History of the Mason Dixon Paso Fino Horse Association, Inc.

Incorporated in 1987, the Mason Dixon Paso Fino Horse Association (MDPFHA) encompasses the states of New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Maryland, and West Virginia.  Our vision is to be a “nationally recognized organization of informed and active members dedicated to supporting the equine community and celebrating the Paso Fino.”

To that end, we strive not only to maintain our current membership, but to continue our growth through a variety of efforts. We focus on promoting the wonderful characteristics and versatility of the Paso Fino. We strive to include all the varied interests of our members from showing, competitive and judged trail rides, falconry, cowboy mounted shooting, western dressage, and recreational riding.

To help promote and showcase our breed, we participate in breed demos, charity events, parades and the Pennsylvania World Horse Exposition. Dedicated volunteers staff our MDPFHA booth at the expo, where we display the versatility of the breed through ridden demonstrations, photographs, videos, and a variety of printed material. Our membership also includes professional trainers who also attend these events and answer specific questions about training, tack, and the qualities of the breed.

Other avenues we use to share information about the Paso Fino include participating in multiple parades, offering clinics from a variety of nationally known clinicians and trainers, open houses at farms throughout our region, trail rides, competitive trail and endurance rides, judged trail rides, lectures on falconry, cowboy mounted shooting, and rodeo entertainment featuring Paso Finos performing a variety of different activities and tricks.

The MDPFHA Spectacular Show is held annually. Our show has grown to include other gaited breeds, demonstrations, and a variety of other horse-related entertainment. Our show is designed to provide an opportunity to compete in a variety of different divisions in a fun and supportive environment.

Year-end awards honor both the show horse, and recreational members who log hours riding their horse or promoting the Paso Fino through local demos and parades and other horse related competitions. A multi-breed fun show allows our members to interact with other horse owners, while having fun and expanding the repertoire of our Paso Finos.

MDFPHA sincerely desires to represent all of the region’s Paso Fino enthusiasts and provide a sound support system that will encourage our members to participate in a variety of activities.   Please visit our website (www.masondixonpfha.org) and our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/masondixonpfha) where we celebrate our member’s accomplishments, facilitate communication across a large region, and encourage the participation by our members, while promoting the Paso Fino. If you are visiting our region, please feel free to reach out so we can share our love of our horses, and that “Paso smile.”