When I wanted to get a gaited horse I didn't know much about them. I just knew I wanted a pleasurable riding horse. So I set about trying out the different gaited horse breeds to see what each one was like. I tried several Walkers and Foxtrotters, which are plentiful in my area. One day I saw an ad for a Peruvian gelding for sale. I went to see him because I had not had a chance to check into this breed on a first hand basis, I had just read about them.  The gelding's owners had several Peruvians as well as the one they offered for sale. I was really looking for a mare but I wanted to at least try out the breed. The little gelding was full of spunk and neck-reined beautifully. He could make short turns in full fast gait. He was really a whale of fun to ride. I was really intrigued with the breed  but I went on in my gaited breed search because I was looking for a mare. I ended up buying a walker mare but I had made a new friends with the people who owned the Peruvians. We would go riding together and sometimes I'd get to ride their Peruvian geldings. They were sure smoother than that  walker mare I bought. I kept riding with these people and even went to a Peruvian horse show. There I saw the Peruvian horse in the classic Peruvian tack and in show gait. Wow, was I impressed. They were so spirited and animated under saddle, yet so docile and calm. There was a palomino stallion that was tied not far from the ringside. Combing out his tail was a tiny girl, probably about 5 years old. This stallion stood so calm and quiet with all that activity going on around him and that tiny girl under and around his feet. That same stallion in the ring was breathtaking. He was so spirited, animated and brilliant. It was almost impossible to believe it was the same horse if I had not seen him tacked up and ridden in the ring myself. After that I started in looking into finding a Peruvian mare. My Peruvian friends knew a breeder in Colorado that needed to move some horses so they brought a few down to Oklahoma her to sell for them. One was an older mare; her name was Chula and she was 18 years old. Older than I wanted but I went to look. What a beautiful mare she was. 

My next Peruvian was a mare named Mia. I bought her sight unseen from a breeder in Colorado. I was told she had excellent gait.  When I got her, I was unimpressed. "What a plain looking bay mare", I thought. My whole opinion of her changed when I rode her. Oh my what a gossamer smooth ride! And what excellent training and manners she had. It was the most magnificent ride I had ever been on. The mare was so smooth you couldn't tell what gait she was in or how fast she was going except by the rushing of the wind in your face.  You had to but think a command and she did it. Stop, turn, slow fast, a thought and then her action. I have taken this mare on trail rides and challenged anyone to find something smoother.  All the people who have ridden her have agreed she is the smoothest thing they have ever experienced. So plain bay is fine by me with a ride like that.

Mia gaiting in the pasture. Notice the long strides. She can really cover ground in a hurry and so smoothly that you hardly notice the speed.		Mia and Teddy gaiting side by side out in the pasture.

Since these two mares I have had several other Peruvian mares; none so showy as Chula and none so smooth as Mia. Each has had that same Peruvian nature, spirited under saddle and docile at hand. I have some Peruvian mares for sale so check out my horses for sale page.

If you are new to Peruvian Horses or want to learn more about them, please check out the links below. They will give you a lot of information about Peruvian horses and the history of this fabulous horse from Peru.