MARK RASHID

by Jackson (the mule)

Hi,

I am Jackson. My man is Brent and he asked me to send a report on the clinic since he is busy. He likes to think he is a horseman but actually he is just a half-ass muleman.

Since he has never had any lessons and is just getting serious about riding me, he signed us up for a clinic with Mark Rashid. Now I ain't heard much about this guy, but I figured I would give him a chance since I didn't have much choice in the matter. Someone suggested he make a list of things to work on, so he did, and then sent it to that Linda gal. I figured I could learn a good "Whoa" and "Back." Since my dam is a TWH he figured he would like to have Mark help me find my gait. I didn't figure Mark was into gaited horses, much less, gaited mules but I would try to please both of them. He also said something about a "Side Pass?" What difference does it make what side you pass on? Someone told him not to set his goals too high but he usually does anyway.

At any rate, we went to the clinic. It was inside this big dark building and they expected me to walk across this black shinny stuff to get in it. Like I have never heard of a dog food factory before! I wasn't about to go in there! Brent asked Mark to help me and since he hasn't worked with a lot of mules before, I figured a few points wouldn't hurt. I walked right in for him. Then we went into this pen made out of recycled Alpo cans. I had it measured and was just about ready to show my best coon jump when Mark got my attention. By then my eyes had adjusted to the light and I could see a bunch of people sitting around lookin' at me. Well, I couldn't just leave without showing them how strong I was so I figured I'd pull Mark around for a bit first. Only problem was, Mark didn't come with me. In fact, he kinda pulled me around. Well, actually, I just let him steer me for a while. That got old. I finally got Brent to come in and help me out, I was SHOCKED! He was on Mark's side! After a bit I relaxed and then it was kinda fun walk-in' around looking at all the gals along the walls. Even the troublemakers. I spied them right off the bat. And then there was Jerri too. She always had all kinds of questions. "Jan with an N" had her share of questions too. It almost seemed like they liked lookin' at me too. Mark was talkin' to everyone and absent mindedly tickled my lip and made me smile. He did it a few more time and then slid a rope in it. It didn't taste very good but he took it out as soon as he saw what he had done. Then he brought in a bridle and put it on. I figured I owed him one so I didn't spook or anything. After a few times he let Brent try it. If he would only hold it right to start. Finally he got it right and was patient with me while I tested him. I couldn't hold it any longer and smiled at him and on it went. Brent practiced a couple more times and then they hooked some long lines on it and thought I should drive. I wasn't hitched to anything so I figured I would play along and amuse them. They thought they were real clever driving me, but I am and old driving mule. I been driving since the winter of '99. Only a couple time this summer though. They had a nice polite way of askin' me to stop. Turn too, come to think of it. If I could just get Brent to lighten up a tad on the reins! Then they thought I should "Back". Now I don't know why they would ask me to go nowhere in particular, ask me to stop, and then ask me to back. There weren't any holes in the floor and I didn't see any snakes or bear, but Brent needed the practice so I played along. Mark appreciated my patients anyway. I will have to admit I was a little sneaky. When Brent asked me to back, I would twitch an ear or two and then lean back about 1/4" or so. It took Brent a few tries before he finally saw it. I certainly couldn't sneak any past Mark. He caught it every time I moved. Pretty soon Brent would notice when I would lean back just a little and then he would release the pressure on my mouth. As soon as he did that, I would take a step back for him. He always appreciated it when I rewarded him that way.

About then everyone was getting bored with Brent so Mark let me go back to the camper but he wanted Brent to stay there so he could try to drill some of this into his head. I took it easy and checked out the neighbors mare. I thought maybe I'd sneak over for a visit after dark. But what do you know? It never got very dark down there! At least it was quiet. That was good since Brent needed his sleep.

Brent stayed and watched all day. It Helped! The next day he was better. We went over a little early and I walked right in. I am a big mule I can take care of myself, Brent too when he will let me. We went into the show ring and I got him to brush me down so I would look a little more respectable. It felt good and I did want to look good for all the ladies. And then Mark tested us again, to see who could remember what we had just reviewed 5 minutes earlier. I won AGAIN! They wanted me to back again, I would just barely lean back and Mark would spot it. Finally Brent started to feel it and I would reward him again with a big step back once he released the pressure. Next thing I knew, they wanted me to swing my back end around to the left. I teased Brent a bit and then just to show them that I knew what they were headed for, I would walk sideways just as nice as can be. Mark liked that, Then they asked me to swing my front end around to the left. Of course, I teased Brent a bit and then I would just do it. If only I could get Brent to learn a little faster. Pretty soon they got around to asking me to walk sideways. Now in all my years I can't remember when I needed to walk sideways, but who knows, maybe someday I will find a time that this will come in handy. I doubt it, but maybe. I did it after a minute and everyone was so tickled! I got a kick out of that.

Brent didn't figure Mark knew much about Tennessee Walking Horses and the gait so he figured he would test him. Brent lost again! Now, I'll tell you, Mark might not admit to knowing much about gaits but he sure does know how to make a mule or a horse do the right thing. Later I watched him con a couple Icelandic horses into showing off their stuff. Anyway, back to Brent. He tried his best to get Brent to ask me politely to walk a little faster. He was confused. Finally, I convinced him to show Brent how it was done, I could tell it bad been a while since he had ridden a mule and he was just itchin' to get up. Once he got up, I took off like those gaited mules at Shellbyville. I could tell Mark enjoyed it. When I got Brent back up, I showed him I could do it for him too if he would just ask nice. He'll get it sooner or later. I will try to be patient with him.

Brent forgot to put "picking up my feet" on the list and since he figured Mark already had a lot more than he could possibly handle, he got brave and tried it himself. I picked my foot up just as nice as can be, then I swung my head around to see just what he was going to do with it. I thought I could make him think I was going to bite him but he didn't fall for it. Either he is starting to trust me or he is more foolish than I thought. I couldn't bluff him so I stopped. He picked out my hoof so I let him pick up the other 3. What can I say? It was nice to have my feet clean too.

Finally Mark and the ladies showed up and he tied me to the rail and got out of the way. Mark told a few more jokes and picked on a couple of the ladies and then we started the show again. Mark told them he really liked me and kinda wanted to take me home to Colorado with him. I figured I would go along if I could take Brent.

After a few minutes Brent came in and fumbled around with the bridle again and finally got it right. Once he did that, I let him put it on. He got the long lines out to see who remembered the most from the day before. I won again! Mark forgave Brent and let him saddle me. Then I really began to shine. I walked around and looked at all the ladies. We showed off all Brent could remember and then we let someone else give their owner an education. I went down and relaxed in a pen in the comer to keep an eye on Brent to make sure he was paying attention. It was interesting to watch Mark and the horse wait 'til the person would catch on.

There was a lady afraid of plastic bags. Mark would kick it around the pen and she would watch it ever so careful. Her horse would keep an eye on it to make sure it didn't attack her person. There was a lady that had trained her horse to sidepass using a spray bottle. Apparently she didn't want it to sidepass anymore so Mark taught it to stand still. There was a lady who had taught her horse to sidepass when she went to get on. Mark taught it to stand. There was a horse that didn't have time for people. It would just stand at the fence looking at the horses in the other part of the barn. Mark hid behind it and stayed out of view until it couldn't stand it any more. Then it came off the fence to see what on earth he was up to! After a bit, it decided people weren't so bad and figured it was ready to go to work.

I think Brent was pleased. He told Linda and Mark that he had asked for more than he thought possible and had gotten more than he had ask for. Then I got a chance to hop into the trailer and had Brent get me out of there. I had an appointment with my ferrier on Friday. Brent was pretty much still out of it, but I could tell he still remembered a little. Saturday, I got them to saddle Molly and I up and we showed Cindy all Brent could remember. We went for a ride for a couple hours. It was fun, My feet weigh a little more that they did but they are all even and I can walk right out now! I think I am almost ready to hike across the state.

Well, I gotta hit the hay. Brent might give you his view on the clinic once he has had time to digest it. He ain't had much time to think lately. See Ya!