The Peruvian Horse is a
breed
A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
of light saddle horse known for its smooth ride. It is distinguished by a natural, four-beat, lateral
gait called the ''paso llano.'' This breed is protected by the Peruvian government through Decree number 25919 of Peru enacted on November 28, 1992, and has been declared a Cultural Heritage of the Nation by the National Institute of Culture (INC). Due to the isolation suffered for about 400 years and the selection made by their
breeders
A breeder is a person who selectively breeds carefully selected mates, normally of the same breed to sexually reproduce offspring with specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics. This might be as a farmer, agriculturalist, ...
, this breed is very particular in their body proportions and an ambling gait or "paso llano" that is characteristic. It is typical of the northern Peruvian regions of the country from which it originated.
Trujillo city is considered the cradle of typical Peruvian Horses.
History
Smooth-gaited horses, generally known as
Palfrey
A palfrey is a type of horse that was highly valued as a riding horse in the Middle Ages. It was a lighter-weight horse, usually a smooth gaited one that could amble, suitable for riding over long distances. Palfreys were not a specific breed ...
s, existed in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
, and the
Jennet
A jennet or Spanish jennet was a small Spanish horse. It was noted for a smooth naturally ambling gait, compact and well-muscled build, and a good disposition. The jennet was an ideal light riding horse, and as such spread across Europe and prov ...
in particular was noted for its
ambling gaits. Peruvians trace their
ancestry
An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder or a forebear, is a parent or (recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from whom ...
to these ambling Jennets; as well as to the
Barb
Barb or the BARBs or ''variation'' may refer to:
People
* Barb (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
* Barb, a term used by fans of Nicki Minaj to refer to themselves
* The Barbs, a band
Places
* Barb, ...
, which contributed strength and stamina; and to the
Andalusian which added style, conformation and action.
["Peruvian Paso." ''Horse Breeds of the World,'' International Museum of the Horse.](_blank)
Accessed July 4, 2008
Horses arrived in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
during the
Spanish Conquest
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its predece ...
, beginning with the arrival of
Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of Peru.
Born in Trujillo, Spain to a poor family, Pizarro chose ...
in 1531.
Foundation bloodstock came from Spain, Jamaica, Panama and other areas of Central America. Importations increased after 1542, when the Spanish created the Viceroyalty of New Castilla. This later became the
Viceroyalty of Peru
The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...
, an important center of Spain's
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
viceroyalties in the eighteenth century.
Once in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, they were used primarily for transportation and
breeding
Breeding is sexual reproduction that produces offspring, usually animals or plants. It can only occur between a male and a female animal or plant.
Breeding may refer to:
* Animal husbandry, through selected specimens such as dogs, horses, and ra ...
stock. In the north of Peru, the vast size of sugar and cotton
plantation
A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...
s meant that overseers needed to travel long distances, often taking days to cross the plantation. In the south of Peru, the arid deserts that separated settlements required sturdy, strong horses. In both cases, smooth-gaited horses with good endurance were required. On the other hand, Peru did not develop a livestock-based economy, and thus did not need to breed for the speed or agility characteristic of
stock horses.
Over time, Peruvian breeders kept the bloodlines clean and selectively bred primarily for
gait,
conformation, and temperament. They wanted strong, hardy animals that were comfortable to ride and easy to control. Over four centuries, their dedication to breeding only the best gaited bloodstock resulted in the modern Peruvian Horse.
A decline in the use of Peruvians was seen in the southern part of Peru in the early 1900s, following the building of major highways that allowed motor travel to replace the use of the horse. Many of the major breeders in the area gave their best horses away to peasants living in the nearby ''quebradas'' (valleys). It was in one of these quebradas that breeder Gustavo de la Borda found the horse that was to become the most important modern sire in the breed, Sol de Oro (Viejo).
The Peruvian Horse continued to flourish in the northern regions because it was still needed for transportation on the
hacienda
An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...
s. This changed with the harsh Agrarian Reforms instituted by the government of
Juan Velasco Alvarado
Juan Francisco Velasco Alvarado (June 16, 1910 – December 24, 1977) was a Peruvian general who served as the President of Peru after a successful coup d'état against Fernando Belaúnde's presidency in 1968. Under his presidency, nationalism ...
in the late 1960s that had a devastating effect on the Peruvian Horse within Peru. Major breeding operations were broken up and breeding stock was lost. Because interest in the Peruvian Horse was growing in the United States and Central America at the same time, many of the finest Peruvians were exported, leading to a period where it appeared the Peruvian Horse would fade in its homeland.
Don
Pedro Venturo Zapata was a major breeder of the Peruvians in his "
Hacienda Higuereta y Anexos - Negociacion Vinicola Pedro Venturo S.A." from 1925 to 1952.
The last quarter of the 20th century saw a resurgence in the Peruvian Horse's fortune in Peru. The annual National Show in Lima is a major event in Peruvian cultural life. The Peruvian has been declared a ''Patrimonio Cultural'' (Cultural Heritage) of Peru in an attempt to shore up the breed within the country. There are now laws in place that restrict the export of national champion horses.
Peruvian Horses are noted internationally for their good temperament and comfortable ride. As of 2003, there are approximately 25,000 horses worldwide, used for
pleasure riding
Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. In horse show competition, a wide variety of classes are labeled pleasure classes with judging st ...
,
trail
A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...
,
horse show
A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer ...
s,
parades
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of ...
, and
endurance riding.
Characteristics
Appearance
The horse is medium-sized, usually standing between tall, with an elegant yet powerful build.
The Peruvian horse has a deep chest, heavy neck and body with substance without any trace of being hound gutted in the flank area. A low set, quiet tail, clamped tightly between the buttocks is a vital quality.
Stallion
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated).
Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...
s have a broader chest and larger neck than
mares, and are known for their quality temperament. The
coat color can be varied; and is seen in
chestnut
The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.
The unrelat ...
,
black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
,
bay,
brown
Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors orange and black. In the RGB color model us ...
,
buckskin,
palomino
Palomino is a genetic color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane and tail; the degree of whiteness can vary from bright white to yellow. Genetically, the palomino color is created by a single allele of a dilution gene called t ...
,
gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed o ...
,
roan or
dun
A dun is an ancient or medieval fort. In Ireland and Britain it is mainly a kind of hillfort and also a kind of Atlantic roundhouse.
Etymology
The term comes from Irish ''dún'' or Scottish Gaelic ''dùn'' (meaning "fort"), and is cognat ...
. Solid colors, grays and dark skin are considered the most desirable. The
mane and forelock are lustrous, fine and abundant.
White markings are acceptable on the legs and face.
Gait
Instead of a
trot
The trot is a ten-beat diagonal horse gait where the diagonal pairs of legs move forward at the same time with a moment of suspension between each beat. It has a wide variation in possible speeds, but averages about . A very slow trot is someti ...
, the Peruvian performs an
ambling four beat
gait between the walk and the trot. There are two official gaits, called the "Paso Llano" or "even step", and the "sobreandando" which is a bit closer in timing to the pace. Both gaits can be performed at a variety of speeds. The fast sobreandando is often the speed of a canter. Both acceptable gaits are lateral, having four beats and is performed in a lateral sequence — left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore. The Peruvian Horse can also canter, will trot and pace at liberty, and do a natural relaxed walk.
The Peruvian performs two variations of the four-beat gait. The first, the ''paso llano'', is
isochronous
A sequence of events is isochronous if the events occur regularly, or at equal time intervals. The term ''isochronous'' is used in several technical contexts, but usually refers to the primary subject maintaining a constant period or interval ( ...
, meaning that there are four equal beats in a 1-2-3-4 rhythm. This is the preferred gait. The second gait, the ''sobreandando'', is often faster. Instead of four equal beats, the lateral beats are closer together in a 1-2, 3-4 rhythm, with the pause between the forefoot of one side to the rear of the other side is longer.
![MANTEQUILLA and ROY MASON 236x272](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/MANTEQUILLA_and_ROY_MASON_236x272.jpg)
This characteristic gait was utilized for the purpose of covering long distances over a short period of time without tiring the horse or rider. The gait is natural and does not require extensive training. Purebred Peruvian foals can be seen gaiting alongside their dams within a few hours of their birth.
The gait supplies essentially none of the vertical bounce that is characteristic of the trot, and hence posting (moving up and down with each of the horse's footfalls) is unnecessary. It is also very stable, as the execution of the gait means there are always two, and sometimes three, feet on the ground. Because the rider feels no strain or jolt,
gaited horse
Gaited horses are horse breeds that have selective breeding for natural gaited tendencies, that is, the ability to perform one of the smooth-to-ride, intermediate speed, four-beat horse gaits, collectively referred to as ''ambling gaits''.
In mos ...
s such as the Peruvian are often popular with riders who have back trouble.
Termino
A unique trait of the Peruvian gait is ''termino'' — an outward swinging leg action, originating from the shoulder, in which the front lower legs roll to the outside during the stride forward, similar to a swimmer's arms.
Individual horses may have more or less ''termino''. High lift or wide termino is not necessarily a sign of a well gaited horse; in fact it may be detrimental to a good gait.
Brío
Brío refers to a horse’s vigor, energy, exuberance, courage and liveliness; it automatically implies that these qualities are willingly placed in the service of the rider. Horses with true brio are willing workers. Their attention does not wander but is focused on the handler or rider, and thus they are quick to react and fast to learn. Horses with brio attract attention, and combined with the stamina of the breed have reserves they can tap to travel long distances for many hours.
Breeders and judges look for Brío, often translated as "spirit," but this does not capture the complexity of the term. ''Brío'' describes a somewhat contradictory temperament, which combines arrogance, spirit, and the sense of always being on parade, with a willingness to please the rider. Brío is an intangible quality of controlled energy that creates a
metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...
in ordinary-looking horses and is an important trait of Peruvians.
Peruvian Horse shows
In the United States, competitions are organized by the North American Peruvian Horse Association and by their clubs. in Peru, the two best-known and most important events are The National Horse Competition Caballo de Paso Peruano held in Pachacamac and at the
Internacional de la Primavera during the months of September and October in
Trujillo city and during the international
Marinera Festival in January. Peru's National Institute of Culture has declared that the horses are part of Peru's national cultural heritage.
[
]
Name
Because of the shared word ''Paso'', a close relationship between the Peruvian and the Paso Fino
The Paso Fino is a naturally gaited light horse breed dating back to horses imported to the Caribbean from Spain. Pasos are prized for their smooth, natural, four-beat, lateral ambling gait; they are used in many disciplines, but are especially ...
breed is incorrectly assumed. "Paso" simply means "step," in Spanish, and does not imply a common breed or origin. Although the two breeds share ancestors in the Old World, and have some similarities, they were developed independently for different purposes. The two breeds are different and easily distinguishable. The Peruvian is somewhat larger, deeper in the body and wider. The Paso Fino is not bred for "termino" in its stride.
The Peruvian has been called the "national horse" of Peru. On the other hand, the Paso Fino was developed from horses throughout northern Latin America and the Caribbean, with major centers of development in Colombia and Puerto Rico. The Peruvian is also increasingly referred to in North America as the "Peruvian Horse" to distinguish its breed apart from other breeds.
See also
* Association of Breeders and Owners of Paso Horses in La Libertad
* Competition of Paso Horses in Trujillo
References
External links
Registries and related Organizations
*North American Peruvian Horse Association - http://www.napha.net
*National Association of Breeders and Owners of Peruvian Paso Horses (Peru-Spanish language) http://www.ancpcpp.org.pe/
*Peruvian Horse Association of Canada (Canada) http://www.phac.ca/
Educational Materials
*History of the Peruvian Paso Horse - https://web.archive.org/web/20130902151839/http://www.therapyhorsesandhealing.com/history.html
*Riding the Peruvian Horse (Equitation Guide) - https://web.archive.org/web/20100411063431/http://www.perolchico.com/english/ridingperuvianpaso.html
*Proper Peruvian Show Ring Equitation - https://web.archive.org/web/20130826100333/http://www.friendsoftheperuvianhorse.com/equitation/proper_peruvian.htm
Publications
*Made in Peru (magazine) - http://www.madeinperumagazine.net
{{Equine, state=collapsed
Horse breeds
Horse breeds originating in Peru