MARK RASHID CLINIC REPORT

by Nancy Gage

Corrales, New Mexico, March 1999.

Mark is fabulous with people and horses. He's quiet and gentle, and her really knows how to read a horse.

I found out a few weeks before the clinic that Mark's format is to give each rider/horse a private, one-on-one lesson while everyone else watches. When I first heard about this format, I was not too enthusiastic, since I was used to clinics in which I could ride and get instruction all day long. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was a perfect opportunity for me to ride Rambler, my "second" horse, a horse I have not ridden much. I'm a beginning rider and Rambler is a sensitive horse, and I've miscued him and confused him enough in the past to get myself bucked off a couple of times. I'm 52 years old and not eager to do that again, so I haven't been riding him. (Although I've don lots of ground work with him and really love him.)

Rambler has a big, choppy trot that is very difficult to sit. And since my seat is not what it should be, I bounce more than a good rider would. And of course that upsets Rambler and he goes faster and faster, and things go to hell from there. When I would ask Rambler for a trot, he would always throw his head as he broke into his trot.

Mark asked first to see my ground work, how I approach Rambler, etc. I turned him loose, as instructed, then proceeded to "catch" him and halter him. Mark came over and pointed out that Rambler was in a troubled state of mind, that his neck was stiff, and he braced himself when I touched him. I had no idea that I was having this effect on him. I though everything was okay from the ground. I turned him loose again, since Mark knew that he needed "to move his feet," and he kept moving around the arena for quite awhile. The only thing Mark would not let him do was stop in the corner that was closest to his stablemate, my husband's horse, Cody. Finally, as he adjusted to the new place, he started paying more attention to Mark, and me and then he came to us and seemed more willing to participate.

When I began to saddle him, Mark showed me the subtle ways that Rambler was objecting to my speed and roughness (I hadn't realized that I was fast and rough; I didn't know I had a problem with saddling). So I slowed down and things went better.

I mounted and when I cued Rambler to trot, Mark could see how much I was over-cueing him, even though I thought I was being careful to offer as little as possible. Mark had me bring my cues down, down, down, and still Rambler went into the trot.

Mark kept reminding me of what a good horse Rambler is. He says to "ignore the bad and pat attention to the good, and the bad will go away by itself." And the amazing thing is that it's true.

I've been riding Rambler a lot since that clinic, and we are still working on the same things. These are things I will probably be working on my whole life. But Rambler is beginning to appreciate that I'm trying to stay out of his way and help him when I ask him to do something. Our relationship is getting better and better.

I also felt that I gained so much by watching the other riders and their horses. I will eagerly ride in any Mark Rashid clinic that is close enough for me to get to. I'm thinking about hosting one next year.

He is a true horseman and a true gentleman. If you get a chance to ride with him, take it!