We are diving deep into the Colombian horse culture to give you a glimpse into a world often left undiscovered by newcomers. History, characteristics and cultural anecdotes for horse lovers!

1. The Paso Fino
Colombiano
for Horse People
CURATED BY ERIN DONALDSON
ALTERNATIVE
TOURISM
CONCEPTS
Alma Mater Riding School | Cerritos

2. Getting Started
During the second conquest of Christopher
Columbus, horses of Arab and Spanish
Barb descent, were brought to a few islands in
the Caribbean. Over time, the crossbreeding
created a horse which was suitable for crossing
the plantations quickly and smoothly. With the
expansion of the conquista these horses found
their way to Colombia, where a distinct type was
created and reproduced. This resulted in the
Paso Fino Colombiano and the Criollo
Colombiano
History &
Origins

3. Brio
A special term used to describe the fiery,
yet personable temperament, and
willingness to work or show.
Andar
There are 4 different 'andares,' or
gaits which are naturally possible in
the Paso Fino breed.
Paso Finos are known by their gait, or andar and brio, or temperament. These are the two
main characteristics which will identify this type apart from any other breed. Their height
ranges from 13 to 15.2 hands and typically weigh 700-1000 lbs. They are sturdy horses with
refined features which are characterized by a thick arched neck, a short but strong back, and
well defined facial features. To keep with breed type and continuity, excessive amounts of
white on the face and body are considered undesirable and can reduce the value and breed
ability.
Characteristics

4. In the era of the conquistadores, the Paso Fino was the
horse of choice for the Spanish nobles due to its ability to
cover ground quickly and smoothly.
Later the culture was heavily influenced by the "narco"
culture, where drug-lords and mafiosos became heavily
involved in the sport as a status symbol of their wealth
and power.
Today professionals and businessman have replaced most
of their formers in becoming breeders and competitors.
Paso Fino
Culture

5. la dieta no puede estar muy alta en
carbohydratas y energía por que se
enfermen./Their diet cannot be very
high in carbohydrates or energy
because it makes them sick.
DR. SEBASTIAN PEÑOLA, DVM | PEREIRA

6. Caballo: Horse/Stallion
Mare: yegua
Potro: Foal/Colt
Andar: Gait
Adiestramiento: Training
Brio: temperament/willingness
Montador: Rider
Chalaneria: Riding School
Caballo de Silla: a well trained
horse easily ridden by anyone.
Important
Terms

7. Paso Fino Colombiano
Trocha Pura Colombiano
Trocha y Galope
Trote y Galope
We are going to explain each one in
detail so keep reading OR, download
this Slideshare to read later!
Gaits
Paso Fino
Paso Fino Mule

8. Sounds like: Cuatro, Cuatro, Cuatro
Their pace is lateral, 8-beated smooth natural march.
It is a bit harder to understand because the sequence
is longer
Paso Fino Colombiano
Find more well curated content like this at PereiraCityGuide.com

9. Sounds like: Tras, Tras, Tras
The Trocha gait is a diagonal, 4-beated gait. It is a
much faster gait which allows the horse to cover
distance rapidly and efficiently. Some horses are only
shown in the Trocha, others in Trocha y Galope.
Trocha Pura Colombiano

10. Trocha Sounds like: Tras, Tras, Tras
Galope Sounds like: Catorce, Catorce, Catorce
The Galope is a 3-beat gait which is similar in nature
to the lope and performed along with the Trocha. In
the Galope the order of hoof-strikes land on the
diagonal instead of the lateral.
Trocha y Galope

11. Trote Sounds like: Tras, Tras, Tras
Galope Sounds like: Catorce, Catorce, Catorce
The Trote is a 2-beat gait which is similar in nature to
the trot. The feet strike diagonally, two at a time. It is
very showy and fun to watch.
Trote y Galope

12. In Colombia, almost every
weekend horse-shows are held
in most of the major
cities in Colombia. The national
championship is held annually in a
major city towards the end of the
year. See: eventosfedequinas.org
The
Horse-Show
Culture

13. La Raspa
A popular tradition at horse-shows,
many horse owners will pay entry fees
and stall fees just to attend an after-
party. They bring their horses to ride,
show-off, socialize and drink.
Classes
Riding disciplines in Colombia are based
largely on the natural gaits of the Paso
Fino. In pleasure classes the horses are
judged 25% on type, 25% on training and
50% on movement.
Horse show culture in Colombia is very different than what an outsider
might expect. What tends to favor women in the US/Canada, is heavily
dominated by men in Colombia. Especially in the higher divisions and
pleasure/type classes, most of the riders are men. Some riders are paid
as much as 20,000,000 pesos per month to ride in horse shows.
Men and Riders

14. "For each horse to enter they must comply with
certain requisites which help to establish quality
and suitability in the competition arena."
(Note: Each horse is inspected by a vet, their
RFID chip is read and their suitability for the
class entered is verified to ensure quality.)
CARMENZA | CRINA JUDGE

15. Riders meet with Judges prior to
starting the competition to establish
arena etiquette and protocol.
Pre-Show Meeting

16. Unfortunately, due to their spirited
temperament there is a lot of violence being
used today with this breed. Some (but not all)
trainers are using abusive methodology and
equipment which in some cases can even cause
permanent damage.
Veterinarians are working hard to help reduce
and stop the violence against these horses but
there are many hidden practices which
horseman in Colombia need to re-evaluate for
effectiveness. It starts with you...
Stop the violence!
The dark side...

17. Best in Show | Pereira Colombia April 8th

18. A Huge Thank You to
Association Crines for
their collaboration!
LEARN MORE: www.crines.com.co

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