MARK RASHID IN BEAVER OREGON

by Nansi

Eighteen years ago, my friend, Valerie, knew she was dying from cancer and wanted to give me a going away present to remember her by. She bred my mare to her Thoroughbred stallion, Crown Fire. My mare had a beautiful filly and I named her Kitten. She and I have been together all her life.

I barely know where to start this report I am not really back to earth, yet! I just had the most enlightening encounter with Kitten that I have ever had. I was to ride all 4 days of this clinic. Rick signed me up for the first slot all four days. We had 7 riders all four days. I was a bit nervous about the scrutiny I was about to encounter. I was there to work on what ever I needed to change in order to get this softness. I had looked forward to this clinic since October. This was Kittens first clinic. We rode in two different centered riding classes about 6 years ago. I learned a better balance, but we were not much softer. There was still tension in us. My shoulders used to hurt when I was through with the lesson.

I have ridden my other horses and my mule in various clinics, but not Kitten. I thought we pretty much had it sorted out. She told me otherwise. I went to Mark's clinic to find a missing part of my horsemanship. A softness between Kitten and I. A softness in me. I wasn't sure it existed. However, something was definitely missing.

I entered the arena with Kitten in her halter. She was pretty excited about the new place she was in and the other horses. It was a beautiful new facility with very deep sand. Mark was friendly. Kitten was moving around. She came to a stop on my right side and began tossing her head. Mark suggested I take a step backwards, As I did, the head tossing quit. See? How simple was that? Obviously, for me too simple. I also wanted to get Kitten lighter on her shoulder as I asked her to step over as when I was on the ground and wanted to get her to step over. I learned to use lighter and lighter fingertip pressure to move her over. I was using all 4 fingers on her neck and she was so responsive. Now I have an idea of how light 'light' can be! And so effective. As I saddled my mare, I asked Mark about saddle fit. He said it was a pretty saddle, but it did not fit her. He pointed out where my saddle rested on Kitten's shoulder and her back, leaving a hollow area. He explained how I could pad my felt pad to relieve much of that pressure. It was real interesting how saddles will not fit the horses back. I was checking for fit by making sure there was clearance above the withers, and the saddle sat far back enough to allow shoulder movement yet did not interfere with the hips. I had more to learn. Mark showed how we want to be able to slide our hand up under the front skirt and the back skirt of the western saddle (which I had) easily and not much pressure AND have no gap as you slide your hand up to the top of the horses back. Of all the horses and saddles, perhaps only 2 of them actually fit the horses back okay.

After Kitten was saddled and bridled, for which she was a very good girl, I stepped up in the stirrup to get on and she began to walk off with great enthusiasm. I circled her and brought her back. Mark saw that I had not squared her feet up underneath her before mounting and she was trying to get her balance with my weight in the stirrup. I told him I usually get on from the fence which went a bit better. I hadn't ridden her for a couple months due to some lameness. Seemed fine now.

Kitten walked a fast pace straight to the other end of the arena, watching the other horses at the end. Mark encouraged me to turn her "No straight lines." This in turn slowed her a bit as did the walking around in the deep soft sand as she got used to the arena. By doing this, I was helping her calm down and keeping her from getting worked up. She was still pretty excited to be here. Me too. Hmmm.

Mark noticed I was holding my breath as I rode. But wait. How Could he? I was wearing a sweatshirt and I was at the other end of the arena. ' But I was. Unconsciously, I was holding my breath. Although I know better, I was doing it and Mark saw it. WOW! This guy sees everything! I was very impressed.

I rode her around the arena with my usual leg cues to turn her. Seeing this, Mark said I could get Kitten to change directions without leg cues simply first by looking up, not at her head. He reassured me that if her head fell off, he would let me know. Secondly, by looking in the direction I wanted her to go. Although I had doubted this to work for us, I tried it. I did use just a slight bit of leg on the outside so Mark wouldn't catch it, just in case she didn't get it. BUSTED! Mark called me on it. It seemed so natural to do this, I had done this with her for the last 15 years. This man sees everything. But how? It was just a slight cue. He said to me and everyone else that the horse told him "She moved her ear". <blank stare> My horse tattled on me. Okay, now I'll try it the way Mark asked me to. I will have faith in her to make the turn. No leg. I looked up and in the direction I wanted her to travel. And as if by magic, she did turn!! In the exact direction I wanted her to go! And she just floated. It was awesome! There it was! My face started to leak! Although I felt real good about the turn, I was a bit embarrassed about the face.

'I know! I'll hold my breath' I thought to myself. This will make me stop. But wait!

He'll know when I do this. So I made some wide circles on the outer perimeter of the arena and insidiously wiped the tears on my shoulder. He saw that. too.

I caught a glimpse of the softness I was seeking. Kitten felt it, too It is only day one and there are many other life changes to report.

Linda and her gelding, "Little Man", went into the round pen with Mark. This 3 year old bay was excited to be in a new environment and would rather have been standing tied to the trailer with his girlfriend, Kitten. Mark explained the horses full attention on him was needed in order to learn. Also, this gelding needed to expend some energy as he was running around. Mark spoke of transferring the horse's idea of 'I need some help! I need some help?' to "If you come to me, I'll help you". Little Man moved around the pen with no particular place to go until finally he was moving to Mark for that help I heard him say, 'Give the horse a chance. Let him roll. Get all of his issues out of the way' I like what Mark said. "I like to leave it up to the horse to choose when he is ready to work". This positive attitude puts the horse in a better frame of mind. Mark is very patient and did not rush the horse. Did not rush Linda.

Throughout the clinic, I heard Mark say, "Whenever you are ready" to the riders as they worked through the process of whatever was being taught to them and their horse at that time. No hurry. Mark did not want to make a big deal out any of it. He allowed for some autonomy for both the horse and the rider. He spoke of this being a 70-30 deal. He felt being a teacher, his responsibility was to put forth 70% of the effort and the student was responsible for 30% of the work (I found this a very good deal!) He is not willing to do ALL the work. While waiting for this gelding to settle down and began to embrace an improved learning state of mind, Mark inquired about the horses diet. The reason he had so much energy was partly due to environmental factors, the other being a nutritional issue. He had been eating some grain, but not expending the amount of energy needed to release it, so it had to squirt out in other ways. I really appreciated that. Little Man was 3 years old and had not had very much 'training'. Linda realized her limitations and did not want to get too involved without professional help. He was a bit pushy and tried to crowd Mark. You can guess what happened. Mark moved him back by turning around to face him, making an obnoxious noise, then moving towards the gelding. This in turn stopped the gelding's forward movement. You could see the look on Little Man's face as he began to think. 'Too close! Too close!' and began taking a couple of steps backwards. Mark displayed his consistency each time this occurred and the crowding began to disappear. Pretty soon, Little Man was up to but not over Mark. He had no real big problems.

We watched Lisanne bring her big new TWH 'baby' in the pen. She was even prettier that the pictures Lisanne sent to us! This mare was being treated with some stinky ear medicine and did not want to allow Lisanne to touch the inside of its ears. Mark worked with the horse loose in the pen

until she said she was ready to come in. Mark watched carefully as she moved around for a glance from her or the flick of her ear. Achieving that, she stopped and faced Mark. He twirled a rope and she left. "She's still not ready" he said. Again she tried to come to the center to be with Mark. He twirled the rope, This time she stayed, but she took a step backwards as he twirled the rope. He said she still is not ready. She stayed, but she is still not ready, Mark also told us that he was not expecting a problem. I've waited for her to tell me when she is ready go to work. Mark instructed Lisanne to "be sure and tell her you know what you are doing. Have a purpose in what you are doing if she moves her head away while you're touching it, move with it." Mark added, 'Don't worry about her relaxing, just stay with her. To get things done as quietly as I can'. Lisanne placed a small amount of this stinky stuff on the mares nose to help her get used to the smell. The mare left, but returned after half a trip around the pen. As Lisanne approached her mare, Mark reminded Lisanne to always pet her horse first before proceeding on. He said that horses will look off from time to time, that's OK. She has to make a decision to stay and get treated or to go out and work. Do what you need to do and leave her alone. He added that it's more important to tell your horse that they have done something right than it is to tell them they have done something wrong. Lisanne asked, "Is her rubbing on me a sign of her showing me affection? .... She'll rub on a fence post!" Mark answered.