PPF: Don Luis, thank you very much for accepting this interview with Perfiles del Paso Fino. First off, I would like to ask you to provide a little bit of your background. Have you come from a traditional horse family, what was your origin? For those who don’t know you.

LT: I am Colombian. My town is named Villeta, Cundinamarca. I was raised in a family with a tradition of horses where I learned my first lessons from my father. After that, I learned through other routes to find new horizons and acquire new knowledge. That was my launch into working with horses, but I always worked with Paso Fino horses as well as diagonally gaited horses because in Colombia, we have always had both diagonal and Fino horses. At that point, I went to Cali and was working with diagonal and Fino horses until I had the opportunity to travel to the Dominican Republic in 1993. When I was in Santo Domingo, I started working at a farm named Gurabo, where I trained only Paso Fino horses. There, I had the opportunity to ride a very Fino horse they owned, who came from the Bochica bloodlines. I was able to compete him at my first participation at a world competition in 1993, there in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. That horse won his class of 4 and 5-year-olds. After that, they had purchased a filly in Colombia from Guillermo Kling, named Ponderosa Casandra. I had the pleasure, the luck, and the fortune of training her and taking her to the world competition in 1995 in Puerto Rico. And by fortune, and the grace of God, she was titled World Champion. Thanks be to God, after that, even more doors opened up for me, by then always with Paso Fino horses. So, once we had the joy of having that filly titled world champion, we returned to Santo Domingo. Then, I had the opportunity to move to Puerto Rico to work with a man named Roberto Camino. After that, I remained in Puerto Rico working with an engineer named Roberto Ramos and his Paso Fino horses. I worked with him for 8 years until I came to live in the United States in 2010. I worked at La Libertad, where I discovered a very good filly who was very well put away at the farm. I discovered her and trained her well. I competed her on 2 occasions, but then I couldn’t ride her when she was taken to the national competition, where she was titled grand national champion. Later, that filly was sold, after I was no longer working with them. Mario Heinsen bought her and Jorge Suarez rode her. They won a world championship with her here in Miami.

PPF: Now that you mention Jorge Suarez, he is one of the riders who has spoken to me about your work with such admiration and respect. What can you tell me about so many people in the Paso Fino industry always referring to the name Luis Tinoco. Luis Tinoco is related to so many positive things.
LT: Well, I have known the Suarez since I was working in Puerto Rico. Fortunately, to this day, we have always had a very nice friendship. We always greet each other with such affection as if it were the first day we ever met and always with very much respect. And it’s not only with the Suarez family. There is also David Castro, who I admire and respect so much because he is a very respectable man on this path with horses. Then there is also Jochi Rodriguez and a countless amount of people whose name escapes my mind right now. Those are all people from the old school who, including me, we’re still all current. There are many young men now also because all this has changed and evolved so much. There are some very talented young people who deserve all our respect because they get the job done with a different methodology. They have obtained good results and that is valid and respectable.

PPF: Throughout the years, as you have mentioned, that the industry has evolved so much, what do you think links your name to words of admiration, respect, and talent in your work. People say you are a very knowledgeable trainer. Words such as ‘that man does know how to start training’, ‘that man does know the training of a horse’… What do you think has given you the foundation to be that person so many people from the old school, as you said, and those in the limelight now admire?
LT: Well, I would have to say it is all part of my experience. I have always believed that a foal needs a good foundation in order to become a great horse and be successful in the show ring. If a horse doesn’t have a good foundation, he will not make it to or last at the zenith. They always need to have a good foundation.

PPF: And what is a good foundation to you?
LT: For me that foundation is a good start and proper handling. It has to be that way for you to train a foal. That foal must be extremely tame so that he can pay attention to everything you want to teach him. If a colt or filly has a negative attitude, it is much more difficult for him to learn anything. If he is afraid of you, he will not learn. The horse must always feel trust in you; you must build trust with him so that the foal assimilates the work once you have begun. That is the importance of teaching a good foundation; for a foal to be the tamest possible to begin training. One thing is training, and another is taming. If the foal isn’t tame, you won’t be able to train him well. It is going to take more time. But if a foal is tame, you can touch him all over, take him, and bring him. He will learn everything more easily. For me, that is the best foundation, the beginning of a foal. That is the foundation he will keep throughout his life. If he has that framework, he will have a great outcome.

PPF: Which do you consider have been the most valuable resources throughout your career?
LT: Resources… for me I think it has been having patience. Having patience to be there for them and dedicate myself to them. Having dedication and patience, to me, are the most important factors to be able to have success with any horse.

PPF: What do you think has been the most important lesson you have learned from the horse world?
LT: You learn a lot throughout time and when you leave your country of origin, you learn even more. You learn so many things that remain with you. For example, in Colombia back then, we didn’t know that horses should be worked by using psychology. When I left there and saw new things and spoke to new people who had anything to do with the equine industry, I heard many people say that horses should be handled with psychology and that was something I knew nothing about. When I put it into practice, it gave me great results. Also, when I was in Santo Domingo, I was fortunate enough to have met Jochi [Rodriguez]. He was working his horses with rational training. I had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with him to ask him and he responded to me with very nice words, to be honest. He gave me a lot of advice and helped me very much. That was also a part of what brought me so much success. So, it has been having those types of experiences where if one of us knows we share it with others. There are things that work for many trainers, but they may not think about sharing that knowledge and explain how others can work with the same methods and succeed as well.

PPF: With so many changes you have experienced in your life, such as moving among several countries, what advice can you give to those who are leaving their countries at this time or considering moving to another country to work within the Paso Fino industry?
LT: Well, I would say that when we leave our country, we must always try to do things in the best way possible. We must always have the best attitude so that everything works out well. If you have a good attitude and show responsibility, I am sure everything will work out well. There is a saying that states ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans’. This has always given me the best results.

PPF: So, you mean having adaptability.
LT: Yes, adapt. And if you left your country, it was to move forward, not to be gone for 2 or 3 months and then go back. No. If you left because God gave you an opportunity, you must make good use of it.

PPF: Don Luis, if you went back to the very beginning, would you choose this career as a horse trainer again?
LT: Without a doubt, I would.
PPF: Why?
LT: Because since I already lived through it, to choose it again would be completely easy. I would be doing it all over with the experience and the knowledge that would make me do it all better every single day.

PPF: What do you think have been your best accomplishments or decisions in your career?
LT: For me, my greatest accomplishment was having gotten titled world champion with that filly in Puerto Rico in 1995. That’s the kind of thing you never forget. When something like that happens to you for the first time, it leaves its mark in you forever.

PPF: Do you remember that moment?
LT: Of course.
PPF: When they announced it…
LT: Oh, of course.
PPF: Tell me how you felt?
LT: At that precise moment, you don’t feel a thing. You don’t feel anything… how can I explain it? It’s a great joy, but at the same time, you’re like, frozen.
PPF: In shock?
LT: You go into shock, because I couldn’t believe it. I mean, we only took that filly and together we became world champions. So many people took 5, 6, 8, or 10 horses and they didn’t earn any champion titles. But we, with only the one filly, we titled world champions. It was a blessing from God.
PPF: And it’s so nice that you were, from beginning to end, the most valuable tool that filly had in order to win.
LT: Yes. I started her training from scratch because when I arrived at the farm, the filly was only 18 months old. We started her at 24 months, doing ground work and when she turned 26 months, I mounted her. It wasn’t an easy job because the filly was difficult, but with help, with time, and with patience, we were able to get her going. I think that the best gift, the best reward was earning that world championship. That was something… that was something very nice.

PPF: What motivates you every day to go to work? With all those showers, amidst the brightest sunlight…
LT: I am very motivated by the passion I have for horses because this for me is, it’s my life. Horses for me are my life. I don’t know how to do anything other than being around horses and working with horses. To me, this is a passion. Every day I go out with the same affection and love. I, for one, feel great passion for them. And I always do it all with a lot of kindness and a lot of love. I always give the space for the horse to give me whatever it wants and has. Every horse has a gift, but we have to wait for him to share it so that then you can join it together with what you know and move forward.

PPF: Are there any horses that have been particularly memorable aside from the world champion filly? Have you had any particular experience with any one horse?
LT: Well, I had that mare I mentioned before from La Libertad. I don’t remember her name at this time. I don’t remember right now. That mare brought me great satisfaction because she was set aside in a stall. Nobody rode her because nobody could deal with her. I implemented my blessed patience and dedicated myself to her. I couldn’t take her out and tie her because she had experienced an accident while tied up before and she didn’t like it at all. So, I started giving her therapy inside her stall. I would stay with her, groom her, and saddle her up in the stall until she started to trust me. Once she trusted me, I started to take her out of the stall, and she would behave better and better. The mare’s name is La Castigadora. So then, that mare started getting used to me and I started growing fond of her. We continued working together and thanks to God, that mare has reached where she is today practically because I discovered her and helped her develop. Later, other trainers worked with her and having the foundation she had, she was able to grow to where she is now. She came to be a world champion mare. That was of great satisfaction to me and those are memories we never forget. Another special satisfaction I had was in the Dominican Republic with a horse I trained there named Confidente de Gurabo. I obtained 14 champion titles in the time I rode him. He was such a very nice ride; he was very noble. That horse was the one who helped open the doors for me in the Dominican Republic. Every time I took him to a show, he was delightful. It was such a pleasure to ride that horse and competing him was so pleasant. That horse didn’t cause any trouble at all. You simply rode him with your hand on the rein and he did it all. He would never lose. Just like he started, he would end the competition. And he had such a fine gait. He was a very clearly Fino horse. Those horses I keep in my heart. And in Puerto Rico, I also had the pleasure of starting a filly’s training, while I worked with the engineer Roberto Ramos. I saw her being born and grow up. Then I started her taming and training. Later, I kept riding her and competed her. Together, we were titled grand and reserve champions several times. That mare filled us all with much happiness; both the owners and me as her trainer. She gave us great satisfaction, so much satisfaction. She was an extraordinary mare. She had such natural movements and such a fine gait. That was when I also had the great opportunity to meet Mr. Jimmy Espino, who I appreciate and admire very much for his way of being. He is a man of great respect and I, myself, hold much respect for him.
PPF: He is one of the people who has spoken so highly of you to me.
LT: That is precisely why, ever since we met. It is the same as with the Suarez, ever since we met in Puerto Rico. Later, we had the opportunity to come to the United States and I ran into them once at a national competition. It was as if we were still in Puerto Rico. That is something so very nice. Those are the things that always motivate me to move forward each day and to be better each day.
PPF: It’s so special how they offer such a clean and clear kindness. It’s so nice to spend time with that type of person.
LT: Yes, of course. Along the way, we meet people who add value and appreciation to our work and always want to be helpful to us. For example, the Suarez family, every time we see each other at a horse show, to this day, they always show great affection and kindness. And, of course, always with the greatest respect. That is very important, having respect for each other is very important.
PPF: That’s right.
LT: I believe that it is thanks to that mutual respect we have always had, that our friendship has prevailed for so long. To this day, we have a very nice friendship. I say that proudly. I will never get tired of saying it and repeating that these people, for me, are very good people, so knowledgeable, so professional in what they do. They are so dedicated; they have an incredible passion for horses.

PPF: That is true.
LT: They are very passionate about horses.
PPF: It is so nice for you to share these thoughts, Don Luis.

PPF: Don Luis, what do you think would be the best lesson you could pass on?
LT: The importance of people not missing the beginning steps. That is a fundamental base for starting off a foal; to tame it. Nowadays, very few trainers actually dedicate time to taming a horse. They just put on the saddle and make the horse go around in circles, that’s it. But, taking time to tame him, settle him, grab his hands and his hind legs, is to really tame a horse. The word explains itself; to make a horse tame. A tame horse, as I said before, is easier to work with than a spooked horse. A spooked horse is more difficult. From the moment you come close to him, he jumps, he gets away. So, if you tame a foal then you can come close to him with trust. That foal will work with you much better. He will accept things much easier. He will be an animal that will be working without fear. When an animal works without fear, it has more endurance at the time of training. To me, that is one of the most important fundamental points that should not be forgotten.

PPF: Who is the most influential person in your career?
LT: From the beginning, I would have to say my father. From the very beginning, I learned from him… about riding on a horse and training a horse.

PPF: What is the most important part of your work?
LT: For me the most important thing is to see what I do reflect itself. My work should be reflected on the horses. My work should be noticed. That is important to me.

PPF: What do you like the most about horses?
LT: What I like most about horses is their nobility. 

PPF: What do you want people to know or remember the most about you?
LT: I want to be remembered as a simple person, a tranquil person, a horse lover.

PPF: What is the saying or quote you value the most from the horse world?
LT: There are so many! There are so many, so many, so many. There is one, for when you put the bit on, that says, ‘for the mule to the tooth and for the horse as far as it’ll go.’ Those are quotes taught to us by our elders, but there are so many, so many, that I can’t remember at this moment.

PPF: Alright, Don Luis, thank you very much for your time.
LT: No, always, with great pleasure, always. Thank you very much also. You’re so kind.