Paso Fino...The Name!

[Kerry W]

Ding, ding, ding! Let the fighting...er...debate commence! :lol:

[Pasogirlz]

I understand why it might be offensive to some, but I also see how the Americans have changed the breed to suit their needs...so it seems sorta appropriate. America is a melting pot, and we have melted the PR lines and Col. lines and tried to get the best from each. JMHO

[Terry Wallace]

Its neither offensive or arrogant to me... its WHERE THEY WERE BRED...and who bred them... if an American bred them...they will be "American" to me. Just as if immigrants to America have children in America..those children...can be American... by virtue of the soil they were born on. Is that wrong? Arrogant?

Will changes come to the Paso Fino breed in America..oh absolutely..already have... and its not neccessarily GOOD...but it IS.

[Jane Hurl]

Absolutely, you have, Lori! But that doesn't make it YOUR BREED any more than it makes an Irish Setter a Canadian Setter if I happen to breed a better looking/better working/smarter Irish Setter.

Hmmmm....didn't think to make that change in my argument with Terry. Oooooh, Teeeeerry! Let's back up to the "American German Shepherd" dogs. Would they become "American Shepherds"?

And what CarolU said. (That woman could be my TWIN, we agree so often!) How'd you feel if we bred a bunch of American Quarter Horses up here and renamed them "Canadian Quarter Horses"?

Offensive.

[Kerry W]

Just FYI...Purists in Puerto Rico say that the Colombian Paso Fino...ain't a Paso Fino. Colombian purists say the Paso Fino THEY have is the true Paso Fino. They were originally all exported from Domican Republic..and they're always so quiet...hard to talk while they're laughing at the rest of us. :lol:

Lori...if this gets out of hand....you know what to do! :D

[CarolU]

You know, I think we may have something here..let's totally AMERICANIZE the name!!!

Choices:

a. Merican Passer Feener

b. A-merican PAYso FEEnos

c. American Short Fancy Walkers

d. Red, White and Blue Fine Steppers


;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-)

[Ginger]

How'd you feel if we bred a bunch of American Quarter Horses up here and renamed them "Canadian Quarter Horses"?

They did. It's cool. Japan, Germany, Puerto Rico, and several other places did, too.

[Jane Hurl]

CarolU ... I'd like to offer "American Sewing Machines" as an option too.

Now I REALLY have to go! *grin*

[Andres V]

I think since horse is so different here it is a good idea to have a name for it. It is not as Paso Fino in Puerto Rico and is closer to Paso Colombiano. I do think that the asociacion need to revise how is described though, sounds different in rules than it is being bred here.

[Pasogirlz]

Oh, I think we can all gait along on this one. Right?

I tend to lean towards the latin ways and influence (I see where the term can irritate), but I do see a huge difference in what they breed for and what Americans in general breed for. So even if it is a few more years before you can call what the American breeders have done a strain, I think it could someday happen.

[Kerry W]

Well...I've heard 'em called all sorts of stuff..."Passa what?" "Steppers" "Dem dare little thangs that's feet go like crazy and don't go nowhere!" Yeah...the list is never ending. How about "Domestic" Paso Finos....like wine that is produced in this country.

I just call them Paso Finos myself, and I will distinguish Pure Puerto Rican, Pure Colombian or a blend, where applicable...figure it's a small price to pay when you're in love. :D

[Pam M]

I wanted a Latin horse. I'm even improving my Spanish to talk to her - she understands the difference! If I wanted an American gaited horse, I'd have gotten a FLORIDA Cracker (like them but wanted a Paso). I also have a LABRADOR Retriever (named after the province in Canada) and a CHINESE Chow Chow (a breed who seems to have, unfortunately, dropped the use of the country of origin). I Used to have a MAINE Coon Cat (named after the state in America) until she got smushed :cry: .

If everyone is happy being Americanized, why do so many ethnic groups now include the use of their countries of origin? Maybe because they have pride in their background? It still IS their background, even if they are now third generation American. I consider most everything in America to fall under the "mutt" category anyway. Except NATIVE Americans, whose name seems most telling of all.

[stella]

YES, there is a difference between a GERMAN German Shepherd, and an AMERICAN German Shepherd, as fanciers of the breed can tell you!
And, in some species, its not always for the better, that the breed of whatever is "customized,".....but
I think we DO honor the origin anyway, just by using the words "Paso Fino"...if we really didnt want the origin to show, we'd translate it int "American Fine Stepper," no? But, we keep the name Spanish, in tribute.
I also continue to name my horses in Spanish to honor their heritage.....now, I guess I'm a bit different, I get more offended if someone names their PasoFino an American name! I guess because, all breeds have a certain distinct and unique "flavor" to their names.....you can tell TBs, Arabs, Saddlebreds, QHs apart JUST by their names, without ever seeing the horse!

[Ginger]

Except NATIVE Americans, whose name seems most telling of all.

:lol: Unless you want to call them Trans-Beringian Paleo-Immigrants :lol:

*ducks*

[Monty]

:lol: Since they are ALL from North and South America - aren' t they ALL American Paso Finos?? HHMmmmmmmmmmmmmm :?: ;-)

[Ginger]

Since they came from Spain, and Spain's came from Africa, shouldn't they be Afro-Span-Americans? :lol:

[Pam M]

No need to duck Crystal - I only have a mouse in hand! Besides I like your term. Besides, aren't we all north african something or other anyway?

[Ginger]

Taxonomy is so much fun :lol: I feel like I'm in summer school again! :shock: ;-)

[Brigitte]

I just prefer them to be called Paso Finos, and since America didn't start the breed I don't think it's right for them to call them American Paso Finos. Alot of them came from Colombia or have sires or damns that are Colombian so I dont see why they should be American Paso Finos, they are just Paso Finos. Maybe it's because here the influence is Colombian that I feel this way but I don't know..Just as when I was looking at the rule book from Confepaso and I saw Paso trail, Paso versatality I was like what?? Another thing I feel is that the PFHA doesn't stick to Confepaso rules, they don't do the ocho and serpentina, and that's a must. JMO

[motorgypsy]

Not offensive, just confusing and unnecessary. We have much more interesting things to deal with than adding the names of two continents to our breed name. Besides that what other paso finos are there??? All the foundation countries are in America aren't they?????

[Ginger]

Since North America was first discovered either by the Asians or the Kelto, accredited to an envoy OF (but not FROM) Spaini, and it was named after an Italian cartographer (Amerigo Vespucci), NOW where does this leave us?

You know, it's weird. This is the same stuff nearly EVERYONE here HAD to sit through for at least thirteen years (unless you were a dropout). We might as well use it and have a little fun with it, right? Hate to think all those teachers just wasted their time ... does anyone ever feel a gleeful rush of "See? It wasn't all for nothing afterall! I actually USED that..." when they can call up a page from Social Studies, seventh grade? LOL

I guess I just have a very bizarre definition of fun *sigh*. At least it's nothing like anagrams or Rebus puzzles, though.

[Pam M]

Vespucci?!!! Tristan deLuna was our local discoverer - we have a drunkfest every year to celebrate him. And to bemoan the fact that the lovely city of St. Augustine stole our rightfully earned "oldest settlement in North America" status! Just google Pensacola and you'll see. @#%$#@ hurricanes! Tkhey were trouble even in the 1400's. Maybe it's growing up on streets named Zarrogossa, Intendencia and Alcaniz that sealed the Spanish thing for me.

And no - never think gleefully about those American history days of yore. I personally far prefer a good anagram anyday!

[Pasolady]

Here in America we have strived thru the years with the best, the worse and the mediocre. We have honed, fine tuned, even improved on what we started with. WE imported, we bred, we crossbred, showed, trailed, drove, cowboyed, dressaged, rodeoed, well we just did so very many things with our Beloved Pasos. We have tried to maintain smoothness of gait, even temperment and we have not only bred the best to the best we have continued improve, yet maintain the quality of those traits we deemed desirable. :lol:

There is nothing wrong in claiming to be the American Paso Fino with or without the Association added on. There is nothing wrong with claiming the American Paso Fino Horse since other countries ar even claiming their mixed bloods as Puerto Rican, Cuban, Columbian, etc. :shock: :shock:

If You are born in America, you are American! Nothing to argue about. Made in America, made in the USA, I'm very proud of my mixed breeds as well as my pure breds, and everyone was born and bred in America... hence they are of American Stock,and and their roots go back to Pureto and Columbia, where ever, but they are AMERICAN FIRST AND FOREMOST! 8-) 8-) 8-)

[macadoo]

I don't think it's offensive but I do think they should be termed only "Paso Finos"...then they can be designated as Puerto Rican, Columbian or American etc...all under the designation Paso Fino...

[sporthorse]

8-) I don't care what you call anything but I call my 5/8 PRpaso fino and 3/8 Paso Colombiano =Obi and he is sort of an American paso fino geographically speaking.BUT :-? I don't care what anyone calls their horses. hard enough :mad: to discern what I want to call the horses which are politically correct,educatedly scholarly informed and by breed history genetically already classified. There are Foundation bredQH, AQHA, appenedix bred, Egyptian Arabians,Polish, Russians, Germans (& German arabs stolen by Russians),CMK, Crabbit arabians "dessert bred"and they are what they are. Just as Peruvian pasos are what they are and they are not paso finos(unless double registered :?: :shock: gottcha)

[Jacquee']

In science you have a lot of this same debate. Some people look for similarities, and tend to lump things together. (The "Lumpers".) Some people are constantly trying to find the most minute differences between things and are constantly claiming the difference makes a new division. (The "Splitters".) So it was that at one time Suillus (a family of mushrooms) used to be included in Boletus (another family of mushrooms) until some Splitter decided Suillus was different enough from Boletus to warrant it's own group.

This can be useful if not taken to extremes. One extreme example of Splitting would be calling each individual horse a seperate breed (after all, it has it's own unique DNA). An extreme example of Lumping would be thinking there are 2 kinds of horse: Those that are worth riding and those that are not.

A reasonable point of view between the two extremes will be a lot more useful to a lot more people, but there will always be Splitters and Lumpers. I don't expect this debate to change much of that. I expect at least some people will go on Splitting and Lumping as long as there are things to Split and Lump.

[motorgypsy]

American does NOT equal from the US. We not not North Americans nor Americans. We are United Statesians of the North America continent.

You all know that American equals everything from Canada on down to Argentina and everything in between.