The Paso Finos of Puerto Rico

The Paso Finos of Puerto Rico

Mount quickly because he'll be ready to move out immediately," Jose warned. I stood at the side of a beautiful gray Paso Fino stallion -- Tornado de Carabali. Only four years old and already a show horse, he stood patiently with Jose at his head. Heeding the warning, I put my foot in the stirrup and quickly swung my other leg over the saddle feeling for the far stirrup with my toes.

As soon as I was ready, Jose stepped away and the young stallion moved off in the fast, high-stepping, 4-beat Paso Fino gait. The ride was so smooth I was sure I could carry a full glass of champagne on a tray without spilling a drop.

Up and down, up and down, the small horse's legs moved like well-oiled pistons.

"Ride him down the boardwalk so you can hear the beat and rhythm of his footsteps."

I turned him easily to one end of the slightly raised boardwalk positioned down the middle of the ring and we glided to the other end -- the "tat tat tat tat" of his hooves on the boards sounding like the staccato click of the keys on an old typewriter.

Jose Dueno, my guide and one of the owners of the ranch, said he could see how much I was enjoying my new experience because I smiled the entire time I was riding.

Tornado was well-trained and responded easily to my signals. Although Jose said he was a little spirited, he was a perfect gentleman for me, and a nice compliment to my earlier trail ride on Kiko.

The Paso Fino is a small (14 -- 15 hands), attractive, compact horse with an Arab-like head. Their comfortable gait is inherited, not taught, and the breed is considered the only "native" of Puerto Rico.

Hacienda Carabali is a ranch in the western foothills of El Yunque Rain Forest, 35 -- 55 minutes from San Juan, depending on the traffic. El Yunque receives more than 200 inches of rain annually and is the only tropical rain forest in the United States. It's 28,000 acres are home to birds, frogs, ferns, orchids, hundreds of types of trees and the last twelve of the highly endangered and colorful Puerto Rican parrots.

I arrived that morning to ride around some of the ranch with Jose, a tall, handsome man with a quick smile. We rode along the Meyenes River -- the only unspoiled river left in Puerto Rico. It is patrolled daily so that it remains in pristine condition.

Kiko, a very sweet, small, bay mare with the comfortable Paso Fino gait was my mount. She would swing her head around to nuzzle my foot whenever we stopped.

There are several rides from an hour-long trail ride to a three-hour ride to Loquillo Beach, the most photographed and most beautiful beach in Puerto Rico. You can walk out into the water for quite a distance because the depth is only waist high, and look back at the scalloped arc of white sand with rows of palm trees flanking it. Riding on the beach and a refreshment/swimming break are the highlights to this ride.

Hacienda Carabali also offers a two-hour ride up into the foothills of El Yunque with a half hour stop for drinks and a swim in the cool, clear Meyenes River. You can dive off some high rocks into the deep swimming hole there.

Another choice is a night ride along the river in the tropical forest where it is so black that the riders and guides all wear neon-lighted necklaces so everyone can see each other. The rides are on wide, hard dirt trails through tropical woods with an occasional stream crossing.

The guides are CPA certified, and carry radios for emergency communication. They speak English and are quite knowledgeable about the plants and animals, pointing out the huge ferns, thick, tall stands of bamboo, massive leaves of the elephant ear plants, and the colorful African tulip tree. The tulip tree was brought to Puerto Rico and planted to shade the coffee trees. It soon spread and splashed the bright color of its spectacular orange blossoms throughout the island's landscape. Delicate, white egrets and other birds make up most of the wildlife you will see during your trail ride. Mongoose are rarely seen, but the fearsome-looking iguana causes heads to turn. This harmless, plant eating lizard, which we saw in lengths up to four feet, has a row of spines from neck to tail and seems slow until frightened. Then, it raises up on its legs and runs into the brush, swinging its long tail and body from side to side.

A trail ride can consist of from one to forty riders. Before they mount, Jose shows everyone how to ride the horses and how to sit in the saddle. After his introduction to the Paso Fino and its gaits, he divides the group into experienced and beginner riders. The experienced riders are divided again, according to ability and experience, and then he assigns all of the riders to horses, depending on the height and weight of the rider and the look on his or her face.

"This is supposed to be a fun experience for them so I don't want to put a beginner rider on a horse that terrifies them. I want them to enjoy their ride, not be scared to death," he explained. The horses are gentle and easy-to-ride, but he has several more spirited mounts for more experienced riders.

Hacienda Carabali is a family owned business on a 400-acre ranch. In addition to the 48 -- 50 rental horses, there are 138 privately owned horses and some show horses. A dairy farm of Holsteins, The Bamboo Restaurant, and Coco Rio, which consists of two pavilions, usually rented for corporate functions, are also part of the business. On a separate 250-acre ranch there is a herd of cattle and several retired rental horses.

"These horses worked hard for us for many years, so this is their social security, their retirement home," Jose explained.

Puerto Rico is an island with a variety of activities. Sports range from windsurfing, scuba diving, hiking, sailing, biking, and snorkeling. We went snorkeling near some coral reefs and were delighted with the bright yellow tangs; long, narrow trumpet fish; brave, little sergeant majors with their two black stripes on their yellow bodies; and other fish too numerous to describe. We saw a variety of colors and geometrically shaped markings on the fish as they swam lazily or darted in and out of the magnificent brain coral, elkhorn and staghorn coral.

Shopping in the suburban malls or downtown San Juan, gambling in the casinos or sightseeing can be interspersed with swimming or sunbathing at pools or on the beaches.

Old San Juan should not be missed with its two massive forts -- San Cristobal and El Morro. San Cristobal is made up of six separate forts and has a maze of dungeons beneath it. Other fun spots to visit are The Parque of Pigeons where hundreds of pigeons make their home, and the memorial to Christopher Columbus that was erected to celebrate the 500th anniversary (1492 -- 1992) of his discovery of Puerto Rico.

If you're tired of winter weather, visit Puerto Rico where it's summer all year, and try one of the awesome Paso Finos of Hacienda Carabali.

Don't take my word for it. See if you can balance a full glass of champagne while riding one of these smooth-gaited horses.

To contact Jose Dueno at Hacienda Carabali, please see our Riding Vacation Directory under Puerto Rico.

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Tel: (215) 794-5878 • Fax: (215) 794-5878
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