The Peruvian Paso Horse is a medium-sized, mesomorphic, riding horse, standing approximately 1.45 mts. and 1.52 mts. for male and female, having proper correlation between its parts to make it apt to move with the airs that characterize the Peruvian Paso Horse, which has a sideways, two legged gait.This breed of animal is distinguished by the harmony and fineness of its parts and its brio or temperament that contributes to the arrogance with which it carries itself giving it great organic resilience.Of elegant structure with defined proportions in length and width, preferably with straight line profile, strong at the bottom with outthrust jaw, fine and narrow at the bottom. The forehead is wide and flat, with wide intermolar space. The ears are alert, rather short, sharp, graceful, mobile and fine; the eyes are dark, elongated, placed slightly slanted, on the sides of the head; the nostrils, on each side, are long, hollow, sensitively tilted; the size of the mouth is in proportion to the rest of the head, with fine lips, a prominent and strong chin. A Peruvian Paso Horse's head should show power and vigor, but also be lean, expressive and carried steady and firmly.This should be well-shaped, light, with a convex upper line and a short straight bottom line; it should be fine above, where it joins the head with defined contours and correct shaping, forming an acute angle. The underside of the neck should be wide and robust with a clearly defined harmonious melding with thorax and chest. The mane should be fine, long and lustrous.This should be well-proportioned, length to height, medium-size, with strong, well-developed, deep and wide thorax, a well-arched rib cage with a short, wide girth, the joining of the shoulder blades being smooth and level with the croup.The chest should be well-proportioned, strong and wide, though not excessively so. The back, rather short and straight, should be short, wide and well joined. The croup should be rounded, well-proportioned, wide and strong, joining the other parts harmoniously. The tail should start rather low, and be long, fine and prominent, carried quietly, close to the rump; the mane should be long and full.The limbs should be solid and firm and stand in proper alignment. The shoulders should be spread at an acute angle where they meet the front legs, well-placed with long, strong muscles. Their proper joining with the thorax and the chest, the satisfactory position over the rib cage, and exact location of the point where they join the back, are the basis of the animal's correct alignment and poise, and the width and strength of the articular joints are indispensable for proper movement of all these parts. The arms are normally short and muscular.The forearm is long and muscular at the top, and slimmer below. The knees should both be well-modeled, with slightly convex rear face. The sides should be hollow with a prominent elbow to the rear showing strength, but not exaggeratedly so.The hindquarters, the thigh should be well-joined to the croup and rump, showing powerful but not excessive contraction. The leg muscles should be outstanding, the rump rounded down to the thigh but not too low. The hocks should be well-formed and defined, tending inwards, with strong, lean bone structure, and well-balanced proportions.The leg bone and shanks, called the gaskin, should form a sufficient angle to give it support, leaning toward the center of gravity most of the time.The shanks are short, strong, with good bones, strong tendons, well-implanted and defined, the fetlocks strong and lean, well-outlined with precise contours and rather sharply angled, the pasterns strong, medium length, fine and clearly defined, the bottom of the limb forming a solid and functional whole, covered with short, smooth hair.HOOFThe hooves should be well-developed, in proportion with the animal's body, and crowned by a prominent knot covered with short hair. The wall of the hoof is normally slanted and of normal shape, with sufficient high heels to permit the proper projection of the angle of the pasterns, with concave inner sole, and a long, wide prominent frog, and a hard, dark, resilient and lustrous horn surface.COLORSThe coat of hair comes in varied colors, some animals being solid colored or mixed, which are preferred to those having mixed colors in mane and body hair (roan, red roan, bay roan, mixed roan). There is discrimination against animals with marked albino factors, rejecting the dappled ones.
