Pre-Clinic Conversation with Mark Rashid

Mark Rashid usually does a demo the evening before the clinic starts - no horses, just people - often involving exercises to explore the concepts of flow, energy, bracing and softness.  This clinic we had a conversation, with some moments of illustration, since most of us had worked with Mark before and the only people who hadn't ridden with him had participated in a demo he'd done at Equine Affair in Ohio this year.  He invited questions, and the discussion went from there.

It's interesting to have ridden with Mark for 10 years now - his thinking and presentation of concepts continue to evolve.  He's increasingly focussed on mental/inside the horse/rider issues and less on technique, although of course that comes up.

Some of the questions/topics:

• Meeting a brace (either a push or a pull) with softness so that the motion can continue and be directed, instead of being blocked.
• Mental softening rather than a physical release - keeping the connection while providing softness.
• Just think what you want to do and go do it - like when you rode as a kid.  We humans tend to overcomplicate and lose our focus.
• We often don't direct and lead the horse with our minds, we just react after the fact.  It's your intention and purpose that direct the horse much more than your aids.
• Keep your mind focussed on what you want the horse to do, not on what the horse is doing (that you don't want the horse to do - this is just a distraction).
• The physical cue is just an immediate secondary cue that reinforces the mental cue - the thought of what you want the horse to do.  Physical cues aren't really needed once you're clear what you want and the horse understands - I've certainly found this to be true.

All really, really good stuff that's just the thing I need right now.

Tomorrow we ride . . . !!!