Re: Paso Finos

[Lynn-Marie Kara & Luther Sturtevant <karakat@SpiritOne.com>]

Heidi,

One final post regarding the "Paso Fino" thread, assuming that I will not continue
to be flamed both on and off the list:

First, my initial phrase <Excuse me, on *six*  horses, you make these kinds of
conclusions?> could have been phrased less abrasively.  It was probably a little
too sarcastic for this list. However the question was still appropriate
considering the conclusion which you reached, ie. <Paso Finos do not seem to be
ideal endurance horses.>

The original request was a simple one:  <What about a Paso Fino for endurance,
I've read some about Foxtrotters but not seen much about Paso's and how they could
be trained to do endurance.>  The question wasn't about whether one should buy an
Arabian vs. a Paso Fino, or about competing at the international level.  For
people just getting into endurance, that's probably not one of their first
concerns.  On the other hand, if she has a Paso Fino, and it has a good largo,
there's no reason she shouldn't be encouraged to participate.  She might just do
very well, as some indeed have!

There were also several appropriate and clear answers to her question ... ie.,
from Susan Evans Garlinghouse, Bruce Murdock,  Truman Prevatt, and Patricia
O'Rourke. It is true that in your later
post you pointed out that you had clearly stated that you were speaking from
limited experience  <I have seen approximately half a dozen; one has done well.>
However, you then qualified
that by describing the one as <a Paso that neither looked nor moved like a Paso.>
But it *was* a Paso Fino, one of many being bred and raised which are focusing
upon something other than fino fino (as elloquently stated in Patricia's note.)

Yes, you did state that <This is not meant to discourage you from riding your Paso
on
endurance rides, as almost all horses benefit from distance conditioning.>
However I felt that it was placed in a context that denegrated those for whom
being at the top is not necessarily the goal.  For some, and I think this should
be the primary focus of endurance riding, the goal is to complete the ride with
class and at the highest level possible for horse and rider.  And this should be
celebrated rather than being given second billing.

Again, I appologize for the sarcasm.

Shalom,

Lynn-Marie and Mama Marucha
Portland, Oregon











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