Dr. Martin Emilio Velez – Dedication to Education

PPF: Martin, good morning and thank you for sharing this space with Perfiles del Paso Fino.

MV: Good morning to you, Maritza, and thank you for offering the time to have this conversation about what we like so much.

PPF: Of course. To get started, could you please explain a bit about your professional experience as a veterinarian and as an equine judge?

MV: Yes, I am a veterinary doctor, alumni of the University of Antioquia in Medellin. I have been a national judge for 30 years [in Colombia] and with the Paso Fino Horse Association for 15 years. Throughout this time, I have had the fortune to judge events in every department [state] in Colombia, in all the countries where CONFEPASO has influence because of the existence of the Paso Horse, and mainly in the state of Florida, as it refers to the United States.mainly in the state of Florida, as it refers to the United States, as well as having the fortune of judging 2 national championship shows; one in Perry [Georgia] and the other in Ocala. And my entire life has been dedicated to horses.

PPF: So, you tell me that you have been judging for 30 years. Tell me, what motivates a person to dedicate their profession to be an equine judge.

MV: You make me recall some advice I gave a very good friend who wanted to start the judging course, and who, in fact, is currently enrolled in it. I told him, ‘Look, first of all, this is not for making friends’. Unfortunately, despite having such great friends in this industry, it’s true because in every competition judged there is a winner, who will be very happy. But the 2nd place is the first loser, so they will be disappointed. Yet, a friend of mine once told me, that the 1st place winner will be very happy, but the 5th place winner will too, because they made it into the placements.

PPF: Yes, that is true.

MV: So, this is really a job that we do for pleasure, definitely, because we are a part of the action, because we love horses, because we have the passion, and I think that is, in fact, what makes all the judges so committed to the task. Everything is cause and effect. Judges who do the job for the money, for a need, or for any other reason, end up not doing it well. As an old and much appreciated judge once told me, you have to be a good judge inside the show ring and also seem to be so outside of the show ring. A judge carries a great responsibility because what comes out of the show ring can project itself onto the breed and cause great harm or do great things. It is the direction given to the breeders for them to know in which way to lead their programs. It is the north star that should be guiding their movement. Thus, this is something that must stem first and foremost, from our own hobby. I have been a horseman through hobby, conviction, and tradition. I was raised in this environment. I have lived my entire life among horses as well; within the stalls, cleaning stalls, breeding, raising them well. I have lived through the kind of emotions that we all live through if we ever had the illusion of breeding a mare and obtaining a good foal. I think all those are things that form a judge in their entirety. That is exactly how I explained it to my colleague who wants to begin taking the course, who actually started it already. He is a person who was born into the horse life and who has lived through all the stages, let’s say, of the horse and who, consequently, I think will be a good asset to the horse. So, that is the way we get involved in this part of the profession. I initially said it jokingly that this isn’t to make friends, but that’s not true. People in this environment generate a great camaraderie and meets marvelous people from around the world, from so many countries. A kind of family is formed surrounding the horse.

PPF: Absolutely, that is definitely what has happened with me because I wasn’t born among horses. Anyway, you were telling me about how a judge holds great responsibility, and that was one of my questions. Which do you think is the greatest responsibility in relation to what you were discussing just now about breeding, like we also discussed last night.

MV: Yes, definitely. Sometimes, through time, certain tendencies are formed in the presentation of the horses, let’s say. That makes us, judges, in the show ring start to interpret those tendencies in such a way that we reach a point in time where the modalities start evolving and, at times, cause a form of misinterpretation of that evolution of the horse. I’ll explain myself. For example, there was a time where we wanted to see greatly energetic horses in the Trote and the frequency of footfall was overly increased in the Trote and, fortunately, we realized soon enough to determine that we must insist in the cadence of the Trote. We witnessed it yesterday in the Trote y Galope competitions that the cadence is adequate again, as it should be in the Trote y Galope. Likewise, in the Paso Fino, for different reasons of the industry, of commercialization, etc, there is a tendency for greater speed in the Paso Fino. I believe we are at the doorway of having to set a limit because we are confusing speed with fineness. I think that is causing great harm to the Paso Fino horse. It’s fine to like speed, but when speed makes us lose the tone, that is where I think we start making a big mistake.

PPF: Absolutely. I agree with you. And we were discussing that this issue is part of an educational aspect. There are many people who may not know the foundations of each modality in order to follow them and know how to breed for them to be maintained.

MV: Yes, and that is why I insist on the responsibility of the judges in this type of situation because if we start awarding more towards speed, without keeping our attention on clarity, then we are going to disorient the breeders. After leaving an equine exposition, the breeder will leave with the idea of seeking a greater speed in footfall, without worrying about it being clear or not in gait. The direct consequence is that, in some time, we are going to have horses with great speed in footfall but without any fineness, without any clarity of the gait. I do think that we are still able to do something about it and to find a happy medium.

PPF: As a judge, which would you say is a non-negotiable point for you in each modality – Trocha, Trocha y Galope, Trote y Galope, and Paso Fino?

MV: I think that the non-negotiable point would be that of the clarity of gait. There should be no doubt in the gait. The Trote y Galope horse should not cause any doubt. If we have to listen more closely to see if it is, in fact, in Trote and not in a mix that we have called Troti-Trochado. I feel that if we find ourselves doubting, that is not okay. And that goes for the Trocha and the Paso Fino as well. If the horse is not clear in its gait, I would say that it isn’t a matter of giving it another opportunity to clarify its gait, we should act in good timing and say that on this day the gait is not clear in the competition. In all modalities the clarity of gait and a good execution should be above all else. There are many other aspects surrounding this matter, the smoothness in reining, the aplombs, the shoeing, etc. The list goes on, as is usual with any competition horse. Logically, everyone has to be on the same page; the farrier, the rider, if we take a step back – the trainer. Because everyone should be working towards the same goal and there are some teams working with very important breeders that are clearly working towards this goal. And, of course, the results are there to show for it.

PPF: Sometimes there is controversy with the election of the judges for a competition, as you know, I am mainly focused on the United States, and there are times that the industry in general, or the spectators, don’t understand the selection of judges. So, I’d like for you to explain why it is so significant to award a grand champion title to a stallion or to a mare. What effect does that have on the breed?

MV: Well, there are 2 issues there. The topic of the selection of judges is that all judges should be equally competent if we hold the title of judges. It is different if there is someone still in training or just recently graduated will not yet have the same background and experience to judge higher level competitions. Of course, we recognize the knowledge they already carry with them by already being a titled judge. That would be logical, but the aspect of background and experience is very important. Now, in determining why an award is so significant, it is because when we are seeking a stallion, we ask ourselves which was the stallion who won the championship at the last competition. Or someone might recommend a stallion and we’ll ask what champion titles that horse has earned. Thus, this is very representative. I always explain to people who are new to the sport that we make some very large investments and then in the show ring, we don’t usually receive monetary awards. There may be money awarded in some special events, but it is not common in general terms; we just receive a ribbon and what that ribbon symbolizes. For a stallion, it could signify the sale of a certain amount of stud services for a certain amount of money, so eventually, the ribbon turns into money. Likewise for a mare, now with all the technology available for reproduction, there is the sale of embryos. We can see mares that create embryos constantly and become a business in themselves. There are champion mares that are complete companies where clients have to stand in line in order to acquire an embryo from that mare. Consequently, a wrongfully awarded ribbon or a title that isn’t completely deserved in a certain competition, comes to represent so much more. The results of a competition are a way of telling breeders and exhibitors that this is the direction in which they should be going. But if this really isn’t the horse that should be winning that competition, then we are truly giving a wrongful message. That is why it is a huge responsibility of a judge to know how to direct everyone towards a successful situation.

PPF: Right. And we keep hearing the same words: responsibility, knowledge, and experience. We are actually on the verge of beginning an educational workshop as an alliance with Serequinos, Perfiles del Paso Fino, and your brand, Martin Velez. Tell me, how did that educational aspect of ‘Martin Velez’ come about?
MV: Well, honestly…
PPF: And it makes you smile! I love it!
MV: So much, it does! Well, it hasn’t been something spontaneous or fallen out of the sky, so to speak. I have dedicated myself to giving talks and providing training in the equine industry for approximately 25 years. Throughout this time, my strong point has been regarding the nutrition of horses, mainly. With this topic, I have had the opportunity to train many professional teams as well as individuals who were taking some sort of course or were involved in some way with horses. Likewise, in my line of work as a judge, I have also had the chance to offer training sessions regarding judgments and the general handling of horses. This is how a few days ago, I ran into a good friend as we were working on the same topics. On one hand, I was promoting my ‘Equine Tour – Martin Velez’, if you don’t mind the plug… And, on the other hand, my great friend, Johan Toro of Serequinos, and I have had rather interesting chats on several occasions. He is quite focused on education and on teaching general equine culture, which is so important. We coincided on several aspects, and we continued each on our own projects, but now are working on something together. We have come up with a proposal called “The ABC of the Horse, Forming Conscious and Coherent Horsemen”.
PPF: Excellent.
MV: I believe it is something that is really lacking in this industry, worldwide, as far as the Paso horse is concerned. Now we see the trainers and riders educating themselves, that is a great initiative. We, judges, hold a discipline of workshops and trainings that are very valid. But the industry in general is lacking where to learn more information about horses. We have designed the course in a way that supports that. That is why with Johan and Serequinos, we developed a very good proposal and we are offering going to Medellin, Miami, Bogota, and Cali with The ABC of the Paso Horse.

PPF: First, tell me what the main focus of the ABC is and then tell me what each letter means. The main focus is like, in one word, what is it?
MV: Well, truly it is the slogan – Forming Conscious and Coherent Horsemen. That is what the ABC truly entails. Why ABC? Because the letters coincide with 3 elementary principles for horses. The A is Ambiente [Environment], so it involves everything that is surrounding the horse. It is the same ethology and ecology that surrounds the horse. It involves the topic of handling and management of the horse farms or breeding facilities.
PPF: So important.
MV: It entails the most important aspects of how a horse farm should be managed, precisely with consciousness and coherence. Sadly, many of us know several of these facilities that we call ‘checkbook farms’. These are the ones that are born from one day to the next as a huge breeding facility which may be quite competitive with the others. Unfortunately, we also see how those facilities tend to disappear quickly from the scenery. That is precisely because they lack consciousness and coherence on the topic and proper management. In that same area, since it is all part of the environment, we are going to analyze the horse from the time of birth, including the taming process that it should receive, and a part of that process is the imprinting. We will pass through all those stages until arriving at the competitive stage of the horse’s life. That would complete the A part. Now, the B has to do with a topic that is currently in style, fortunately so. That is the Bienestar [Wellness]. Sometimes we tend to forget where the horse has come from and its origins, so it’s important to learn about those aspects of animal wellness. This includes everything about health, nutrition, and all the common myths vs realities that come up regarding the horse. We sometimes try to change them and humanize them so much as if they were pets and it is truly important to remember where they have come from. That animal wellness part has to do with all these basic topics. We are also going to cover the evolution of the horse with the objective of placing it in a situation of animal wellness. The horse is a gregarious animal, a herd animal, a grazing animal, and we tend to change his nature completely by putting him away between 4 walls, not allowing them to go outside, not allowing them to see the other horses, and, of course, this has nothing to do with consciousness or coherence.
PPF: Absolutely.
MV: Next, we have the letter C which refers to Cría y Competencia [breeding and competition]. Here we analyze from the moment its breeding is planned and how we lead that horse to a competitive level. This is a race, so to speak, that brings along many traumas because, logically, not all horses will make it to competition. There are some new breeders who expect all foals that are born to reach a competitive level and it is obvious that not all of them will make it. In a large breeding facility, as I discussed with some of the most important breeders, we ask how many make it on average. Maybe 10 or 5 percent of the foals. They said ‘nooooo, we would be in heaven if the number were 10 percent’. Thus, it is quite alarming to say that if you do everything correctly, the best case scenario is that you get 10% of your foals to the show ring. So, of course, we all would want our percentage to be higher. Realistically, not all of them will make it and especially in our Colombian environment. Why? Simply because we don’t have other disciplines as you do have [in the US]. We have too many horses at the horse farm that simply don’t make it to the level of the Paso Fino horses that are competing at a show, but that could be mares and stallions for Pleasure or even for Performance. This is a very good alternative and truthfully I think that we should open a space for them also in Colombia, where we don’t currently judge those classes. And we can’t blame anyone for it, there are many reasons. If we have competitive events during four days and barely fit in the horses that are already here, if we open more categories, we must consider maybe opening up another day. But in the meantime, it is an opportunity we are losing and I believe that if we have to open up another day of competition, we should, but we should offer these categories. It also allows the chance for breeders to show what they have in those modalities. Many times, these horses come from very good mothers and would offer a great business opportunity to show the international market what we have in this secondary category of horses, not as poor quality horses, but as horses with other conditions for those other type of competitions. That is totally valid.

PPF: I love how you said that, not poor quality, but of other conditions because that is where we can go back to the topic of a conscious and coherent horseman. It is alarming, just like you said, to ask ourselves what happens to that 90%? If at all, 10% goes to the show ring. So, what happens to the other 90%?
MV: Yes, that’s right. That is where many times the market gets stuck. Because an excellent horse will cost lots of money, a good horse has trouble being sold, and a regular horse doesn’t even make it in the market. Yet, they are all eating at the farm, they are all occupying space and using up the same amount of resources that the excellent horses use. In many cases, this group includes the breeding facilities’ broodmares. There is an intermediate market for the horses we refer to as trail horses. Our trail horses continue to take part in an interesting market, despite the recent trouble in our surroundings regarding trail rides. These horses come from that 90% of ‘surplus’ horses at the breeding facility. Among this 90%, we can include mares that are very interesting. They may even be the dams of the grand champions that may be available to be ridden for pleasure. Logically, because there are so many horses in all, there isn’t a market available for all of them and there is no way to enjoy them all in the same way. If this market did exist, it would serve the purpose of moving these horses that are in that larger realm, like at the base of the pyramid, let’s say. But also, it would allow the opportunity for new horsemen to enter the market but don’t because they are afraid, or also, to be completely open, do not have the resources to purchase a grand champion.
PPF: Absolutely.
MV: But if they do have a good mare with good bloodlines, that is pleasurable, then they have the chance to breed her to a champion horse, a good horse. They would need good guidance and consulting, but would, of course, have the opportunity to compete and have a grand champion in the future.
PPF: Of course.
MV: That is a great chance. I really admire that when I see competitions outside of this country, where the entire family participates. From the child, to the youth, to the wife, to the father… they all come to the show ring riding well to show their horse. Initially, it may be in Pleasure and later, maybe they do Performance, and maybe later they will have one to reach the Fino class. Most likely, they will be offspring of this Performance stallion or that Performance mare. How many times does the grand champion Fino mare make a great Performance mare? That doesn’t mean it isn’t just as good, it’s just for another type of competition. That is all valid. Yet, that Performance mare, in our realm, would then be brought down to a second level where she would possibly just be used as a good broodmare.

PPF: We must recognize and celebrate that in the United States there has been a lot of versatility given to the Paso horse. If we only had Pleasure and Performance, we would see that was the end. But no, there are Super Horse classes, obstacles, Largo races, costume classes. There are so many options we see, especially farther north in the country. I think that is very nice because not only do we make use of different types of horses, of different conditions, as you said, but also people outside of our industry see that our Paso horse has other uses than only what we saw just now passing right behind us here.
MV: That is true, very true. That is a way of promoting the horse in the different facets it has, and there are so many. Possibly a young professional who hasn’t had much contact with horses and is interested in entering the industry will become interested in riding and having contact with the horse. This person may become interested in purchasing Paso horses more for personal pleasure rather than for competition. When we purchase a horse for competition, we don’t purchase it for ourselves, but for the trainer and for them to compete the horse and we don’t get a chance to enjoy it personally. We only enjoy it when we watch it compete. But when this new and young professional wants to invest in a horse to ride and enjoy it and then maybe sees the possibility of making something out of it and taking it to the show ring, then there is more of a chance for this professional to remain in the industry, in the business, and become a true horseman. Meanwhile, someone else may see it as a one-time business deal and will come and go just like the fluctuating horsemen we see all around.
PPF: Passerby.
MV: Today they are horsemen and tomorrow they are gone. This is precisely what we show in the ABC of The Horse.
PPF: In the A part.
MV: What do you want a horse for? What are you going to buy it for? What is your intention for your breeding facility or for your mare?
PPF: That’s right.
MV: A breeding facility many times stems from only one mare. So, where are you headed? And it is very pleasant to find people who admire horses like this because in the equine industry we all have a strong ego deep inside that we cannot deny.
PPF: That is so true. Yes.
MV: We don’t have to look further than the great trail rides that take place in Colombia and the large audience that these events attract. Among that audience we find all types of people. There are the aficionados who actually enjoy seeing the horses, but we also have people who have possibly only seen horses on television and so they ask so many questions when they see our type of horses. We may think they are silly questions, but they are extremely important for the person asking them. They’ll ask if they can ride those horses. Of course, they can. That is the greatest advantage of any of these horses, that anyone can ride them. Focusing on the topic of anyone being able to ride our horses, I have several anecdotes with people who had never seen a Paso Fino horse but who had ridden horses of other disciplines. They would mount a Paso Fino horse and it would work just as it did with the trainer because they already had that culture of horseback riding. Equitation is a universal discipline. It isn’t about this or that breed of horses. The equitation discipline is universal. One time, I took a friend and had him ride a Paso Fino mare and this man was astonished. His face of astonishment was incredible because he said he had never felt the sensation he felt while riding that mare with any of the dressage horses he had ever ridden. This is something very particular of our horse and it would be so great if many people could experience this, and they could enter our breed while debunking the myths about owning a horse. Because in Colombia I would say a good 90% of the horses are not part of the biggest breeding facilities. If we look at the average horses per breeding facility, if we look at the statistics, the numbers are very low. So, that goes to show us that anybody can own a horse, really. In accordance with each person’s limitations or possibilities, anyone can own a horse.
PPF: And that is where the management aspect in the A section, of The ABC of The Horse, is so important. Because it is something very feasible as long as we know how to remain inside our limitations, just like any other aspect of life where we follow a budget. If we don’t go above what we can acquire or maintain, well, with all certainty, we can own a horse.
MV: That doesn’t even touch the part of personal satisfaction or of therapy, so to speak. For the owners, horses are often a form of therapy. And well, they are so therapeutic that we now see so much research and huge development surrounding equine therapy. That is a whole other chapter, and it is definitely worth highlighting because of everything that it accomplishes.

PPF: That’s right. Martin, I love how your look changes with certain topics and how you smile and show that love and passion for horses. Tell me, what do you think has been your greatest satisfaction in your career?
MV: Around horses, there are so many! I mean… Listen, just going to any area of the world and finding friends around the horse, being able to talk about the topic, is one of the greatest satisfactions. As we all say, the topic of horses is one big family. Wherever we go we find all sorts of people, top directors, top breeders, people who attend a horse show to see what business deals they can make – trying to make a living. The great fraternity that is experienced among all the different levels of professionals is one of the greatest satisfactions I have experienced.

PPF: If you had to do it all over again, would you?
MV: Of course, absolutely! And I would correct many things as well.

PPF: Which aspect of your horse life would be your favorite to repeat?
MV: Enjoying horseback riding.
PPF: Really?
MV: Yes, definitely. I do so often and the satisfaction we feel when we have a horse and can ride it, that is something I can’t even describe.
PPF: Yes, Sir. When we ride, we get rid of all our ailments, right?

PPF: Tell me who has been the most influential person in your career?
MV: The most influential person in my career… without a doubt, there have been many people. As far as my family, I could say that almost the entire family revolves around horses. I married a woman I met within the horse world. My son has been my partner in all this. Ever since he was born, he would be at the horse shows with me and has always been by my side. He has motivated me in all that I have done because we share a lot about all these topics. We are both veterinarians, so stemming from the topic of health all the way to handling of horses. And there have been people in the industry that I have noticed and followed, as an example in a great variety of situations and phases for me. There have been important judges that I have admired all my life and many times have coincided with others about those same people. Likewise, there have been renowned breeders. We definitely run into many people in every important phase.

PPF: What do you like the most about the horse?
MV: I think what I like most about the horse is being able to enjoy it, on it more specifically. That sensation we discussed just now about riding a horse and breeding it, then awaiting the foal anxiously and raising it happily. I think that is one of the greatest satisfactions we can have with horses.

PPF: Which words most represents your life as a horseman?
MV: Passion.
PPF: Yes, Sir.

PPF: What is the most important aspect of your work?
MV: I think it’s the opportunity to have contact with people who coincide with me on the same topics. I think that is the most interesting part… that I do what I love.
PPF: Yes, that is evident.

PPF: What do you want people to know or remember about you the most?
MV: The respect for people related to horses. Respect in general for all people, but especially for people involved with horses in general.
PPF: Right. That is so nice.

PPF: Martin, thank you so much for allowing us to get to know you better and for sharing that love that you radiate for horses and for the industry.
MV: Thank you very much. Thanks so much.