Ah, Pagan, the horse that started it all.

Pagan is our amazing, grand champion, exhibition and show gelding. A purebred Friesian out of Bendert and a Reitse mare ( our late mare, Nikkie) Pagan was a 2nd premie as a foal and as a three year old and was awarded with his ster status, marking him as one of the top of his breed.

Pagan is Jacqueline's own dream horse. You can read more about how Pagan and Jacqueline came to be on our About Toadstool Farm Page.

The breeder who had brought Pagan into this world despaired of ever finding the right home for him until Jacqueline came along. Pagan had been sold once already and returned to the breeder once it became apparant that Pagan's basic nature was unsuitable to being a wheel horse in a four in hand driving team, as the first buyer wanted.

No, what Pagan was destined to be was a fancy riding horse, meant for greatness in other ways.

Pagan has taken naturally to High School, dressage, liberty training and just about everything else Jacqueline has thrown at him.

His list of credits is quite substantial including numerous ribbons, appearances in photographs for several photographers, an appearance on "E" TV, and being the trick double for Friesian stallion Goliath in the upcoming film, "Almost Forgotten", a film benefitting abused women and children.

His list of tricks include an impressive Spanish walk, Piaffe and Passage, rear as well as lavade, bowing and half bowing, and some liberty movements.

Pagan even flies!!!! ( see below)

As well as being beautiful to behold and a joy to work with and ride, Pagan is the world's smartest horse, learning new movements in a matter of days.

His desire to please is matched only by his loving and affectionate nature. He is as gentle and calming in a turn out with a baby newly brought in from pasture as he is awe inspiring to watch perform. Pagan naturally adjusts his temperament to suit any given situation.

Pagan and Jacqueline together give the impression of one body, not of horse and human, but some mystical centaur out of old myth. The bond between them is intense.

And yes, that is his form that graces her shoulder. After the loss of Wolfe, Pagan's brother, Jacqueline got this tattoo so that, as she says, "Pagan will always have my back, no matter what happens to either of us."

They communicate their feelings, wishes and needs to one another through their own language of body movements, looks and thoughts.

Pagan is sternly protective and possesive of Jacqueline ( though never aggressive!), and those in the know are aware that when Jacqueline is nowhere to be found, chances are that she is curled up in the shavings of Pagan's stall, sound asleep at his feet.

In fact, during Jacqueline's recent pregnancy, Pagan was aware of the coming of the new 'filly' long before Jacqueline herself was! "I could not figure out why the heck this horse, who for the first two years I had him would not step out at anything under a sort of bouncy passage, was suddenly refusing to trot, let alone canter. I think he smelled the change in my hormones before any test would have picked it up."

Jacqueline rode Pagan right up until the last few weeks before baby Antonia's arrival, when the baby had shifted so low, it was no longer comfortable for any of the three! When folks would ask, Jacqueline merely told them she felt safer on Pagan than driving a car!

Pagan ( as well as most of our other horses) is available for appearances, photography sessions, and film needs. He comes with Jacqueline as his handler, trainer and rider if necessary. Please contact us for more information.