Are Paso Finos easy to train?
Paso Finos are
as easy to train as most breeds. Training, as with any breed, should
be built in steps or grades. It's best not to skip any grades to get
a solid basic foundation for a long positive relationship with
your horse. If a horse wasn't handled much when young, developing
trust in people is a first requirement for a safe training experience.
Alot of preliminary groundwork is important, such as lounging, sacking
out, hobbling, flexing and suppling, long-reining, mounting and dismounting,
and round pen work, all preceding the actual riding lessons. This
ground training can be done before riding age lending to a smooth
transition for mounted work.
The first riding lessons
should concentrate on turning, stopping, walking, and backing before
asking the horse to move out faster. When the horse is accepting of
all commands, let the horse move out doing what feels natural even
if it means he is trotting or mixing gaits. Sometimes, Paso Fino horses
may not be in gait due to their lack of balance with the rider's weight
and lack of muscle conditioning and coordination. This will usually
change with time as the lessons progress as well as a steadier four
beat lateral gait.
The training techniques
of John Lyons and traditional dressage methods also work well with
Paso Finos. There are many videos and clinics which discuss these
methods in detail. Also understanding horse behavior helps the person
to comprehend why the horse reacts negatively or positively when being
trained. Furthermore patience is a virtue and a must for a trainer
of horses. Attending Paso Fino and horse training clinics especially
demonstrating different methods can help you decide what will be best
for you and your horse.
How can I get my green Paso Fino started
in training?
Basically to start you need
to earn this horse's trust and get her to relax around you. Start
with alot of repetitive roundpen “reasoning" or training
to help. Really until you have the horse's trust and it will relax
with and without the saddle on and headgear, it would be best not
to try to do much riding training. Sacking out can include a bath
towel, nylon horse feed bag, plastic garbage bag, bag with aluminum
cans inside to rattle, an attached short rope, and then a little longer
rope (but not as long as a lounge line which could wrap around the
horse’s legs). That should get you started for awhile!
How do I start my young Paso
Fino to train for halter classes?
For halter, you should practice
with your horse to stand square on all four feet, with its neck at
its natural carriage. The Paso Fino should exhibit its natural 4-beat
gait (eventually more collected if able to with more practice) when
asked to move out from a standing position. Work on the horse to stand
still and square for short periods of time ... 5 minutes, then ten
minutes. This should help teach the horse to stand well in the showring,
where it will no doubt be distracted. Also, trailer your green halter
horse to local shows to get it familiar with a horseshow environment.
You don’t want to travel a long distance to a Paso Fino show
and pay all the fees, and then have your horse overwhelmed with the
whole scene and misbehave.
What are some pointers on
flexing my Paso Fino from the ground or the saddle?
Flexing your Paso Fino makes
him supple or soft. Flex laterally only to the point of comfort to
the horse; the higher the placement of the neck towards the saddle
is preferred over the lower reach to the girth area. To stretch the
poll, top of neck and back, flex vertically with head moving inward
towards the ground and chest.
What are some other groundwork
cues I can teach my Paso Fino?
Helpful groundwork cues
include (1) touching with a crop where leg pressure would go, (2)
teaching to back up and then to move forward afterwards, (3) getting
horse to lower head to ground by teaching horse to yield to hand pressure
over poll area; this teaches submission and relaxes the horse.
How does lounging help my Paso
Fino?
Lounging teaches the horse
to round its back getting its hind legs reaching under its body, with
a lower neck carriage. Rounding the back strengthens the back muscles
which will help the horse to carry a rider. Lounging teaches forward
movement which helps the horse to confront any fears it may have (otherwise
which would result in balking or running away). Lounging with a saddle
on prepares a young 2-3 year old horse for under saddle training.
How can I get my Paso Fino
to improve its natural gait to be an even 4-beat evenly timed gait?
The Paso Fino is a gaited
breed, it drives from the rear and propels itself forward from the
hindquarters working under itself. Since most Pasos do trot in the
pasture, the trot is also a natural gait to them, more familiar and
comfortable to them as they move relax moving on the forehand with
their neck at a lower set than when ridden in gait. For this reason,
when a Paso Fino is started in saddle training, the horse lacks the
balance and hindquarters conditioning to carry a rider's weight, and
usually leans towards the diagonal gait , a trot or a paso-trocha.
As the horse gets its balance by working the horse, first at a walk
then a slightly faster (probably diagonal) speed; it will eventually
start working off its hindquarters.
Achieve this by riding the horse in circles, serpentines, figure-eights,
and reverses. The horse that may resist this will take more effort
until that horse is more conditioned. Try short 10-20 minute lessons
to start. You can also ride the horse at a speed faster than a walk
down a hill to help the horse gets its hindquarters under itself when
being ridden, but WALK the horse up the hill otherwise it will be
counterproductive to your gaiting effort.
You can also use a head
lifter which attaches to the bosal and headstall. The headlifter goes
under the chin and you will attach a set of reins just to it with
another set to the bosal. The headlifter causes the horse to shift
its balance towards the rear, while the bosal encourages the horse
to tuck its nose. Take it slow and practice until you get the practice
of using 2 sets of reins and are able to use each set independently
of the other. The above exercises and routines should help to bring
the horse into balance where it can achieve its natural Paso 4-beat
gait. The horse may go from a walk to a slow corto easily if you do
not push for more speed initially...just a little faster than an extended
walk. From there when steady, ask for a bit more extension and speed.
My Paso Fino went off-gait when she had horseshoes
put on for the first time, any suggestions to help her get back into
her gait?
As with a change such as
shoes to the Paso Fino’s natural balance and way of going, it
would be natural for the horse to be off stride to start with. For
example, like a prima ballerina who is use to wearing dance slippers
than having to wear shoes with heels, and do the same moves...not
so easy! It could take the horse a little time to adjust to wearing
extra weight on its feet. Some folks may want to change the hoof angles,
but then any changes from the natural pastern and hoof angles which
should correspond, could over time affect and stress the horse’s
joints. The same exercises would apply as previously menioned to help
to regain balance and conditioning ... circles, figure-eights, and
serpentines.
What are some exercises to
help my Paso Fino relax under saddle?
Rollbacks
and circles are useful exercises to teach your Paso Fino to relax.
A rollback stretches the muscles through the top of the neck down
the back, hindquarters and hind legs. It can be executed by riding
the fence line, then pulling into the rail. With the rein pulled wide,
turn into the fence raising weight out of the saddle. The rollback
exercise works off the hindquarters lifting the horse's front end.
Circles help the horse to bend and flex its entire body working out
any stiffness. Be light in any leg pressure used. Note: a pacy horse
is usually a stiff horse, so you need to get that horse to relax.
How can I improve my Paso Fino's
training to stop?
Training to stop
uses lateral flexion to slow the horse down and then stop. Use the
right rein, then left rein, not both at same time when stopping. When
the horse stops, the horse comes with the hind leg under its body
and rounds its body. The rider can raise off the back; head comes
forward and down when stopping. Teach a verbal command with "whoa"
for future riders.
How can I get my trail Paso
Fino to flat walk?
Sometimes a problem
is that the horse refuses to flat walk and always wants to go faster
than I would like. This happens leaving the barn and is more acute
on the way back. The result is a pulling contest that is unpleasant
and leaves the rider's hands and arms sore. For this problem, I would
alternate a pull and release with the reins while maintaining a walking
speed. If this doesn't help, walk the horse into continual circles
alternating to the right and to the left, although not real tight
circles. Do this for several minutes or longer to 10-15 minutes until
the horse tires and settles to a more relaxed walk. Walk calmly for
about 15 to 20 feet. If the horse is relaxed, walk farther. If it
returns to wanting to go faster; repeat the circling procedure.
Do not lose your
patience; you can stroke the horse on the neck while circling to reassure
it and keep it calm. This procedure will tire the horse, and it will
eventually decide it is easier to walk calmly then walk in circles
where it gets nowhere. Always walk your horse on the home stretch.
Also, you can vary your way home, backtrack on the trail, go on side
paths, serpentine a path, any direction so it is not a direct path
home that the horse is used too. This is a habit that is more in the
horse's mind, so you must break the routine he isused to. I don't
believe switching to a bit versus the bosal would make much difference.
Additionally, if possible ride behind a calmer horse who will be the
lead horse to set the pace for your horse. Try these training techniques
individually or mixed to see what may work in your situation.
How should you get your horse
to flex down to stretch the neck and poll without her thinking I'm
asking her to back?
The rider has already
tried a suggestion to put their hand on the top of the horse's neck
while doing the flex, but she still backs up. The rider wants to use
her for trail riding, even though she is a nervous type. Flexing a
horse equals softness in the horse's body. If your horse is resisting
flexing, the horse is not relaxed. If you think about a horse in the
pasture, it is relaxed and can flex and twist its neck and body in
a number of ways without being asked or forced. The idea is to get
the horse to be relaxed and comfortable being handled and ridden.
Sometimes, horses are rushed through training resulting in stiffness
and even nervousness as they are not sure what is expected of them.
From the ground,
try stretching exercises with the horse's legs and massaging the back,
neck and poll area to get the horse to relax its whole body. If the
body is relaxed, the neck should be more flexible too. Since your
horse is backing readily with a bit, her mouth is obviously very soft
and responsive; try a soft leather bosal as the bit may be a distraction
for her when you are asking for a vertical flex. Otherwise ask for
this from the ground until she is comfortable with it, and she cannot
get confused thinking she is suppose to back.
My Paso Fino had been trained
for fino, but now that I am showing him in pleasure, he will not walk.
What's the prognosis for him?
A young horse that is trained
to be fino when he is not naturally fino, may have mental problems
due to being forced to do a fino type gait when it is not natural
for him. Fino horses are discouraged from walking and to be "hotter"
when performing. The young horse will be confused and mentally conflicted,
causing it to become nervous when asked to walk for pleasure training.
It had been previously taught not to relax when being ridden and now
the rider wants it to be relaxed, and to walk. A big contradiction
to the horse in his mind of which he may have been punished for before.
Big contradiction to the horse in his mind to which he may have been
punished before exactly for doing what you want him now to do. Wouldn't
it make you nervous if you were that horse?!
Going back to the beginning
with groundwork and training and taking a different approach from
the ground in teaching cues in a round pen to get the horse to relax
and to walk while saddled without a rider to start with. With time,
patience, and knowledge, the horse's true nature and talent should
come forth, and it should become a pleasing, enjoyable pleasure horse.
What can I do to train my
horse's tail for a beautiful natural look?
Many want to show their Paso Finos with the "international"
look of the tail, but want it totally natural and legal. Regarding
natural tail massaging ... first comb the tail out, part it down the
center as per “show” look, put baby oil in the part and
then comb that out through out the tail before starting the massage.
Grab a strand to hold the tail with (from the very end of the bone);
then press on the tail in a downward motion, kind of stroking from
the tail head to the tip of the bone, while holding the strand of
hair at the end, to tip the end up. Do this from both sides, to keep
the tail even, it should be done daily too. Twice daily is even better.
When you get done with the massage, you can grasp the tail bone (about
4" from the end and pull the tail down, while bending gently
where your hands are -- bend the end straight out). Some horses are
difficult to massage, others are great. Some have very stiff basically
"unmassageable tails", others will show improvement with
in a few days. It just depends on the horse. *Thanks to
Carol Todd, Larimar Paso Finos, British Columbia, Canada for this
information on Paso Fino natural tail massaging.
Lynn Gallup was introduced to the Paso Fino breed in 1975, while
owning a Half-Arabian at the time. She began actively showing them
in the Atlantic and Piedmont regional Paso Fino shows since the mid-1970’s.
Today, she owns Gracewood Farm Paso Finos in New Hill, North Carolina,
where she continues to train her own horses and teaches gaited horsemanship
lessons. The “Training Tips” are learned from hands on
experience and attending numerous clinics over the years involved
with horses. Lynn’s Paso Fino website “The Smoothest Ride”
went online in 1997, and offers helpful and informative tips, articles,
and stories for the Paso Fino horse enthusiast. Professional trainers’
Q&A are welcome with credit given. Lynn Gallup can be reached
via email: [email protected] or phone (919)362-5966.
