Atigrado Acres is breeding for an animal that first and foremost GAITS. The unique four beat gait of the Paso Fino is what sets them apart from other equines and it is what they inherited from the Spanish Jennet that made them extremely special, if they don't gait they aren't special anymore! With that in the foreground of breeding parameters, Atigrado Acres then breeds for:
 

• Intelligence
• Conformation for Soundness
• Brios
• Size
• Temperament
• Lp Coloring

                         
Not necessarily with any one characteristic taking precedence in importance, but seeking to combine all in one horse! The process of breeding the "perfect" Spanish Jennet or Walkaloosa Horse will never end. However Atigrado Acres has been breeding gaited horses for over 30 years and the offspring we produce are beginning to fit the ideal very nicely.

Gait
Horses can be bred to ensure that the offspring will gait. Careful selection of matings will produce horses that exhibit gait consistently. Sloppy and poorly gaited animals have no place in a breeding program. Our foals will gait as a matter of course. By selective breeding, we strive to ensure that this will always be the case!

Intelligence
It doesn't cost anything more in time or money to maintain an intelligent horse. So why deal with a dumb one? An intelligent horse can learn more rapidly and is a joy to be around. So Atigrado Acres feels that it is an important characteristic to strive to produce!

Conformation for Soundness
Form to function, how many times have you heard that? A horse doesn't have to have show ring Bella Forma conformation to be a quality horse, but some conformation faults will prohibit soundness or function in a horse. Therefore Atigrado Acres breeds for conformation as it applies to ridability.

Brios
Brios is the heart and fire that are so much a joy in the Paso Fino breed. A Paso Fino with no Brios is like food without and salt or any other form of spices. We have grown to love this in our Paso Fino and strive to keep it in our Spanish Jennet – Walkaloosa Horses.
Not everyone enjoys spicy food, but few can enjoy a BLAND diet! So just like a good chef, a good breeder strives to produce Spanish Jennet – Walkaloosa horses that can suit any pallet. We have the "hot tamales" and the "mild" versions!

Size
Paso Fino horses are not large horses. But that doesn't mean that the Spanish Jennets and Walkaloosa breeds can not be bred to increase the size and still maintain the other qualities so unique to the Paso Fino breed. In the United States everything has to be bigger and better! Many Americans wish to be mounted on larger horses than the sizes most commonly found in the Paso Fino. With this in mind, Atigrado Acres has tried to breed for a larger horse, when the opportunity presented itself.

Temperament
A horse needs to be as much a pleasure to handle as it is ride. Atigrado Acres breeds for a "user friendly" horse! Atigrado Acres horses are people oriented and enjoyable to be around. Imprinting at the time of birth helps to ensure the individual will be acclimatized to human handling. Horses of poor temperament are excluded from the breeding program.

LP Coloring
Bringing the appaloosa pattern back into the mix to reestablish the Spanish Jennet is a long process that must be handled carefully. You can read more about our efforts here.

Atigrado Acres has horses from inutero to aged available for buyers with discriminating taste, please contact us to find the right horse for you!