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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THE MARK RASHID CLINIC IN CHINO VALLEY, MAY 7 & 8 Mark Rashid is a soft-spoken, mild mannered man, very quiet around both people and horses. He has written two books so far and a third is being done about his years of experience with horses. Mark does not use wording from other Natural Horseman practitioners. He uses just down-to-earth explanations about what is happening, which, really, makes things more understandable, I think. The clinic started with seven riders and horses, but, Mark takes them one at a time, to work with each individually. There were 10 to 15 auditors during the two days. He gave a little talk, basically, introducing himself. He continued by saying among other things that he's found that most horses seem to display problems because of too much feed or the wrong kind of feed. He pointed out that carbohydrates are stored in a horse's body and can be utilized at any time. He also pointed out that vitamin B1 might take nervousness out of a horse, but that it has to be used in conjunction with the other B vitamins. Most of the folks there subscribed to another form of NH school. Mark pointed out that he felt several of the techniques used were a bit aggressive. Aggressiveness doe not develop trust, he said. Ask, dont't tell your horse what to do. Be consistant with them. He said to lighten up your cues. One of the anologies he used, which I really like is: When riding your horse, picture being on a teeter totter with a little bird in your hand. Be that gentle, don't lose balance or do the wrong cue or the bird will be crushed. Also, he pointed out to make all your movements (cues) small, not very big at all. He explained using your energy to speed up your horse or to slow it down. He descrbed "energy" as if you're walking and decide to change speed. You can feel this in the pit of your stomach. Use this same feeling when riding. This may take practice, to develop the "feel". He showed a couple of ways to teach a horse to stand still while mounting. First, he pulled the stirrup toward you, to get the horse to balance itself. Put your weight in the stirrup, don't get on yet, keep the rein closest to you, taught, if horse moves, he'll move himself in a circular direction around you. Do this several times. If horse still doesn't get it, then halter him rather than using a bridle. Do the same thing again with balancing him and put your weight in the stirrup, if he moves, take lead and circle him in a large circle at the trot. The horse will soon "learn" that's it's much harder on him not to stand still while being mounted. Mark also made a few points about general riding techniques like: Your head weighs about 25 lbs., keep it up or you'll put too much weight on the horses front half. If you are looking at your horses head or ears (by the way, he joked, that in over twenty years, he's never seen a horses head come off!), your weight is too far foward. When stopping, roll your hips down into the saddle, the horse will feel that and change gait, then, if necessary, give a soft cue with reins to stop. Also, ride with your hands in an imaginary box over horn (discrimination!), if horse wanders, he'll put pressure on himself. He did different things with each horse & rider combo depending on what they (the rider) wanted. He pointed out with one combination, that while riding, if a horse gets tense, it depends on you for direction and to help it relax. He emphasized soft transitions a lot. He pointed out to move hands up a little to go faster and immediately lower them as a reward to the horse, when it speeds up. In groundwork, he believes that you need to get your hoses attention to get it responsive. He mentioned that it really didn't seem to do any good to get horse's head down, in relaxing it. If a horse moves in groundwork (lunging) he moves. He stated that he's not going to ask the horse to do something, he's not willing to do. On the liberty work issue, he feels there's no reason to MAKE a horse go round you. There is no point to it from the horse's viewpoint. Mark feels you should put a horse on a line so the horse knows you're working with it. Mark emphasized again to use lighter cues, the horse feels it, they are very sensitive. Canter cues might not be anything more than a weight shift, maybe, a light leg cue, if necessary. Mark kept emphasizing to use lighter cues. One of the last riders of Saturday was a person that got very tense while riding. Mark emphazed getting in better balance, heels down, straight back (yours), balanced shoulders, weight back etc. Mark also changed bits on the horse, as, it didn't seem very responive to the old one. There were riders of all disciplines and experiences at this clinic. Mark Rashid was ready to help everyone, it did not seem to matter to him what level this person or that had, he was able to help everyone and he was extremely patient with everyone, beginner or not. If there was more school or correction a person needed, Mark did not dwell on it (turned off the speaker, so, as not to embarrass the person, probably). Mark dwelled on the person "feeling" the horse better. This is important for all riders, if the person needed more, I'm sure a qualified teacher would be found. Mark's emphasis was on "feeling" the horse, otherwise the clinic could go on for days, and total correctness was not the emphasis here. Mark Rashid was also able to pick out out any soreness or swelling (no matter how minute) a horse had. He demonstrated what to look for. Day two was also filled with all kinds of his knowhow. It was just not "more of the same". Mark pointed out that a horse will mirror what you're doing or how you feel. If your adreneline or energy is up, your horse will feel it. You have to be more aware of what you're doing, so, he is. If you provide direction, he will acknowledge it. Your horse will realize he has help from you. (He won't just drift around.) Focus on what you're working on. Tip your horse's nose slightly to slow pace down. Mark demonstrated with horse/rider combo a sidepass in phases. The backend goes first, first the rider (with horse straight) cues the horse with the leg behind the girth, the rein on that side is kept taught, with just a little pressure from the leg and your weight heavier on the opposite side you want horse to move, the horse soon gets the idea to move his hind feet over. Mark emphasized frequent breaks during all this, as horse's muscules are not used to this and will begin burning and then you will not be able to accomplish anything. Mark Rashid does not do any groundwork on this. After horse has the back end down, then it's time for the front end. You get the horse straight again, then rock him backward just a little, then cue with your foot in front of the girth with the rein taught. Remember, frequent breaks. In order to do the whole horse, use the standard sidepass cues, but, soft. The horse has down, what you want of it. Also, Mark emphsized that a fence in front of you to prevent forward movement is not necessary if the horse is taught properly. One horse kept pulling towards the gate. Mark pointed out, if that's the case, make it more work for the horse to be in the area of the gate. Instead of arguing with the horse, let it go to the gate, but, once there, go in circle, serpentines, back, forth etc. Then do what you were doing, the horse shouldn't pull you again towards the gate cause it's more work for it to be there. Some folks have trouble catching their horses or when they call it, the horse ignores them. One, training, a lot of times is based on the "alpha" concept, what horse wants to be near an alpha leader? Two, a horse generally likes to be off on his own, doing his own thing, like eating. Mark demonstrated what should be done. First, ask for the horses attention, you won't get it, but Mark always emphasizes politeness. At this point, he sent the owner out, he wanted the horse just to "focus" on him. With the emphasis of the speaker, Mark kissed at the horse, occasionaly swung the end of the halter, flapped the halter on his leg or kicked some dirt to created a little dust. All this to distract the horse from doing what he wanted. At first, the horse went far away from this distraction, (you keep doing this). Soon , the horse doesn't go near as far. Keep offering the horse the chance to put his attention on you, if he does'nt, drive him off. Keep doing this till the horse puts all his attention on you always. Then the horse follows you around (sent chills of excitement up my back to see). Then, Mark left the pen for a few minutes, then reentered away from where the horse was, the horse in the meantime had put his head down to graze. Mark called to the horse, horse put his head up and started towards Mark (like, I said, it made chills up my back, it was so neat). If the horse had continued to graze, ignoring Mark, he would have started the process over. Mark pointed out, that the more you demand, the less you get. If the horse loses attention on you, it's your fault, you have to keep moving, leading your horse to feel, something could happen at any moment. More general information: When riding, think ahead always, your horse knows if you're indesisive. Must give your horse a direction. Think "forward" when your horse is breaking gait. Misc.: Frozen peas make a great ice pack, peas don't melt quickly. Cinch up slowly or in stages, your horse will appreciate it The next rider wanted to learn barrel racing and polebending. It was interesting, cause the arena was too small for these tasks, but, Mark, patient as ever, went through the basics, showed us the proper patterns. Had the rider trot the pattern and when riding it at the canter, Mark emphasized leaning into the turns and looking towards the next obstacle and focusing on what was happening. We got the idea, that this was out of the ordinary horsemanship clinic stuff and he was having a great time teaching us about these things. Mark is super patient. I'm sure it comes from his dealings with horses. He treats people with the same consideration, whether it's warranted or not. But, folks surely appreciate it. There were some instances in the clinic, where, I'm sure, better, more knowledgeable riding would have benefited a situation, but, Mark's emphasis was on "feeling" what the horse is doing. From where I stand, I wish I had had this knowledge years ago!! Sue in Las Vegas
Additional Reports >I rode with Mark and had a similar experience in March. I learned to ask for >the trot with a lot less, my mare Goldie felt so light. It was thrilling. I am going to take a risk here. I hope you all understand what I am after expressing. I have thought long about it and have waited for a moment to express it. I hope this is it... I truly believe that too many folks are too much for their horses. They demand. If they have come to understand that to ask is better, many still often ask with an urgency that is big... I believe BethAnne when she says that Goldie felt so light and that she felt she had learned to ask with less... but I watched Mark very carefully a few weeks back when he was with individuals and their horses. To tell someone they need to do less is a tough proposition. I believe what I saw with Mark was a man who is very masterful at "being there" for the horse and the rider. I believe he gets folks to do next to nothing, or the very little he believes is necessary, and he puts some boost to the horse. This is not a bad thing, it gives energy and life to a horse that until then was confused, most possibly by its rider. A horse that had become dulled to light cues. I believe that once a person feels that a horse can go with lightness offered that they can then take that idea home and refine it, truly believe it and use it. The problem for most folks who go to clinics and try to feel this with many other horses moving around the arena is that all the words mean nothing without the feel of go with lightness and most folks do not truly get that in a group clinic. Mark sets up a situation wherein if you do not get it solely on your own it will be there to feel and to believe in and to take back with you and refine cause you do believe it to be possible for you and your horse. So believe in that and that it will get there for the canter too. For me a true knowing is to experience it, not to be told it. Whether I can feel it because of what I primarily caused or feel it because of what someone secondarily caused or set up for me to experience is not a major concern. Mark does this so well and so subtle, in my eyes. Or maybe that is not what is going on at all... but belief is a powerful thing... >I ended on a good note, getting her to canter the full circle of the pen and >then asking her to come down to the trot. It was pretty frustrating when I >could not get the response I wanted without force/pressure. So I guess my >question is, what should we do when our horses simply dont respond? One way to look at this is if the horse does not respond in the way we want, that is a response. If we want that to be different then doing the same thing that got that response (not the one we wanted) probably will get the same response. So we need to think our way to something different. I spent time with a colt that had way too much energy for his attention span. Doing what I usually do to ask a horse to settle back was not working, he just went flat out on the end of the lead. So I let him circle and we spiraled on over to where a great big backhoe sat in the pasture and as he came around I asked him to stop as he got to where he had to stop or run into that thing. And he went back the other way and we did that until we slipped on back out away from it and he could stop when I asked without a big old roadblock. Sometimes we just have to think about how it could be different and use what is at hand to help it be so. >I have given our canter some thought and I beleive that maybe Goldie just >needs some more time. I will try next time to reward her for each try, each >canter she gives me. But what do I do when she breaks canter before I ask? I >think I should ask for only a couple canter strides, then I ask for her to >come down. Set it up so we win. All our horses need more time, as much as we can give and usually (sure is for me) more than that still. If she comes down to soon, believe that it will get better and help it be so. If she still needs plenty of energy from you to stay up there for longer than two strides, give it to her for now. It will get to a place where you will not need as much. But understand this, and I think Mark would agree, canter takes a lot of energy for the horse to maintain. If you were riding her your body would be giving life to the stride. Is it fair to expect that you can just lay off on the ground and have her doing all the work to maintain a high energy gait? Is it fair to ask her to go up to that speed and stay there in a mindless circle no matter how briefly, one lap, two laps, half a lap? Is it not enough to have her feel that you asked for a change, to give it and to hold it for a bit while your energy is there? For now, while she grows more confident and more trusting and learns what all she can do with less energy from you, take this and build on it. Just some things to think about... Respectfully, Bob Sagely
Mark began by stating that his goal in this clinic, in every clinic, and whenever he worked with horses was for everything to be as quiet as it can be with people and horses. He works to see everything from the horse's perspective. Mark was unfailing patient in answering questions. Following are responses to questions asked. On training mustangs--working with mustangs you go at their pace. When they say the day is done, the day is done. Mark has worked with mustangs and found after two years of experimenting a way that worked for him. When he brought mustangs home they were put in pens near each other and adjoining a round pen. He reminded us that at this time the mustangs had been torn from their herds, all social organization had been destroyed. He fed them, cleaned their pen, watered them at the exact same time each day beginning to reestablish some order and certainty in their lives. There was no touching, no harrassing. After 3 weeks or so the mustangs would begin to follow him as he cleaned their pens. The mustangs did the first touching. Then there would begin some incidental touching, could you just move over while I clean here, etc. From that came some petting. When the mustangs would allow this incidental touching, they would be turned into the round pen and lessons would begin. Working with foals--Mark and family raise quarter horses. He does not imprint foals. The upside of imprinting is that you have a horse that isn't fazed by much, but the downside is that they are desensitized and unresponsive when you start serious work. When the foals are born they are handled as MR is handling the mothers. After two or three days (may be weeks, my notes say days in one place, weeks in the other) they are haltered in a novel way. MR takes an adult web halter and inverts it, slips the nose band over the head of the foal and down to the base of the neck. The poll strap is then brought around and under the girth and fastened. The foal is now in a harness much like a dog harness and can be moved gently by picking up on the halter. In this way MR can work with the foals without stressing the neck. If the foal is really stressed, this can be left on overnight without danger of hanging a foot up in something loose. Touch the back end of the foal, remove your hand at the instant of any response. Soon you have a foal that moves away from pressure--in this case the lightest of touches. Touch the chest, get a back. If the foal is very responsive, you may not need a harness/halter to hold. By the time they are a few days old they are giving to touch. When it does come time to put on a halter and rope, the foal is already willingly giving to pressure--again, I mean, the lightest of touch. Once this is done the foals are turned out until three. They get incidental handling during feeding, cleaning, hoof care, etc., but they are free to grow. If the foal is still "young in the head," s/he may be turned out until four. Mark doesn't have to start them at year three. He doesn't need them to go to work. He said that others may do things differently because they need their horses to go to work, but he has time. Mark took time with each horse, each rider, each auditor as if he had unlimited time. "This was the way I was brought up. That if something didn't get done today there was always tomorrow or the next day or the next." It felt like a gift to each of us. That attitude carries into his work with horses. "If you just let this go for awhile, not drill on it, it will come. Let it go until you need it. Do it only for a purpose." And by the end of the clinic things that were let go because they weren't needed were easy to ask for because trust had been built between horses and riders, sensitivity had been honed. This was about building a relationship--worked for the humans as well as the horses. Lael in CO
Equipment--Mark uses a web halter. He explained that that's what he used as a kid. It works. He was pressed, "Don't you use a rope halter. I heard it has more bite." "Think about that statement." But the topic didn't go away when asked again about rope halters and about bits he said any equipment can be a weapon in the wrong hands. "A web halter has all the bite you need." MR does not wear gloves--if you are putting so much pressure on a horse that you need gloves, you're putting too much pressure on the horse. He doesn't wear sunglasses. They make the eyes look like they are staring all the time. The horse can't see our eyes. It is like us trying to see a person wearing dark sunglasses. Cotton leads--there's more life to cotton, and it's easy on the hands. It's also what he used as a kid. "But use what you have and what feels good to you," he would add. He sells nothing and doesn't push a particular kind of equipment just offers his experience when asked. Leather reins with trigger snaps--"we switch reins a lot. This makes it easy. I don't use slobber straps or a mecate rein on a bit. It puts too much pressure on the mouth." He worried about the trigger snaps so he bought a bit, attached the trigger snaps, put it in his mouth and jiggled it around. The trigger snaps noise and weight didn't bother him, so that's what he uses on the horses. Full cheek snaffle--with less than that you run the risk of sliding the bit through the mouth. Doesn't use a curb strap. No whip. No spurs. For the trail--snaffle for the young. Keep the snaffle if you are comfortable with it. Switch to a curb bit as the horse gets older if you want. Long shank gives a false sense of security. It increases the brace in a horse. If the horse gives to pressure, it will give to anything, even a string in the mouth. If not, you need to go back and fill in the holes in the training. For ground driving he has two 30' cotton 1" ropes with swivel snaps. Doesn't use bosal as a transition since it is similar to a halter. When putting a bit on a horse he wants contact with the corner of the mouth but no wrinkles. Wrinkles are pressure on the mouth. He wants the horse to learn to pick up the bit and keep it where the horse wants it. The first day in bitting a colt leave the headstall on all the time with no reins. Let the horse eat, drink, and get used to it. He starts colts with a halter, moves to a snaffle, and may or may not go to a curb bit later. The bit is not for control but for communication. Another mustang story and I'll close this epistle--Mark remarked on how sensitive mustangs are and how willing. He had one mare who would yield to the slightest pressure. He had done the ground work well. Touch her and she would go anywhere--back, forward, side. Time came to ride for the first time. Mark mounted, sat--pressure on her back, Sure, Boss, anything you say. She lay down. Lael in CO
Repeatedly Mark urged us to look at the big picture. See the whole horse. They you will begin to pick up on the subtle changes--an ear, an eye, a tail. He was working with one person who was watching for her horse's head to lower. Meantime the horse was wringing its tail. The horse finally lowered his head all the time wringing its tail. "See I waited, and he lowered his head." "But did you notice his tail?" No, she had missed that whole message. He likes a horse to lead behind on a loose lead. "If something happens, I want it happening behind me." Just a bit of noise--a scritching sound--backs a horse off. Also wants the horse to stop if he stops. When one of the horses didn't he made that sound, and the horse respectfully backed off a step. (Special Note from Willis below in regard to leading horses.) What do you do if you're trying to enter a corral full of horses with an armload of hay? "I throw in a few flakes first. It diverts them, and they're busy sorting that out while I put out the feed." "The majority of what I do is just common sense. I can't imagine why people pay for me to talk to them." He also works on seeing things from the horse's perspective. It's okay to pet your horse. Try hangin' out with your horse. Bring him in, brush him, turn him out again. Hang out in the pasture. All the little things you do with your horse will make a difference. MR doesn't see any point to riding bridleless. The day will come when you can jump on your horse in the pasture and ride him in just because you don't want to walk, but you'll be able to do it because the trust is there. Doesn't believe in shaking fingers at a horse to get it to move. It's rude, and you wouldn't do that with a friend. Doesn't like drilling a horse. Learn then move on to something else. The next day it will come easier. Free lunging doesn't give the horse support. A lunge line gives you an aid for your horse. Horse to rider/tack weight should be 3:1. Children and riding--"Don't make them." Horses and mental problems--MR worked on a place where they bred their own horses. They had mismanaged and line bred the horses. The horses had major mental problems which were compounded by mishandling. Lael in CO
Here's the manufacturer of the halter that Mark used: Equinox Magnetic Halters PO Box 1141 Warsaw, IN 46581 1-800-888-1844 e-mail: equinox@biomagnets.com Is there a difference in working with mares, stallions, geldings? No, says Mark, just that stallions have more power/drive which needs to be directed. He doesn't believe in laying a horse down. "Most aggression in horses is really the horse being defensive." Ritual for mounting a horse for the first time (works well for subsequent times also)--pray; stand the horse on a level spot. Teach the horse to brace against pressure. Pull on the stirrup so the horse will set his feet. As long as the horse's head is square and he can see you, don't pull the head around. Mark doesn't pick up the reins. He picks up his leg and gently bumps the horse's shoulder with his knee. This lets the horse know there is something coming. Rub the leg against the horse. Put foot in the stirrup making sure first that the horse's attention is focused on you. Put weight on the foot. Bounce up and down. This is repeated until the horse is easy with each step. It is done quietly and calmly, and then the horse and rider take a break. Walk the horse around a bit. Hang out, relax. Let the horse think about the whole thing. Then begin again. It should go a bit quicker. This time add in pulling weight up in stirrup, leaning over the saddle, petting rump and opposite shoulder. This was done very quietly and easily. As you will see in the rest of the reports it may be done in a day. It may be done over several days. "Horses have taught me in the past that maybe it's better to take some time and let them know what's coming." Lael
I mentioned to him that the magnetic halter has surfaced quite a bit in discussions. He was genuinely (naively?) surprised that folks had latched onto this. I think he was surprised because the halter came to him in such an innocuous way and is something he doesn't use very often. Seems that about two years ago a former student passed one along to him. It was a full year before he ever actually considered using it. (Reckon the boy just ain't very gadget oriented, chaknow? Or maybe just "slow" -- depending on how you want to look at it. Anyhow, he says that he doesn't use it very often at all and that it is just a tool for *certain circumstances*. And, like Jaki said, never replaces a good relationship or good groundwork. He said he tells everyone all this stuff at the clinics if he's used the halter but somehow ... well, gee, that's how it goes, isn't it? Please do not run out and buy one of these thinking it is the next greatest cure-all. Or certainly not based upon the fact that Mark has used it a few times. He's used lots of things a few times. Did I ever tell you guys about the private trailer loading session I watched him do last year where we ended up using a garden hose? Ha. Did that get your attention? (Oh no, I see the headlines now ... yikes.) Mark really wants folks to THINK and to think creatively. That means using what is at hand. He has told me a dozen times that relying on a tool gets us in trouble cuz it might not be handy when we need it. So, the **thought process** is far more important. Maybe Glenn Huels in New York can talk a little about the trailer loading with the Canadian Horse at his clinic. All the progressive things he did working with that horse *with what was at hand*. Think, think, think. Thanks, thanks, thanks. ~linda
The thunder has stopped. It has quit raining. The clouds are rolling through. The first colt, Manny, is already loose in the round pen nibbling some hay that is in the pen. Let's start this clinic. By coincidence there are six women working with six geldings at this clinic. Each works individually with Mark. There are never two people or horses working at the same time, and Mark sells nothing, endorses nothing. What kind of a way is that to make a fortune? Mark and M. enter the round pen. Manny keeps on eating. M. explains that this sorrel roan appaloosa colt was born on the place. He was imprinted at birth and has been handled since then. He has not been ridden but has been saddled and sat on once. She has done a little ground work with him. Mark uses a microphone and repeats what is said so that we can all hear it. Manny doesn't even turn an ear. M. leaves the pen, and Mark kisses, an amplified kiss, for Manny's attention. Manny keeps on eating. Mark removes the hay. Manny wanders to the edge to nibble on the grass there. Manny is fairly easy to catch, but his attention is not in the pen. Mark moves him out by swinging a cotton lead rope. Manny moves but his focus has now shifted to horses outside the pen. Mark moves with Manny behind and away from his hip. He explains that when a horse has been imprinted it sometimes takes a lot of energy to move the horse, to get his attention. The horse is trusting but difficult to move because he is desensitized to cues. This makes a very independent horse which is okay, but it makes getting attention and establishing a relationship difficult. Mark continues to move Manny using the kissing sound and sometimes adding the twirl of the lead rope or thwacking it on the ground when Manny stalls out. He is looking for movement, any movement. There--an ear--there's a little energy. A turn and half step forward--Mark backs a step to reward him. Stall out again. Mark moves behind him wanting Manny to choose to stop moving and turn toward him. Time passes. The dance continues until Manny is quiet, focused, with his attention in the pen. Mark feels that Manny may be saddled this day. Lael
Manny, the 3-year-old appy colt, is now much more alert and focused and squares round when given the opportunity. His attention is focused in the pen on Mark. Manny looks more energized, less inattentive. Mark takes this opportunity to halter him with a web halter and 30 foot cotton rope. This is a training tool. The horse is connected with the person and can be supported by the person. There is a relationship established. Mark did not use the word dance. I use it because watching each time he lunged any horse was like watching a dance. Mark always walks with the horse behind and inside the hip. As the horse becomes attuned to Mark, Mark can walk faster, and the horse picks up speed, slower and there is a corresponding decrease in horse speed. Stop and the horse slows then stops until this is almost simultaneous. But, it doesn't start that way. Manny's attention has drifted, and Manny drifts. Mark asks for his attention back, and Manny turns his butt slowly. Mark takes this as a messaged that Manny doesn't understand what is being asked and probably isn't too interested in clearing up the confusion. So Mark begins teaching Manny how to dance--lunge. What he wants is to have the horse match his energy and effort. To pick up the pace he kisses--no rope twirls or flourishes except in rare instances where an immediate response is needed. After a few rounds Mark stops and plays out the line. Manny is free to stop when he chooses. At first he is slow to catch the opportunity, but soon he is paying attention to Mark. Mark stops. Manny stops and turns and waits. "The rope gives me a physical connection. It tells the horse 'I'm here to help you.'" M. enters the pen and repeats the lunging until Manny is responding to her cues, and while she learns Marks way of lunging. When Manny is responding well to the lunging, Mark switches to ground driving. Another 30" cotton rope is produced. The first rope is removed and coiled. The second, also coiled is attached to one side of the web halter, played out a bit and rested on Manny's back. This way Mark can keep a hand on it if Manny moves, and the rope is off the ground so that Manny isn't stepping on it and jerking his own head. Mark quietly moves to the other side and attaches the second rope. He plays the ropes out until he is standing about 15" behind Manny with a rope in each hand. He is careful to keep the ropes above Manny's hocks. He has been joined by Little One, the resident black and white cat who sees this as an opportunity to play with large pieces of string. Manny is unpreturbed. So is Mark. Mark kisses. Manny moves, feels the ropes and begins to lean. As Mark urges him around the pen Manny gives to the right but leans to the left. "Driving teaches the horse to give to pressure on the ground so that when we saddle him he only has to learn to move with the human on him." Manny begins to pay more attention, to turn to Mark for help when he is in a bind. He is beginning to respond to tiny pressure on the lines--left, right, stop. Manny moves through the stop, tips his head to see Mark. Mark tips his nose back straight and then with little pressure sets his hands and waits. A slight shift in weight, pressure is instantly off. He sets softly his hands again. This time a greater shift in weight, an instant release. The third time Manny actually backs a step. Release, wait, ask again, until Manny has shifted four steps back and is at the place where he was first asked for a stop. Consistently Mark does this with each horse. If you blow the stop, you are squared up and asked to back to the spot where you were first asked. Doesn't take long for these horses to catch on. Stop clean, no back. When Mark is satisfied Manny has caught on to what is being asked, M. comes into the pen and takes the lines. Little One is back to play with the new mess of ropes. The dance begins again. This time Manny is more proficient than M. She remarks, "This is harder than it looks." She walks close behind Manny. Mark helps her ease back and learn to use the lines. He uses long lines so that he can get some space between himself and a horse that needs more help to settle in. In time Manny and M. are moving, turning, stopping, backing smoothly. "Do you want to try saddling him today? Do you have any other goals you want to try today? Do you have any questions?" This is the way a session with Mark ends--as if there were all the time in the world, as if you and your horse are all there is to life, until you are satisfied that this is where you want to stop for the day. Manny and M. stop. Mark waits for the next horse. Lael
Keep your coat buttoned. There's still a chill and some grey clouds. The next colt is also 3, here for colt starting. Kostanzi is a chestnut Polish Arab. He comes into the pen head high, alert. He too was born on his home place but was not imprinted. He has had some training leading. H owns Kostanzi and at his daughter A's request is letting her start him. He has some catching problems. Mark sends him out. He is alert, watchful, and soon is following Mark around. Mark leaves the pen giving time for Kostanzi's attention to drift. When he returns with a halter and asks for Kostanzi's attention and cooperation, he gets it. Kostanzi is soon putting his head into the halter. Mark then begins lunging. Kostanzi catches on quickly and is very responsive. Mark works for a time with him emphasizing to us that he doesn't want this horse--any horse--to buck when introduced to the saddle. Once the horse is put on line he wants it to stay quiet. He gives the colt support and does not want the horse to associate being connected with a human to bucking. When Kostanzi is moving well, in tune with Mark's pace, stopping quickly when Mark stops, A comes into the ring and works him. Now Kostanzi is introduced to ground driving. A saddle is placed on the fence for later use. Kostanzi moves close to Mark and takes exception to the saddle. As Mark ground drives him Kostanzi avoids the saddle-contaminated area, but with each round Mark steers him closer to the saddle. Stop, back--Kostanzi fights the light pressure for awhile then responds with soft stops to light pressure. Mark backs without using the lines. Kostanzi notes this and backs. Mark moves with Kostanzi, asks for a stop by the lightest cue just stopping the hands and feet. Pressure will not stop a horse, response to a cue will. Kostanzi stops, backs, turns for Mark and for A. It is time to introduce the saddle and bridle. Lael
Kostanzi's halter is removed. He is free to come or go, free to express his opinion. Mark takes the cotton lead rope and gently tosses it over Kostanzi's back. Over, let it slide down, up, over, down on both sides until very quickly Kostanzi's head is lowering. This is boring. Mark then slides his hand under the girth. Kostanzi's head comes up. This is a new move. Then the rope goes up over, is brought under, and slid off. Again and again both sides, now the rope is tightened a bit before removal, moved a bit before removal. Kostanzi is alert but still standing quietly. The saddle pad is introduced. Mark walks up in front of Kostanzi. He snorts, sniffs, explores. Mark walks away. Kostanzi follow "chasing" the saddle pad, gaining confidence in his ability to handle it, sniffs, touches. They stop. Reintroduce saddle blanket, follow again. Now it is time to touch Kostanzi with the blanket. Kostanzi votes with his feet--no saddle blankets touching him. Mark moves quietly after him with the blanket. There's a lot of movement, a distinct unease. Mark offers that Kostanzi will need more work before saddling. The blanket is presented in front on each side then passing across the front so that both eyes become integrated in registering and seeing the blanket. Mark is careful that Kostanzi sees the blanket as it is put over his back. He works at bringing it over the back so that Kostanzi is prepared to have the blanket appear on the other side. A is invited in to the pen to begin the process again. Kostanzi is responsive but still uneasy about the blanket. The questions "Do you want to go on to introduce the saddle today? Are there other goals you want to achieve today? Do you have questions about what we have done?" A and her father H are happy with the progress. They feel Kostanzi has done well and come far in a day, but that he is not ready for the saddle today. Maybe not tomorrow or even this clinic or this year--they are agreed that this is a horse they will have for a lifetime. They have all the time it takes for this colt. Lael
Nicki e-mailed me that it is Kastani not Kastanzi--had it both ways in my notes and picked wrong. I don't want you to be mispronouncing this beautiful horse's name for the next three days. Bob asked how Mark handles the transition between himself and the owner. I'll give more details as I go along, but Mark stays in the pen for a time as the owner begins to work with the horse. In ground driving there were times when he asked if the person working the horse would mind if he helped a bit. There were times when M or A trailed Mark, times when Mark trailed them. As they gained in confidence he slipped to the side of the pen and then out. From outside he gave encouragement and aid. A note on words--what I quote is fairly accurate. All the rest are my words, my impressions--I'd love to be able to give you a virtual reality taste of this clinic, but I can't. Mark over and over said things like, "I might be wrong. I probably am." "This is the way that works for me--the equipment that works for me. If something else works for you use it." He was not defensive about his methods or opinions. He was quietly emphatic about how to treat a horse--quietly, calmly, politely and as a partner in a relationship. Oh, by now you've noticed the ruckus over in the corral--that sorrel's trying hard to pull that post out of the ground, good thing its stout. He's really bent out of shape being separated from the grey. Well, the post held so he's settling for making a lot of noise about his grievance, and the grey is echoing his sentiments. It's lunchtime, but Mark doesn't break for lunch so we all choose from the selection of lunch goodies and return to the round pen where the grey is the first of the four horses in the problem solving selection. His English tack is draped on the fence, and he is let loose in the round pen where he promptly gets to the side nearest the sorrel, and they continue to cry to each other. K comes into the pen to tell us about Ashcroft. Ashcroft is a papered TB, Native Dancer, Nasrullah bloodlines, 9 years old. She bought him when he was 5, starving, and abused, ready to be taken to the killers. She has had continuing challenges with him including health problems, appetite problems, hoof problems, and behavior problems. Today she will sell him for $100. Tomorrow it might be the auction. This is a last try to redeem Ashcroft. Mark asks about pain, and yes, there is a possiblity that Ashcroft has pain. He is scheduled with chiropracter Dave Seamands. Mark asks if there are problems catching Ashcroft. "He's about 99% hard to catch." K leaves the pen. Mark asks for Ashcroft's attention by kissing at him. He pays no attention to what is happening in the round pen. Mark begins to work him in the round pen applying pressure only when his attention is turned away, his rear veers toward Mark, or when he shoots past Mark. Gradually Ashcroft, high headed, split attention begins to respond to Mark's cues. Mark leaves the pen long enough for Ashcroft to remember his missing pal and seek him out. When Mark returns Ashcroft lingers a moment but then turns and is ready to resume work. He has had time to think. K comes in and repeats and reinforces the lunging. Again, this is done on a long line walking slightly behind but with the horse. Ashcroft becomes more sensitive to the handler's pace and requests, stopping when the chance is offered, facing up, standing still. In a joint decision Mark and K agree to move Ashcroft into the grass arena. I think you could play a slightly shortened version of football in this arena. Turned loose Ashcroft uses all of the arena in a high-headed lope. He's a proud beauty. He settles briefly in a corner where he can call to the sorrel. Mark trails Ashcroft as he moves. Stopping and facing Mark end the relentless stalk. Moving off means Mark will resume quietly walking. Ashcroft faces up and waits. Mark releaves the pressure then quietly walks toward Ashcroft. He leaves. He has found a comfortable corner of the arena, but unless he faces Mark and then stands still for an approach, Mark presses him to leave his safety zone. Mark is the safety zone. "Never send a horse off. What you want is for the horse to stay. Why send him off?" "To catch a horse all you need is for him to stand still." And soon Ashcroft is standing still, first for Mark, then for K, and the lesson for this day is done. Three more horses to go for today. Three more days to go for the clinic. Lael
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