MARK RASHID CLINIC REPORT - Arizona

by Nancy Wolin

This is a bit of a daunting task so forgive me if I wander, as I keep running the weekend's revelations over in my mind, while trying to assimilate them into the deeper recesses of my overburdened cortex. I would like to set thoughts to paper (or monitor, as the case may be) before too much is lost.

First, let me just point out that I don't know what can be said about Mark Rashid that hasn't already been noted. He is first and foremost a gentleman in the truest and most literal sense of the word. A few other adjectives I would use to describe Mark: humble, self-effacing, modest, sincere and---funny (yes, he even has a sense of humor!) On top of that, this guy is genuinely unaware of the buzz he has created, and I, for one, hope he stays blissfully ignorant. He eschews anything that could be remotely construed as hype.

While I believe Mark's first obligation is invariably to the horse, he understands the basic fundamental, that in order for the horse to profit, he has to be able to communicate respectfully and effectively with the human. Mark's real payoff comes when the rider "gets it", because ultimately the horse is the beneficiary. He is a natural at "not" putting the human on the defensive, and at building his confidence with constant encouragement and reassurance such as, "You're doing great, I can really see a difference, can you? There, did you feel that? You did that just right." Or, "let's just try that again, but this time try doing this." For instance, instead of suggesting that I should refrain from squeezing with both legs to ask my horse to move off, he offered, "What I think I would do is squeeze lightly, first with just one knee, if my horse didn't take the suggestion using only my seat or my seat then my hands. I think if I were to look at it from the horse's point of view, he would appreciate that a lot more."

Mark addressed each clinic participants' concerns, one at a time: getting softer with his

(or her) horse, getting collected stops, standing for mounting, learning how to stay out of your horses way to get a good flying lead change, or rating speed and maintaining gait, all valuable and useful info that everyone from riders to auditors could profit from. We've already read about how he is able to extract from the rider the minimal cue necessary to elicit a response from his horse. I'm not going to go into long examples about that. I will leave these specifics, and there were many, to other auditors/participants that were in attendance who might care to expound.

I do want to illustrate one particular highlight of the weekend, however. When Mark asked Karin, the second to last of Sunday's participants, what she would like to work on that day, instead of the usual litany that we've all heard before, this 50-something self-proclaimed novice entreated, "I wanna learn how to barrel race".

At first, Mark was visible taken aback, but at the same time, absolutely delighted. The previous day we had all witnessed how this first time horse owner and rider of just 2 years, had moved so fluidly with her horse that it was as it his legs were her own. Her horse sidepassed down the middle of the arena with no leg on him, and had changed direction at a canter with just a change of focus and shift of seat, her hands as soft as a cloud. Establish a relationship and the rest will come was the crucial emphasis of this clinic, and here was the living proof. Karin has not spent hours drilling her horse on groundwork. She is oblivious to hype, either intended or perceived of other clinicians. She doesn't have access to the internet, does not spend hours reading "how to" books, does not subscribe to horse related periodicals, and is not bogged down with abstract theories and analysis. She's only ever attended one other clinic, by a local NH clinician, and I'll bet you she's never even heard of names like Dorrance or Hunt etc.

Mark's initial response to this unusual request was something along the lines of, "Barrels can't run very fast, so you would most likely win a race against on, hands down." Followed by "All right then! Let's set up a barrel pattern". Mark gave her some pointers and had her start slowly to show her horse the pattern a few times before working up to the canter. Mark commented that he was having as much fun as she was, as we watched Karin, beaming, while she and her horse easily cantered the barrel pattern, her horse doing flying lead changes, effortlessly, in the process. "I think he just may have done this once or twice before", he pointed out. They were both so obviously enjoying themselves that it was a delight for all to watch. As Karin led her horse out of the arena, tears of joy streaming down her face, we hugged, and she thanked me for urging her to come to the clinic, and for introducing her to this extraordinary horseman---and human.