MARK RASHID Clinic

by Leal Van Riper

Parachute, CO

May 2000

The sun is leaning westward as we gather near the cedars and  junipers of Morrisana Mesa overlooking the Colorado River Valley and the ramparts of the Roan Cliffs.  One by one we unload our horses and get acquainted as we wait for Mark Rashid to arrive.  Some of us were in Parachute last year as riders or auditors; some are new.

B has unloaded handsome 5-year-old sorrel Quarter Horse gelding, Sandy, who, head high, is circling his enclosure at a brisk trot.  K has brought Ashcroft back.  He is a 10-year-old thoroughbred gelding who was ridden in last year's clinic.  Already he is yearning for his pasture buddy, calling, searching.  I unload Wild Thing, a 4-year-old mustang filly, who calmly walks into the pen between the two circling geldings and settles down to wait for me to feed and water her.

Manny, resident 4-year-old Appaloosa gelding who was started at the clinic last year, will be a participant again this year.  His rider, M, is also hostess of the clinic.  L and V bring Rowdy, a sweet-tempered 3-year-old Tennessee Walker gelding, and Bones, full name Bad to the Bone, a handsome Pinto.  They settle into a pen together, but after a quick meal Bones begins to walk the fence also missing pasture mates back home.

The last arrival is I with Lucy, a 7 year-old Quarter Horse mare.  Her husband, who has been a guide and outfitter, accompanies I.  He has agreed to come and watch one day of the clinic.

We share a potluck meal that evening and talk a bit about the past year and our hopes for the clinic.  Each of us has our own stories and hopes.  Mark listens quietly and reads the descriptions we have written of our horses and our expectations.

Last year I wrote a clinic report that shared each horse and rider day by day letting you experience what I had experienced each day not knowing where it would end.  Now I know from watching Mark and you know from reading about Mark that changes will take placepositive changes, small and large, in horse, in rider, in attitude, in performance.  This year I will take you through beginning to end on each horse and rider.  Read what you choose at your own pacetake all the time you need.  That is exactly the way it happens in a clinic with Mark Rashid.

B and SandyDay 1

B is a professional man whose job takes him all over the world.  While his children were growing up they were involved with 4-H and horses, and B developed a love of horses then.  Now he has realized a dream by buying a horse of his own.

Sandy was raised, trained, and ridden in reining classes by one woman.  He has outgrown reining classes and was offered for sale.  Bruce went to a neighboring state to try out Sandy.  He rode him for nearly an hour in the arena, and then he and Sandy's owner went out on the trail for three more hours.  B found Sandy to be calm, a good mover, responsive.  He bought the five-year-old Quarter Horse and had a commercial  horse shipper bring him to Colorado.

But Sandy has been a different horse since his arrival, not calm or responsive, even dumping B on occasion.  The evening before the clinic began B asked if he should tack Sandy up before starting in the morning.  We who had watched Mark work before chorused, "No!"  Sandy's volatile energy would need to be addressed in the morning before B could safely mount.

Some of us also indulged in idle speculation about what might have caused such a change in this horse.  Was it harsh training, bad handling on the ride to Colorado, a horse under drugs?  Mark  took no part in this speculation.

B turned Sandy loose in the round pen on this first crisp, cloudy morning.  B and Mark stood outside the gate watching Sandy buck and run.  Each time Sandy came toward the gate he backed up and kicked where B and Mark stood.  Mark shook the gate to send him off running, jumping, kicking out.  It appears that if B had saddled Sandy, he would have been riding a volcano about to erupt.

Mark got in the round pen, and Sandy escalated to running flat out.  Mark did little except keep Sandy's direction forward, giving him no chance to kick at Mark.  "He's got a lot of energy.  I don't use the round pen much, but it is useful for letting a horse burn off excess energy."

When Sandy finally winds to a stop, Mark asks him to back, but Sandy slips forward instead.  Mark sends him off.  "In most situations we try to get a horse to trust us.  In this situation the horse must prove to me that he is trustworthy.  I want to act like a horse he'd like to buddy up witha horse who is saying 'I don't trust you.'"

Mark reverses him.  Sandy shoves his butt toward Mark.  Mark drives him away.  Sandy makes more laps before he begins to search for a response from Mark.  Mark makes no response but does not put pressure on Sandy.  Finally Sandy asks to come in, but Mark will not allow it.  "I'm looking for softnessa softening in  his body, his eye.

"What have you been feeding him?"  The answer is alfalfa and grain.  Mark explains that it is an excess of carbohydrates that charges up a horse.  Sandy will have only grass hay while at the clinic, and Mark predicts that we will see a change in energy within 24 hours.  In addition B might consider adding b vitaminsin particular B1 to Sandy's diet.  This will help utilize excess carbohydrates.

Sandy now slows and softens.  Mark asks him to come in and strokes him.  When Mark leaves the pen to give him time to think, Sandy wants to follow.  Mark will not allow this.  Sandy is still on probation.

When Mark returns and tries to stroke Sandy, he moves his head away from Mark's hand and tries to push his shoulder into Mark.  Mark explains that he is having problems.  This is not lack of respect but a symptom of a troubled horse.

B has done some ground training with a rope and halter to try to correct some problems.  Mark notes that Sandy is bracing all the time.  B says Sandy goes from hyper to dull with little in between.

Mark asks for a back using his hand on Sandy's nose.  Sandy pushes against Mark's hand, chews. "He's working his mouth in frustration.  He's bracey.  The head tossing is also a sign of frustration, and he turns his head away every time he comes up."

Mark  sends him out softly and turns him after a few laps.  Sandy takes a few steps and turns back without prompting.  Mark turns him again.  Sandy flips again wanting to stop.  Finally Sandy turns in and faces Mark at a stop.  Mark allows this release then moves Sandy to face him squarely.  Sandy's attention drifts outside the pen.  Mark makes a slight movement asking for his attention then moves to Sandy's side to "set up to engage him better mentally."  Sandy shifts his hindquarters for a swing toward Mark then pauses, shifts, disengages his hindquarters and moves around to continue to face Mark squarely.  Mark has set boundaries and defined his space.  Sandy has accepted his terms for now.

Mark asks for a back.  Sandy is bracey, working his mouth, thinking before he grudgingly backs. Mark moves off.  Sandy starts to follow.  Mark stops, turns.  Sandy stopsmore boundary defining, more acceptances.

Mark halters Sandy.  I ask about this because Mark is quite careful to use one hand to bring the poll strap up and over rather than reaching across the top of the poll.  "No, it's not a technique.  It's just the way that I do it."  But I note privately that it is a polite way of haltering or bridling a horsesomewhat awkward for me, but I could learn.

Mark clips a long line on Sandy's halter.  Mark does not stand in the middle and have the horse circle him.  He mirrors the horse moving in a smaller circle at Sandy's hip.  Soon Sandy is mirroring Mark, moving faster when Mark speeds his walk, slower as Mark slows.  Within a few minutes it becomes a dance with two partners in light, responsive communication.  Mark slows, stops.  Sandy stops and moves around to face Mark.

"How does he look to you, B?"

"He looks a lot softer.   Of course, you know what you're doing."

B is now invited into the round pen.

Mark now offers his first speculation on the change in Sandy from one owner to another, one state to another.  "That young girl may have been Sandy's only rider.  Now B is riding differently.  The horse is confused.  He also has a high energy feed.  We're asking for a change here."

Mark has quietly invited me to let go of my suspicions and think the best of this horse, his present owner, his past owner.

B speculates, "He may have been started on reining without ground schooling."

Mark considers that but makes no comment.

B begins to lead Sandy.  When he stops Sandy continues forward.

"Try it again and add looking back for a moment just as you stop, B."

B tries it.  Sandy stops.  Polite communication with your horse, I note, yields polite response.

To back B is instructed to give light, steady pressure rather than pulsating pressure which offers no reward for response.  When Sandy gives the least response, when he indicates he is thinking of backing, pressure is released.  If further backing is desired, light pressure can be taken up again.  Sandy is responding somewhat slowly but nevertheless responding.