Question?

[baileyholc]

Why would a Paso not gait?

[appyday]

Because it did not want to http://forums.somd.com/images/smilies/shrug.gif

[appyday]

ugggg..posted twice..

[baileyholc]

:lol:

[Pasogirlz]

There are lots of reasons...*ducks incoming flames. :surrender

First of all, sometimes it takes time for a paso to develop the balance and strength to gait properly. It is a matter of conditioning them to gait while carrying a rider and nothing more.

Now, where it gets tricky is the question of trocha. The Colombians infused trocha into their bloodlines to help animate the gait and increase the speed of foot fall. Some times horses were bred a little too much trocha and never could execute a Paso 4 beat gait, while others started out trocha and w/some training become GREAT fino horses.

That's all I'm going to say on this subject. :surrender

[Barbwire]

Sometimes Paso will be trained NOT to gait by someone. For instance, a QH type trainer that gets a young Paso at a sale then trains it to jog Western Pleasures style.

I have a friend that had an 8 year old rescue Paso that only trotted, although he was bred to the hilt with fino and performance lines. She brought him to a Paso clinic and with a lot of work, he would gait for a few strides, then fall back into a trot. It was shame, he was a really nice looking, and well behaved horse, otherwise.

[baileyholc]

Thanks Lori, I was just wondering. I thought the Paso was born with the gaits.

[Pasogirlz]

Bailey, some DO gait from birth, some don't but gait later under saddle w/ no problems. Each one is different. ;-)

[appyday]

It can also be because you can not ride...LOL...Condesa will trot her butt off for someone that can ride ride...Carol came and rode her or I get on her and she gaits the entire time..

[LynnG]

Its genetics as in everything....and anything.... in life

Other gaiting factors:
conformation
training
injuries
balance
hoof trimming/shoeing
the rider

Most Paso Finos do gait at birth ... I have never seen one not gait at that age ... its first steps past it getting its balanced.

[Pam M]

Can they also be "trained" not to gait by other horses? I ask because my 7 mo. old filly gaited beautifully from day one and has continued to do so, however in the last couple of weeks I've seen her do an equally beautiful floating trot twice! She was in with an Arabian yearling until recently and is now in with a 2 y.o. QH. Futhermore, my QH cross started showing a tendency to do a little gait a couple of years ago and he stays in with my paso mare! Now he may be crossed with something gaited - I don't know his background - but he only started after being in with her.

[baileyholc]

Interesting :question

[Boyd R]

I've seen mine do just about every gait that any other horse does at will.

It is just a matter of getting them to do it under saddle.

[motorgypsy]

We also rode one that was Western trained and trained to trot. We were able to get him to gait and he would gait in the pasture sometimes but at the time we didn't feel able to undue the trotting that he had learned so we didn't get him. Great horse too.

A lot of them will trot if you ask them to lower the head and relax. They can all trot. It's just not the gait of choice for most. There are also those who pace which is just as bad so avoid the overly lateral paso finos as much as you do the trotty ones. During the growth process a young horse can go a bit off gait but will begin gaiting better as they even up.

All the babies we've seen and it's quite a few, gaited as babies

[halfmoonfino]

Poor training or poor conformation...those are my opinions.

[motorgypsy]

gaiting is pretty much genetic though. Conformation just helps it out so the worst conformation paso finos can have great gait. The one we rode that trotted had great confomation for gait. Just taught not to do it.

[cowboy ed]

some paso finos dont gait at all. with those, i think it is strictly genetics. some misfiring in the hard wiring. i have trained three that couldnt gait a bit, no matter what. they all trotted, a true diagonal trot. two of them also had some pretty serious behavior problems, so it could have been something wrong in their brain.

pam, i dont think a paso fino would learn to trot because they were in a pasture with a trotting horse, nor would the trotting horse learn to gait by watching a paso fino.

[motorgypsy]

I agree Cowboy Ed. Six of our mares are pastured with a real trotting pinto and none of them show any signs of changing gait. Two of our paso finos were pastured for several years with all trotting horses with no change in gait.

most of it is genetics and the rest is up to the trainer.

[CarolU]

It is GENETICS. Period. Training can help or hinder, but if it's not in the genes, it's not there. Even Troche comes from the introduction of those genes.

You can try all you want to, but you'll never get a TB to gait! You might get a fast walk, but that is the best you can do.

The horse I have with the WORST conformation I have seen in years is the smoothest Paso Fino I have ridden in the U.S. (from Mass to Calif, Florida to Idaho...and lots of points inbetween). Santiago has just about every conformation fault in the book. When I first saw him, I said to myself "no WAY am I buying that horse!"...then I rode him. Now you couldn't buy this horse from me (and he's STILL UGLY! LOL)

When I got my first PFs, I knew nothing about training them different then a QH...so I trained them like QH's. One gaits under saddle, the other trots - but WILL gait in the pasture or if I collect him. That's not to say a trainer can't RUIN gait under saddle...but with work, you can get it back.

[baileyholc]

Yaw, I was just asking a question and I get all this info. I feel so privleaged. :D I was just wondering. I have found so many Paso for sell most of them not registered. I know some reasons WHY someone would not register one. And wondering about the Paso NOT gaiting was one. I appreciate the responses. I am enjoying all the rides I am getting and wish I could just ride all day, anytime. I have been thinking that maybe I should find someone local that can give me a few lessons on Paso riding, only. Before I buy. I still feel the need to kick the horse to make it go and I know that is a big NO NO with a Paso. I know it is a trial and error periond with your first Paso. But, I don't want to ruein the horse. That is my biggest fear.

[Kerry W]

You won't ruin a Paso by kicking it..you'll MOST likely eat dirt. :lol: (kidding..they're all different..some are exceptionally forgiving) Some need a little extra nudge to get them to move out...some don't. Depends upon the horse. It's a good idea to ride different ones, so you can find what is comfortable for you. Speed, smoothness, power, brio...all things to consider.

[CarolU]

Bailey...Stella teaches equitation.

As for reasons WHY a horse isn't registered, I think the No.1 reason would be that people procrastinate and PFHA makes it so expensive to do so. Once you are late - late, who wants to pay $350, plus DNA, to get one registered? That's a lot if the horse is only worth a few thousand dollars.

If you have a gelding that you don't plan to show ever, there is little reason to register him (I have one like this).

Many people don't like PFHA and won't register with them. There are two other registries, the PFOBA and the Largo Horse Registry.

Out here, there are a number who breed Trail horses only and don't feel the need to register with PFHA.

Papers don't get transfered when a horse sells, or a new buyer doesn't transfer the horse and then sells it again.

Lots of reasons.

If I were buying a horse for pleasure and trail riding, I would not hesitate from buying a well-gaited sound horse.

[baileyholc]

Stella is an hour and a half away from me. And though I love to visit Stella, I can't go every week. I would like to get one or two lessons in a week.

I am not interested in registery anyway unless I was going to show or breed. And maybe oneday, if I find me a good Mare that I would like to bred, I would like for her to be registered. As for a gelding, his registery is not of any use unless you are showing him. I feel that way about QHs' as well.

Maybe someone should start up a Paso registery that don't cost so much.

[DebbieS]

Listo cortos beautifully, but sometimes when he gets into a nice fast largo, I feel a little 'bump'. Not like the canter (which is very smooth) just can't put my finger on it. It only happens when he's really booking. If I give him a little more leg, he'll go into a canter. If I hold him in more, he'll slow down.

What is this?? Is it just an in-between gait before the canter? I have trotting horses, so I know what a trot feels like :roll:

[Cindy]

PFOBA IS PFHA.

Debbie, he is probably getting a bit lateral with you.

[CarolU]

PFOBA IS PFHA.

Debbie, he is probably getting a bit lateral with you.

Cindy..then what is the registry that is in PA called? That is the one I was thinking of. I know people who register with it instead of PFHA.

[Kerry W]

APF Carol. :D

[Cindy]

Yes, APF.

[SQUEAKS]

I would NEVER spend my money for an unregistered Paso Fino

JMHO

Bob :D

[motorgypsy]

They will do a gait/canter thing like a largo canter. It's four beat with a hitch in it. Kind of cool actually. You can actually see the lead in it like with a canter but it's not a canter.

[CarolU]

I would NEVER spend my money for an unregistered Paso Fino

JMHO

Bob :D

And Apache is what :confused He's not a registered Paso Fino (he's one of them trotting spotted peanut roller things) and you've spent a LOT of money on him! ;-) ;-) ;-) Gotcha! :razz:

I have to admit that I don't live in Florida where there are thousands of registered Pasos all over. There are a LOT of non-PFHA registered Paso Finos out here - about half our owners have non-registered horses. Hey, as long as they keep up, they're smooth, and they're loved, what is the difference? :runaway:

In all honesty, we only have eight owners who have shown in PFHA point shows, only two of whom still do. But we have over 50 owners who trail ride...and I'm sure that many more, plus some, we don't know about.

[pasolucy]

I have bought 3 unregistered Pasos and one mare that took me 4 years to get her into my name. Of the 3 unregistered ones. I sold one gelding and the new buyer was able to get him registered. One mare I registered and it cost about $500.00 by the time it was all done and I just bought a 2 year old unregisted gelding. I am going to try to get him registered but if I do not, he is still the kind of horse that will sell well out here, should be extremely well gaited and I expect him to mature close to 15.2 hands. That kind of horse will sell for more money here than a registered 14 hand horse.

[cowboy ed]

hi pasolucy, tell me more about that 2 year old. you say that you expect him to gait well and you expect him to top out at 15.2 hands? how well does he gait now? how tall is he now? just curious. :smile:

[SQUEAKS]

Carol

I am talking about a horse that I was going to keep for myself.

Apache was a rescue horse and is for sale now that he is healthy

Bob :D

[CarolU]

hi pasolucy, tell me more about that 2 year old. you say that you expect him to gait well and you expect him to top out at 15.2 hands? how well does he gait now? how tall is he now? just curious. :smile:

Ed, I don't know when Carol will be back, but I had the same experience, but my colt is registerd. I have a colt out a 15.1 hh stallion and a 14.2 mare. He has got long legs and a long, long stride, really covers ground. He is now 3 and 15 hh, and will go under saddle once the snow and rain STOP and I have a dry round coral. LOL I said the same thing about him that Carol is saying about her colt, last year. He has always been at least one hand taller then Rosie, and she is a half/year older. When you have two side-by-side and you have good genes and watch one SHOOT up, you know he's going to be good-sized.

It's going to take me a step ladder to get on him, but once I'm up there, I better be ready to ride, cause this is highest energy horse I've been around...I think he's going to wear me right out. LOL

[DebbieS]

They will do a gait/canter thing like a largo canter. It's four beat with a hitch in it. Kind of cool actually. You can actually see the lead in it like with a canter but it's not a canter.

MG - I believe he's moving too fast to largo but not quite at a canter. So, you think it's okay to let him do this?? I mean, it is pretty smooth and all, I just don't want him to pick up any bad habits - Lindsey did such a nice job with him and I'm always afraid I'm going to do something wrong or let him get away with something, you know? We have NO PASO people in these parts for advice/help.

You all are just great though.