have as much "free" time, so value the time spent with the horses whether pleasure riding solo or with others.

[motorgypsy]

Interesting questions. HMMMMM

When I was younger the thought of having more than one horse did not enter my mind. We started with two paso finos, both of which were difficult. Luckily in a different way but none the less difficult enough to be scary. We bought a third, an older mare who we thought would be good for my father to ride. We thought she was really laid back. Well she turned out to be the hottest horse on the property! We bought a fourth mare, quite large, again for my father to ride, and it turned out that she was bred the day before we bought her. That was Arwen so now we had five. Then we got a call about the availability of the grandson of our older mare and we bought our first stallion. A real gem by the way. And it continued until now we have 13.

So what I learned was that I really enjoyed riding the great variety of gait types, sizes and personalities we own and also working with them to improve communication and our partnership. That I was much more patient with the horses when I was able to stop working with one and move on to another with quite different issues. And the same was true with riding. I am much more patient with the problems of one when I have a second and third and fourth to ride who are totally different. And watching them interact in a herd situation is a joy in itself - especially since we have both a 4 horse male herd (three stallions and one gelding) and a 9 horse female herd. The boys are hilarious and the girls are really tough. It's art in motion - much better than cable!

But when I'm tired or depressed or just want to chill I always saddle up Chinook - so there is one who is more special.

[CarolU]

Oh, it's pretty easy to say my goals have changed. When I was younger I was pretty competitive. I liked fast horses and loved timed events most. I wasn't too concerned about how the horse felt about all this, I was very results oriennted.

Then the 'training bug' got ahold of me and I started really reading and studying. I was lucky to have a great Dorance-type trainer for a farrier. I learned a lot from him, as he really listend to horses. He is the one who started me loving Reining, and that was topped off by an NC champion trainer in our area, Noel Skinner. I found something I really loved, tacking training to a higer level.

I then moved to the West Desert and have been here ever since in one place or another. Can't beat these mountains for trail riding and it USED TO be very unpopulated here. That has changed and it's time to move on now.

In those years I always loved horses, loved to train horses, I just didn't KNOW them very well.

It wasn't until I got older that I was studying Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance and got into Parelli. And to give credit where credit is due, Zar has done a world for my horsemanship. I had to learn to be a different trainer, less direactional and goal oriented. I found a horse inside and fell in love all over again.

So, my goals have changed. I don't care much about competiing anymore. My primary training goal is to understand each horse and train them in a away that they are relaxed and confident. I like to take a horse along as fast or as slowly as that horse needs. To solve difficult problems and build the horse's confidence it what we're doing. I don't want a horse who does what I tell it, I want a horse who wants to do what I ask. BTW - I don't consider a horse "fully trained" until it can do everything I ask without any headgear, confidently. A horse that I can dance at Liberty with.

I believe Pleasure should be a pleasure for both horse and rider. For client horses I like to train a safe, relaxed, and confident horse.

If I had the money, I'd like to take rushed and unconfident Paso Finos and regain their trust in humans and then make sure they find a trustworthy human for a home.

[Carol Nelson]

Oh Lord, yes, my goals with horses have changed...I learned to ride when I was 41...had always loved horses but never had the ways and means to own one. My gelding was 10 when I bought him...and I rode him everyday. Boarded it at a trainer's and she is now my best friend. She taught me everything she knew about horses and I would drive 17 miles one way to groom, ride and care for my horse. Her husband was sick at the time and she was gone a lot so I ended up subsequently caring for her horses much of the time. A year after I bought the first I bought another gelding for my husband at the time. Then a year later I decided I wanted them on my own place, so we purchased horse property, and soon after I bought my first mare, and bred her. I guess that's probably when I decided I wanted to breed...my gelding was getting older and he was such a great horse that I wanted to "re-create" some just like him for other people.
I bought a couple more mares from Carmen Micheletti....and I bought Rojo Tejas in 2000. The rest is history and we've escalated to 20 horses. I got into the minis four years ago.
I guess now instead of riding every day...I'm too tired after feeding and caring for these ponies...so I'm content just to do the ground work, and love on them and be a pal. Now I want someone to do the work of making them a suitable riding horse for me. I really enjoy working with my minis. You don't have to be as quite on your toes with them.
I love the breeding end of it ...the science and the guesswork of seeing what you can come up with by combining the genetics of two fabulous animals.
But those first few years with my gelding cemented the training in. He's practically bombproof and is now my demo horse. You can put anyone on him, and he'll put up with anything...as long as I'm there. But he's still my horse and we're still a team...just in a different way now.

[LynnG]

Thanks everyone. I'm going to compile all the info and put together one or more ideal recreational pleasure Paso Fino models. Be back later.