INTRODUCTION

There is no doubt that gait is the most important trait of the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino—it is the gait that gives the name to the whole breed.  But what you might not know is that before there were Paso Fino gaiting competitions on the island, the Puerto Rican horses were evaluated and prized for their beauty and “Bellas Formas.”

For those unfamiliar with our breed, “Bellas Formas” translates as beautiful shapes or forms.  It refers specifically to the class in which Pure Puerto Rican Paso Finos are judged by their conformation, equivalent to Halter classes in other breeds.

In 1846, Manel González published in Spain  his book “El Gíbaro: Cuadro de Costumbres de la Isla de Puerto Rico.”  In it, he appealed to the “Sociedad de Amigos del País” (Friends of the Country Society) to improve the Puerto Rican horses.  The Society likely incorporated González’s ideas into the awarding of prizes at the subsequent agricultural fairs.  One of the classes he suggested was “al de mejor estampa,” which translates to English as “to the best-looking horse” or “horse with the best conformation.”  The first Fair was celebrated in San Juan from June 8 to 23, 1854.  At that fair, Bravo, a horse owned by Fernando Roig, was awarded as the horse with the “Mejor Perfección de Formas,” literally translated into English as “Best Perfection of Forms.”

FORM TO FUNCTION

A correct conformation is not just a matter of beauty.  There is a reason why horses of each breed look the way they do.  Quarter Horses, for example, have muscular hindquarters and a compact body, which is ideal for explosive acceleration over short distances.  Thoroughbreds, on the other hand, have longer legs, a lean frame, and sloping shoulders, which enable them to race at high speed over longer distances.  Clydesdales have a large body, broad shoulders, and heavy bone structure, because they were bred to pull heavy loads.

In human terms, Quarter Horses are sprinters, Thoroughbreds are marathon runners, and Clydesdales are power lifters.  How they are built reflects the work they do.  More accurately, breeders developed horses to perform a certain function, and they designed them to have the ideal conformation to perform that job with ease.

By analogy, Pure Puerto Rican Paso Finos are the prima ballerinas at the Bolshoi Ballet or world-renowned catwalk models at the Paris Fashion Week.  They are built to exude grace, elegance, and softness, enabling their unique rhythmic gait.

Charlie Haeussler, in a guide for Bellas Formas judging from the early 1970s, wrote: “In domestic animals, beauty lies in usefulness, not solely in the harmony of the external forms, but in the alignment between conformation and functional purpose.  […]  Defect is the opposite of beauty, and under this concept, any anatomical region lacking integrity, conformation, and vigor required to adequately perform its role must be considered defective” (translated into English by the author).

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Form to function is the guiding principle in understanding why breeds look the way they do and how their conformation contributes to their historical and modern-day roles.  The conformation of a breed is not just aesthetic—it’s the living blueprint of its purpose.  Without correct conformation, the horse’s performance becomes more difficult, increasing the risk of injury and strain.  The horse’s efficiency will be lower, and it will be harder to train.

The Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino was developed specifically as a riding horse—smooth, comfortable, dependable—and like the Quarter Horse, Thoroughbred, and Clydesdale, its specific conformation is what enables it to excel in smoothness, comfort, and dependability over all other riding horses in the world.  If the Puerto Rican horse loses its conformation, it loses its unique gait—and with it, everything that makes it special.

TWO TYPES

All of today’s Pure Puerto Rican Paso Finos are descendants of Dulce Sueño, especially through his three most influential sons: Batalla, Guamaní, and Nochebuena.  Carlos Gaztambide Arrillaga, in his book “Breeding Better Paso Fino Horses,” explains that there were two distinctive types among the Puerto Rican Paso Fino:

“The Guamaní family differs from the Batalla family in type and performance.  Guamaní was of the Andalusian type, that is, lengthy, stretchy, tall, more or less rounded, with great beauty and charm.  The Batalla type was more of the Barb, angular and sinewy with little muscling and somewhat light in build.  Both were beautiful and with great elegance and poise.  Both were of the greatest and most influential.”

Gaztambide did not explicitly include Nochebuena in his comparison, but throughout his work, he consistently associated Nochebuena’s conformation and gait closely with Guamaní’s.  He also explains that Batalla’s gait was “a little lower and softer on the ground.”  He did not relate Batalla’s conformation to his gait, but it was his build that accounted for his more refined gait.

THE PREDOMINANCE OF THE BATALLA TYPE

Besides Dulce Sueño, Kofresí is the most influential stallion in the modern breed.  Kofresí was sired by Arco Iris out of La Bruja, an inbred Batalla’s daughter.

Before Kofresí, the most sought cross by breeders was uncle/niece or aunt/nephew.  Since Kofresí resulted from crossing the Guamaní line (Arco Iris) and the Batalla line (La Bruja), this specific combination quickly became favored among breeders.  But there is a twist… breeders wanted to breed from the Kofresí line almost exclusively, so the cross became Kofresí or Kofresí’s sons to Batalla’s daughter, reinforcing the Batalla line on the offspring and fixing the angular and lighter “Barb” type, instead of the most rounded “Andalusian” type of Guamaní and Nochebuena.

This can be observed in the current horse population, especially on the island, where the Kofresí line is so inbred.  And when you study the pedigrees of most modern horses, it is clear that Batalla’s is the most dominant line.  So much so that the Nochebuena line has been mostly lost, and Guamaní’s line is not as common as it once was.  Cause and effect… the cause is the overuse of the Batalla line, the effect is the loss of conformation, size, and beauty in the general population of the breed.

Let’s momentarily set aside Batalla’s dominance and the associated breed issues, and instead delve into what constitutes the ideal conformation of the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino horse.

GENERAL APPEARANCE

Gaztambide explains that the Puerto Rican Paso Fino “has a distinctive appearance that identifies it and makes it different from other breeds.”  At least, that is the way it was intended to be.

A few years ago, I wrote that when we look at a Friesian, or a Morgan, or a PRE, or a Gypsy Vanner, or almost any horse, with just a glance, you can identify their breed.  That doesn’t necessarily happen when you look at a Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino.  When I wrote that, a friend told me that our breed is defined by its gait, not its conformation.  That is the consensus between breeders, but it is more a justification than a reason.

As established earlier, form follows function, and regardless of whether the breed has evolved into two conformation types or none distinctly at all, Dulce Sueño still provides the ideal conformation model.

So, using Dulce Sueño as the model, the general appearance of the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino should reflect elegance, balance, and refinement.  The height of our horses should be between 13 and 15 hands, the ideal being in the upper part of that range.  They should have a rounded, well-proportioned build, with a proud carriage, a finely sculpted head, expressive eyes, and a gracefully arched neck.  The body should be compact and muscular yet refined, with a deep chest, short back, straight and lean legs, and strong hindquarters.  Its overall look should convey nobility, elegance, and pride.

Pure Puerto Rican Paso Finos come in almost every color, being bay (in all its shades) and chestnut the most common. Other colors are palominos, buckskins, cremellos, perlinos, pintos, sabinos, roans, and greys.  White markings on the face and legs are common and even desirable.

A unique trait in some lines is the presence of amber-colored eyes, formally labeled “tiger eyes,” although, on the island, they were colloquially known as “ojos de cabro” (goat eyes).  While a similar amber eye phenotype can be found in other breeds, this specific variant was originally found in the Puerto Rican Paso Finos and has not been determined to exist in other breeds to current knowledge

THE “RULE OF THIRDS”

When I was young, when judging the proportions of the horses in the Bellas Formas classes, emphasis was put on symmetry and balance as a whole.  But in the last decades, after we began using the professionally certified judges, we have been hearing about the “three-thirds,” where the horse’s body is divided into three parts: forehand or front third, midsection or middle third, and hindquarters or rear third.

The forehand includes the head, neck, shoulder, withers, and front limbs, and its “function” (remember form to function) involves the steering of the horse.  The midsection includes the back, ribcage or barrel, and the sternum.  This second third houses the horse’s vital organs and provides support for the rider’s weight.  The hindquarters include the loins, croup, hip, and hind limbs, and it is where the impulsion of the movement takes place.

While the traditional rule assumes equal thirds, gaited horses like the Paso Fino exhibit slight functional adaptations.  For example, our horses are expected to have a more upright neck set and steeper shoulders, which support a high head carriage and collection while gaiting.  This might give the impression of a slightly longer front third.  Many of our horses tend to have a shorter back, which can appear to be a shorter middle third.  The hindquarters should be strong and round, with a slightly longer and sloping croup, giving the impression of a longer rear third.

The rule of thirds is a staple in conformation judging all around the world, and it is explained in judging manuals of many breeds, as well as equine science textbooks.  However, although judges use it to evaluate our horses, to my knowledge, this practice is not documented in the rulebooks of any Puerto Rican Paso Fino association.  For this reason, I will describe the ideal conformation not strictly by thirds, but rather by functional regions: head and neck, body, and limbs.

DESCRIBING THE IDEAL CONFORMATION

The following ideal description is based on the authoritative texts by Gaztambide-Arrillaga, Ruiz-Cestero, Laracuente, and the official rulebooks of the Puerto Rican Paso Fino organizations.  Yet, above all, we must always remember that Dulce Sueño is the visual representation of this description.

HEAD AND NECK

The head of the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino symbolizes refinement and breed identity.  It should be small, dry, and well-defined, presenting an elegant, triangular outline from a lateral view, with a straight or slightly convex profile.  Concave (dish) profiles or strongly convex (Roman noses) are undesirable as they detract from the breed’s characteristic noble expression.

The eyes are large, round, and positioned laterally, providing a wide field of vision.  All eye colors, including the amber-colored “tiger eyes,” are acceptable, provided they are symmetrical and expressive.  Asymmetrical, sunken, or overly protruding eyes diminish the breed’s inherent elegance.

Ears must be small, thin, high-set, and active, tapering gracefully from a broad base to narrow tips.  Their responsive, forward-pointing carriage indicates alertness and character.  Large, coarse, low-set, or flaccid ears negatively affect the aesthetic balance.

Nostrils should be wide, oval-shaped, and mobile, capable of significant dilation, essential for effective respiration during demanding gaits like Classic Fino and Paso Largo.  Narrow or asymmetrical nostrils hinder airflow and disrupt facial harmony.

Proper dentition and jaw alignment are important.  Malocclusions, such as overshot or undershot jaws, are penalized as they affect feeding efficiency and rein contact.  Lips should be firm, dry, and proportionate.  Thick or drooping lips are a sign of poor breeding.

The neck should be medium to long, well-arched at its upper border, and rise elegantly from the chest, blending smoothly into the head.  The throatlatch must be clean and open to facilitate vertical and lateral flexion.  Ewe-neck, bull-neck, excessively thick or thin necks, and fallen crests (“broken crest”) are serious faults.

A well-conformed neck maintains a balanced center of gravity, slightly favoring the hindquarters.  Some poor neck conformation shifts weight forward, hindering collection and cadence, and increasing physical stress.

The mane is ideally long, silky, abundant, and falls naturally on one or both sides of the neck, enhancing the breed’s graceful appearance.

BODY

The body of the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino reflects balance, compact strength, and proportional harmony.  Essential to correct front-end elevation and saddle stability, the withers must be high, clearly defined, and positioned slightly higher than the hips.  Low or flat withers disrupt balance and negatively affect saddle placement and rider security.

A strong, relatively short, straight, yet flexible back enables proper gait execution and efficient energy transmission. Conversely, swaybacks or overly long backs impede performance.  The loin (kidney area) should be broad, muscular, and tightly coupled with both the back and croup, essential for the effective engagement of the hindquarters.

The croup should be long, muscular, gently sloping, and seamlessly transitioning into a high-set tail.  The tail itself must be carried gracefully, with fullness and liveliness.  Structural deficiencies, including a low-set tail, limp carriage, or an excessively elevated tail, indicate weaknesses in hindquarter conformation.

The chest must be wide and deep, ensuring optimal respiratory and cardiovascular function.  Viewed from the side, the chest should be deeper towards the rear, while from above, it should appear wider at the front.  The ribcage must be long, moderately arched, and well-sprung.  The abdomen should be firm and proportionate, neither excessively tucked nor sagging, reflecting good overall health and fitness.

LIMBS

Correct limb conformation is vital for structural integrity and biomechanical efficiency.

The forelimbs begin with shoulders that are long and sloped ideally at approximately 45°, essential for stride length, front elevation, and shock absorption.  Proper alignment follows a vertical line from the shoulder through the elbow, knee, cannon, and hoof.  Deviations such as calf-knees, knees-over, or toes pointing inward or outward compromise gait quality and soundness.  Forearms must be straight, muscular, and longer than the cannons.  Knees should be broad, dry, and free of lateral deviation.  Cannons must be short, perpendicular, and without swelling or blemish.  Fetlocks should be healthy and flexible, while pasterns should slope ideally between 45° to 55° to effectively absorb shock.  Excessively long and sloped pasterns weaken structure and increase injury risk; conversely, short and upright pasterns produce a stiff, uncomfortable gait.

The hooves must be symmetrical, dense, small to medium-sized, and aligned correctly with the pastern angle.  Structural deficiencies such as flat, uneven, or boxy hooves indicate poor limb conformation.

The hind limbs, responsible for propulsion, must be muscular, strong, and correctly angulated.  Hocks should be wide-set, robust, and neither sickle-hocked nor post-legged.  Common hind-limb defects such as cow-hocks or camped-under stances should be actively discouraged as they compromise propulsion and balance.

Overall, limbs should harmonize visually and mechanically with the body.  Refined, fine-boned limbs are ideal in our breed, but must be structurally sound to support the Paso Fino’s rhythmic, comfortable, and enduring gait.

BROODMARES

Evaluating broodmares requires recognizing natural physical adaptations from pregnancy and foaling.  While balance, symmetry, and structural correctness remain crucial, some allowances are reasonable for minor abdominal relaxation, moderate topline softening, or a slightly lower underline, provided these do not impair gait, soundness, or general health.

Nevertheless, broodmares must continue to exemplify feminine refinement, particularly in the head and neck, and retain correct limb conformation and strength in the back and loin, essential for supporting repeated gestations and foaling.  Their conformation must clearly reflect individual quality and indicate their potential to consistently pass desirable breed characteristics to future generations.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

Up to this point, I have shared the concepts of correct conformation and outlined how such conformation correlates with proper gait.  If this were a college course, we could refer to it as the theory.  However, I feel like I am still lacking some practical examples to illustrate some of these points.

Correct conformation for the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino asks for a high-set, well-arched, longer-than-short neck with a naturally elevated crest and balanced head carriage.  Undoubtedly, horses possessing this neck conformation appear elegant and impressive.  However, beyond aesthetic appeal, this neck structure shifts the center of gravity rearward, facilitating the placement of the hind legs well under the body, promoting impulsion—both critical elements for achieving collection.  Conversely, a horse with a short neck will typically extend it forward, shifting its center of gravity toward the forehand.  This forward shift complicates collection, causing the horse to “float” on its hindquarters, thus diminishing power and balance.

Let’s talk about size.  The breed standard specifies a height between 13 and 15 hands (52 to 60 inches at the withers).  A horse standing around 52 inches might comfortably suit a child or smaller adult, but a taller rider may appear disproportionate.  Moreover, larger horses are generally more capable of comfortably carrying more weight than smaller ones.  Size may not significantly impact horses used exclusively for brief show presentations.  But if the horse is expected to work or perform on the trail for extended periods, then size becomes a practical consideration.

There is a widespread misconception that smaller horses can be quicker and tighter-gaited than larger ones.  Some time ago, a friend told me that a basketball player would make a poor ballet dancer.  That may be true—but so would a dwarf.  Besides, a 15-hand horse, that sits at the upper limit of our breed standard, would not be regarded as a particularly “large horse” by most equestrians.

In Spanish, “aplomos” refers to the correct vertical alignment of the limbs.  I cannot stress enough how important this is.  Horses with faulty limb conformation are not only aesthetically less pleasing, but they also struggle with correct gaiting and have a higher susceptibility to injuries.

In the show ring, horses with improper limb alignment often encounter difficulty performing the figure-eight or reverse turn.  Likewise, on the trail or in other equestrian disciplines, these horses are more prone to stumbling or missteps.  In either case, improper alignment shortens a horse’s useful life by increasing the risk of lameness and injury.

We should also talk about the pasterns and fetlocks.  In Spanish, we use the word “muñequeo” to describe the natural flexion in the fetlock joint—a small but important movement that depends on correct structure.  A pastern that is too long tends to be weak and more prone to injuries.  One that is too short produces a stiff, rigid gait.  Unfortunately, both are becoming more common in our breed.  When the pastern has the right length and angle, the “muñequeo” happens naturally, and the ride is smooth and comfortable as it should be in the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino.

I do not intend to cover every possible consequence of poor conformation.  But I do strongly encourage looking beyond surface beauty to understand that the breed standard is designed not merely for aesthetics, but to promote a smooth, natural gait and ensure our horses enjoy long, healthy, and productive lives.

CONCLUSION

The most important phrase in this article is “form to function.”  The building of the horse must follow structural correctness to ensure the smoothest and most comfortable ride.  It is that simple.  If we step away from a correct conformation, we might still have a nice gait to the eye, but the ride might lose comfort, or worse, the horse might be prone to lameness and other injuries.

While a good conformation embodies beauty, elegance, soundness, and overall well-being, we tend to correlate it primarily with the Bellas Formas classes.  When we do this—and many Puerto Rican Paso Fino breeders, owners, trainers, and enthusiasts do—we take the importance out of the conformation unless we plan to show in Bellas Formas.  But the beauty admired in Bellas Formas is not superficial—it’s essential to preserving the integrity of the breed.

It might not be obvious right away, but if we keep promoting this shift, the breed—as a collective—will change… and not for the better.  This way of thinking is not only mistaken but also encourages careless breeding that can cause irreparable harm to the breed.

The genetic blueprint of the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino did not come by chance.  Our forefathers might not have been fully aware of it, but they fixed many physical traits because those traits were directly related to the gait they wanted in their horses.  And the only way to conserve the unique gait of the Pure Puerto Rican Paso Fino is to preserve the correct conformation associated with that gait.

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Bibliography and Resources

• “Breeding Better Paso Fino Horses,” and other books by Carlos Gaztambide Arrillaga.
• “El Caballo Puertorriqueño,” by Ramón Ruiz Cestero.
• “Historia Cronológica del Caballo Puertorriqueño,” by Dr. José Laracuente.
• “The Paso Fino Horse,” by Dr. José Laracuente.
• Federación del Deporte de Caballos de Paso Fino de Puerto Rico, Asociación Nacional del Deporte de Caballos de Paso Fino de Puerto Rico, Asociación Insular Dueños y Criadores Paso Fino Puro Puertorriqueño, and Feria Dulce Sueño’s Rulebooks.

Photo of Papirus (Batallita x Mejorana), bred by Francisco Gelpí in 1965 and owned by Carmelo Figueroa.  In addition to being a multiple-time Paso Fino Champion and Grand Champion, Papirus also won Champion and Grand Champion titles in the Bellas Formas class in 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1979.  A clear example of how a superior build not only stands out in Bellas Formas but also enables a horse to excel in the gaiting classes.  Photo from the Francisco Rodríguez collection.