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48-735: Smooth-gaited horses, generally known as Palfreys , existed in the Middle Ages , and the Jennet in particular was noted for its ambling gaits. Peruvians trace their ancestry to these ambling Jennets; as well as to the Barb , which contributed strength and stamina; and to the Andalusian which added style, conformation and action. Horses arrived in South America during the Spanish Conquest , beginning with

96-474: A rider , and the trot also jostles about packs or weaponry to a considerable degree. The amble is about as fast as the trot, not tiring for a horse that performs it naturally, and much smoother for the rider. Thus, because much ground transportation in the Middle Ages was on horseback, with long distances to be covered, a smooth-gaited horse was much desired. An amble is achieved by the horse when it moves with

144-403: A four-step rhythm, either derived from the two-beat lateral gait known as the pace or from the diagonal trot, with the two beats broken up so there are four. There are several variations, but most either have a lateral sequence of footfalls (left hind, left front, right hind, right front), or a diagonal sequence (left hind, right front, right hind, left front). In either case, only one foot is all

192-441: A group. Overall, stallions can be trained to keep focused on work and may be brilliant performers if properly handled. A breeding stallion is more apt to present challenging behavior to a human handler than one who has not bred mares, and stallions may be more difficult to handle in spring and summer, during the breeding season, than during the fall and winter. Some stallions are used for both equestrian uses and for breeding at

240-414: A herd setting and may lose considerable weight, sometimes to the point of a health risk. Some may become highly protective of their mares and thus more aggressive and dangerous to handle. There is also a greater risk that the stallion may escape from a pasture or be stolen. Stallions may break down fences between adjoining fields to fight another stallion or mate with the "wrong" herd of mares, thus putting

288-545: A herd setting if proper precautions were taken while the initial herd hierarchy was established. As an example, in the New Forest , England, breeding stallions run out on the open Forest for about two to three months each year with the mares and youngstock. On being taken off the Forest, many of them stay together in bachelor herds for most of the rest of the year. New Forest stallions, when not in their breeding work, take part on

336-583: A herd with both males and females, reduce aggressive or disruptive behavior, and allow the horse to be around other animals without being seriously distracted. If a horse is not to be used for breeding, it can be gelded prior to reaching sexual maturity. A horse gelded young may grow taller and behave better if this is done. Older stallions that are sterile or otherwise no longer used for breeding may also be gelded and will exhibit calmer behavior, even if previously used for breeding. However, they are more likely to continue stallion-like behaviors than horses gelded at

384-416: A natural relaxed walk. The Peruvian performs two variations of the four-beat gait. The first, the paso llano , is isochronous , 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

432-521: A specific breed as horse breeds are understood today. The word "palfrey" is cognate with the German word for a horse (of any type), Pferd . Both descend from Latin, paraveredus , meaning a post horse or courier horse, itself deriving from Gaulish vorēdos . The German term for a palfrey, meanwhile, is Zelter , which literally means ambler and is cognate with the Icelandic , tölt . A palfrey usually

480-407: A stallion with a mare herd year-round, others will only turn a stallion out with mares during the breeding season. In some places, young domesticated stallions are allowed to live separately in a "bachelor herd" while growing up, kept out of sight, sound or smell of mares. A Swiss study demonstrated that even mature breeding stallions kept well away from other horses could live peacefully together in

528-433: A tendency to bite, may pose a danger of serious injury. The advantage of natural types of management is that the stallion is allowed to behave "like a horse" and may exhibit fewer stable vices . In a harem model, the mares may "cycle" or achieve estrus more readily. Proponents of natural management also assert that mares are more likely to "settle" (become pregnant) in a natural herd setting. Some stallion managers keep

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576-499: A thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to female horses, known as mares , and castrated males, called geldings . Temperament varies widely based on genetics and training , but because of their instincts as herd animals, they may be prone to aggressive behavior, particularly toward other stallions, and thus require careful management by knowledgeable handlers. With proper training and management, stallions are effective equine athletes at

624-537: A younger age, especially if they have been used as a breeding stallion. Modern surgical techniques allow castration to be performed on a horse of almost any age with relatively few risks. In most cases, particularly in modern industrialized cultures, a male horse that is not of sufficient quality to be used for breeding will have a happier life without having to deal with the instinctive, hormone-driven behaviors that come with being left intact. Geldings are safer to handle and present fewer management problems. Some in

672-510: 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 refers to a horse's vigor, energy, exuberance, courage and liveliness; it automatically implies that these qualities are willingly placed in

720-464: 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 horses such as the Peruvian are often popular with riders who have back trouble. A unique trait of the Peruvian gait

768-512: Is medium-sized, usually standing between 14.1 to 15.2  hands (57 to 62 inches, 145 to 157 cm) 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. Stallions have a broader chest and larger neck than mares , and are known for their quality temperament. The coat color can be varied; and

816-480: Is most easily corrected by gelding the horse. A more complex and costly surgical procedure can sometimes correct the condition and restore the animal's fertility, though it is only cost-effective for a horse that has very high potential as a breeding stallion. This surgery generally removes the non-descended testicle, leaving the descended testicle, and creating a horse known as a monorchid stallion. Keeping cryptorchids or surgically-created monorchids as breeding stallions

864-420: Is seen in chestnut , black , bay , brown , buckskin , palomino , gray , roan or dun . 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. Instead of a trot , the Peruvian performs an ambling four beat gait between the walk and the trot. There are two official gaits, called

912-667: 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

960-587: The Lipizzan stallions of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria , where the entire group of stallions live part-time in a bachelor herd as young colts , then are stabled, train, perform, and travel worldwide as adults with few if any management problems. Even stallions who are unfamiliar with each other can work safely in reasonable proximity if properly trained; the vast majority of Thoroughbred horses on

1008-564: The Peruvian Paso , breeds developed in Latin America , perform two or three different ambling gaits of varying speed, and are probably the closest modern descendants of the medieval palfrey. 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

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1056-518: The animal rights community maintains that castration is mutilation and damaging to the animal's psyche. A ridgling or "rig" is a cryptorchid , a stallion which has one or both testicles undescended. If both testicles are not descended, the horse may appear to be a gelding, but will still behave like a stallion. A gelding that displays stallion-like behaviors is sometimes called a "false rig". In many cases, ridglings are infertile , or have fertility levels that are significantly reduced. The condition

1104-484: The racetrack are stallions, as are many equine athletes in other forms of competition. Stallions are often shown together in the same ring at horse shows , particularly in halter classes where their conformation is evaluated. In horse show performance competition, stallions and mares often compete in the same arena with one another, particularly in Western and English "pleasure"-type classes where horses are worked as

1152-592: The semen at ejaculation , but are not strictly necessary for fertility. Domesticated stallions are trained and managed in a variety of ways, depending on the region of the world, the owner's philosophy, and the individual stallion's temperament. In all cases, however, stallions have an inborn tendency to attempt to dominate both other horses and human handlers, and will be affected to some degree by proximity to other horses, especially mares in heat . They must be trained to behave with respect toward humans at all times or else their natural aggressiveness, particularly

1200-420: 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

1248-413: The "Peruvian Horse" to distinguish its breed apart from other breeds. Registries and related Organizations Educational Materials Publications 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

1296-777: 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 , trail , horse shows , parades , and endurance riding . The horse

1344-710: 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

1392-490: The annual round-ups , working alongside mares and geldings, and compete successfully in many disciplines. There are drawbacks to natural management, however. One is that the breeding date, and hence foaling date, of any given mare will be uncertain. Another problem is the risk of injury to the stallion or mare in the process of natural breeding, or the risk of injury while a hierarchy is established within an all-male herd. Some stallions become very anxious or temperamental in

1440-639: The arrival of Pizarro 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 , an important center of Spain's New World viceroyalties in the eighteenth century. Once in Peru , they were used primarily for transportation and breeding stock. In

1488-456: 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 in ordinary-looking horses and is an important trait of Peruvians. In the United States, competitions are organized by

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1536-428: The highest levels of many disciplines, including horse racing , horse shows , and international Olympic competition. "Stallion" is also used to refer to males of other equids, including zebras and donkeys . Fillies usually soon join a different band with a dominant stallion different from the one that sired them. Colts or young stallions without mares of their own usually form small, all-male, "bachelor bands" in

1584-591: The horses are part of Peru's national cultural heritage. Because of the shared word Paso , a close relationship between the Peruvian and the Paso Fino 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

1632-622: The job at hand. Another reason was the rise of the Thoroughbred and other breeds developed for horse racing and for light cavalry , both of which required horses able to gallop for substantial periods of time. Breeds swift at the gallop also tend to trot rather than pace or amble. In the Americas, ambling horses continued to be bred, both in the southern United States and in Latin America. The smooth ambling gaits today have many names, including

1680-442: 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 haciendas . This changed with the harsh Agrarian Reforms instituted by the government of Juan Velasco Alvarado in the late 1960s that had a devastating effect on the Peruvian Horse within Peru. Major breeding operations were broken up and breeding stock

1728-436: The north of Peru, the vast size of sugar and cotton plantations 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

1776-462: The palfrey was that, rather than trotting , it usually possessed a smooth, ambling gait. The amble was the name given to a group of smooth, four-beat gaits faster than a walk, but slower than a canter or gallop. The trot is a two-beat gait, about 8 mph, suitable for covering a lot of ground relatively quickly. However, the horse also has a bit of a spring in its motion as it switches diagonal pairs of legs with each beat, and thus can be rough for

1824-702: The pedigree of ensuing foals in question. Complete isolation has significant drawbacks; stallions may develop additional behavior problems with aggression due to frustration and pent-up energy. As a general rule, a stallion that has been isolated from the time of weaning or sexual maturity will have a more difficult time adapting to a herd environment than one allowed to live close to other animals. As horses are instinctively social creatures, even stallions are believed to benefit from being allowed social interaction with other horses, though proper management and cautions are needed. Properly trained stallions can live and work close to mares and to one another. Examples include

1872-411: The rear of the other side is longer. 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

1920-440: The same general time of year. Though compromises may need to be made in expectations for both athletic performance and fertility rate, well-trained stallions with good temperaments can be taught that breeding behavior is only allowed in a certain area, or with certain cues, equipment, or with a particular handler. If a stallion is not to be used for breeding, castrating (gelding) the male horse will allow it to live full-time in

1968-434: 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

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2016-582: The single-foot, the stepping pace, the tolt, the rack, the paso corto, and the fox trot (see ambling ). There are still many ambling breeds , particularly in North America where today they are referred to as gaited horses . Some of these breeds include the Missouri Fox Trotter , Tennessee Walking Horse , Icelandic horse and a sub-group within the American Saddlebred . The Paso Fino and

2064-408: 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

2112-402: 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

2160-543: The way off the ground at a time. Such a gait can be maintained for long distances, and sometimes at considerable speed. Modern genetic studies have verified that ambling ability is linked to a specific genetic mechanism. Ambling horses are now uncommon in Europe. They were effectively replaced by trotting horses for several reasons: The first was that as roads improved, travel by carriage became more common, and trotting horse breeds were generally larger and stronger, more suited to

2208-414: The wild. Living in a group gives these stallions the social and protective benefits of living in a herd. A bachelor herd may also contain older stallions who have lost their herd in a challenge. The external genitalia comprise: The internal genitalia comprise the accessory sex glands , which include the vesicular glands , the prostate gland and the bulbourethral glands . These contribute fluid to

2256-489: 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

2304-404: Was the most expensive and highly bred type of riding horse during the Middle Ages, sometimes equalling the knight 's destrier in price. Consequently, it was popular with nobles, ladies, and highly ranked knights for riding, hunting , and ceremonial use. Knights would ride palfreys to battle so that their heavier warhorses wouldn't be fatigued during combat. The significant characteristic of

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