Breed evolution: More than 400 years ago, Spanish conquistadors brought horses from Europe to South America. The African Barb, Spanish Jennet, Friesian, and the Andalusian all made the long voyage, and contributed their genetic strengths to the breed known today as the Peruvian Horse.
Eventually, the horses were used by settlers on the vast haciendas of Peru. Owners selectively bred for the smooth, rocking gait, stamina, and willing temperaments that characterize the breed today. For centuries, owners maintained a closed population within the borders of Peru, protecting the breed from dilution by discouraging outcrossing with other breeds. Only within the last 40 years have Peruvian Horses been imported to the United States in appreciable numbers.
Peruvian Horses feature a striking, sumptuous mane and tail, average 14.2 hands high (but range between 14 and 15.3 hands high), and are powerfully built. Owners treasure the breed's brio, often described as its special spirit. But "brio" is also used to describe the Peruvian's combination of confident presence, elegant appearance, and kind, willing heart – all of which endear the handsome horses to their owners.
Peruvian owners and breeders are adamant that the breed's natural gait remain just that, and no training methods may be used to modify it. To that end, in the show ring, all horses are presented without shoes, with hooves no longer than four inches.
From the walk, the Peruvian moves naturally into the paso llano, a lateral, four-beat gait, resulting in a side-to-side rocking motion, as opposed to the vertical movement of the trot. This signature gait is very smooth, evenly spaced, and executed with termino, a rolling movement that starts in the shoulders and ends as the front legs move to the outside during extension.
The Peruvian also performs the sobreandando, a four-beat gait, but faster than the paso llano, and unevenly spaced. In addition, the breed performs a normal pace and canter to complete its five-gait repertoire.
In 2005, the breed's two primary organizations merged to form the North American Peruvian Horse Association. There are 16,800-plus purebred Peruvian Horses registered with NAPHA, and approximately 1,100 horses registered with their Part Blood Registry.
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