08/03/2026
Our beautiful little Arab mare Pashmina, taking to Légèreté like a graceful swan to water, love her 💕🦄
Three years ago we offered Pashmina a home with us here in Ireland, after a friend told me she was concerned about her Arabs older mum finding a home, after the sad passing of Shirley and Charlie Watts and the dispersal of the magical, legendary Halsdon Arabians.
Pashmina was born and lived her whole life at Halsdon in Devon, as a brood mare, having had three foals and she arrived with us at the age of 18.
When we offered Pashmina a home, it was originally as a retired companion 😅
In my eyes I was just helping a beautiful Arab mare to have a safe, forever home, I had absolutely no idea what was to follow 😬
I also had no idea that she was another grey, I seem to collect them 😅 or that she was indeed my Arab Dreamers half sister ♥️
When Pashmina first arrived, she was gentle, shy and very timid and her hind hooves were completely collapsed to one side, like the leaning tower of Pisa and it took me just over a year to correct them.
Kate who used to ride T***s asked with a cheeky smile and a sparkle in her eyes, if Pashmina was ridden.
I knew full well she wasn’t and with a sigh, I realised where all this was heading and it certainly wasn’t into Pashminas retirement 🤔
So we did some in-hand work with Pashmina, then Kate and I lightly backed her together and Kate did a little trail riding with her and she was absolutely super.
As a teenager, very sadly Kate lost interest in horses and only had one in-hand Légèreté lesson with Pashmina.
Unfortunately, due to the time consuming rehab with my Appaloosa mare, again with Légèreté, caring for four horses and my work, Pashmina has taken a bit of a back seat, just through lack of proper time, bless her and I do believe in being dedicated, once you start something and so here we are 💕🦄
Pashminas hooves are now corrected and balanced, but her body still lacks top line and muscle, so this year we have started the Légèreté groundwork in great earnest on the lunge, working with bends and neck extension, to start to help build her balance, muscles, posture and top line.
Pashmina has also very recently been bitted, learning flexions and has just started some beautiful in-hand bridle work.
Flexions are a systematic, positive and progressive way of using the bit, to develop relaxation, balance and positive posture.
In the Ecole de Légèreté we learn a range of flexions, according to the individual needs of each horse.
The flexions feature significantly, especially early on in a horse’s education.
They are also a really useful way to track how our horses are doing, both physically and mentally and as our horses progress, flexions are also a useful feature for both diagnosis and solution.
Please see link below, for more in-depth info on flexions, both on the ground and ridden.
I absolutely love the courageous spirit of this sweet little mare, leaving the only home and friends she knew all her life, arriving in a new home at the age of 18, making friends with a strange herd and humans and doing all the things she’s never done before, in her whole life, it’s all been a massive change for her.
Pashmina has taken everything in her stride and she is also really brilliant at liberty and fun too, she’s really coming out of her shell in leaps and bounds ♥️
I’m thoroughly loving this brave little mare and really enjoying seeing her blossoming, gaining confidence all the time, trusting in us and really enjoying life.
I would also like to say a huge thank you to Martha, not only for all her fabulous Légèreté teaching, but also for her kindness, help and sensitivity, as a brilliant Equine Behaviourist 🫶
It’s wonderful to see Pashmina shining so brightly, doing brilliantly well with Légèreté and at life in general ⭐️
Horses truly are amazing, thank you Pashmina and thank you also to Emma, for helping her find a forever home here with us, we absolutely love her ♥️🐴
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