The Paso Fino executes a natural evenly spaced four-beat lateral
ambling gait, similar to many
gaited horses. Both the Colombian and the Puerto Rican strains of the Paso Fino execute the lateral gait naturally, without the aid of training devices.
The Paso Fino's
gaits are performed at varied levels of extension in stride. All four
hoovestravel close to the ground while in motion and are lifted equally in height as the horse covers ground. At whatever speed the
horse travels, the smoothness of the gait ideally allows the rider to appear motionless with little up and down movement.
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Paso Fino performing Classic Fino
- The classic fino or paso fino is a collectedgait with rapid footfalls that covers as little ground as possible. It requires a high degree of collection. This is a show gait reserved for competition. Walking, trotting, cantering or any detected break from the rapid evenly spaced sequence of steps is grounds for disqualification at any time during a fino event.
- The paso corto is slightly more extended, and used during trail rides. The speed of this gait is comparable to the speed of a trot but is much smoother.
- The paso largo is a fast, lateral, four-beat gait in which the horse can reach speeds equivalent to a canter or slow gallop. The paso largo is not just an increase in speed but also shows a distinct extension in stride. The paso largo can be extremely fast, up to 25-30 mph.[quote/]