Ashley Griffin, University of Kentucky
The Peruvian Paso (saddle type) horse descended from the bloodstock that was introduced to Peru by the Spanish, who at the time (1500s) were the foremost horse breeders in the world.
The Spanish horses brought to Peru blended:
- Barb
- Friesian
- Spanish Jennet
- Andalusian
Thanks to its unique inborn, four-beat, lateral gait, the Peruvian horse is one of the smoothest riding horses in the world. In addition, the Peruvian is the only horse in the world with "termino," a graceful, flowing movement in which the forelegs are rolled toward the outside as the horse strides forward, much like the arm motion of a swimmer. Termino is a spectacular and beautiful natural action. The gait of a Peruvian horse can be as slow as a walk or as fast as an extended trot or slow canter. Both the gait and the flashy leg action are completely natural.
Peruvian horses come in all basic, solid colors as well as grays and roans. The breed, because of its direct link to the Barb horse, has some striking color tones and shades. The average height of the Peruvian is between 14 and 15 hands, and the weight is commonly between 900 and 1,100 pounds--about the same as Morgans and Arabians.
