Everything Horses and Livestock® Magazine May 2018 Vol 3 Issue 2

Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®

Re-Print from Oct. 2014 - In Memory of Bonnie Givens

Hi! My name is Bonnie Givens, and I’ll be sharing with you some observations, adventures, and joys of owning Peruvian Paso horses in the coming issues of this Magazine. Since the breed isn’t well-known in the Missouri-Kansas area, I thought I’d start by describing a bit of the background and attributes of the breed.

on the trail as a pleasure horse, or in the show ring, the Peruvian breed excels in anything requiring a smooth, reliable ride and a determination to please its owner. It has been used in team penning, sidesaddle drill teams (in the Rose Bowl, for example, and as the Texas State Equine Drill Team), and even in dressage.

horses carrying the blood of the Barb, the Spanish Jennet, and the Andalusian, the Peruvian has a unique combination of what might be called contradictory qualities. The breed is spirited, yet easy to handle. It is smooth and relaxed in motion and possesses an unusually intelligent yet tractable disposition, has a flashy appearance, an animated presence, and a 4-beat lateral gait. Its movement is typified by a fluid, 100% natural movement of the front legs called “termino”, which is similar to the outward rolling of a swimmer’s arms during the crawl. The breed is beauty and poetry in motion. To watch one is exciting; to ride one is a joy, and I’ve never seen a Peruvian owner content to have only one horse! In fact, one of the few disadvantages to owning a Peruvian is that, unlike quarter horse competitors, Peruvians in this part of the country have so far to travel for a horse show. Peruvian horse shows abound in Texas, Colorado, California, and parts of the east coast, but in our part of the middle west, Texas, Minnesota, and Oklahoma normally provide the closest arenas for all-Peruvian competition.

The modern Peruvian Horse is a product of selective breeding for over four hundred years in Peru, where it was bred to cover the long distances on the great haciendas. It should not be confused with the Paso Fino horse, which was developed in Columbia, and is a slightly smaller horse with a shorter stride. Although normally seen

Physically, the Peruvian is of medium size, standing between 14.1 and 15.2 hands tall, with a powerful build. The horse may be virtually any color, with the solid colors considered the most desirable for show. The mane and tail are abundant with fine, lustrous hair. Descended from foundation

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