CONSIDERING THE HORSE
MARK RASHID

Aired September 6, 2019

Horses communicate with us all the time, if we only slow down and pay attention, and know how to understand what they’re trying to say.

Mark Rashid – internationally acclaimed trainer, clinician, and prolific author — is known for his ability to understand the horse’s point of view and solve difficult problems with communication rather than force. He began working with horses at age 10, when he met the “old man,” who taught him to work with horses, not against them, and to listen to what the horse is trying to say. Mark’s clinics are structured as one-on-one work with horse and rider and are immensely popular with people around the world.

When Mark decided to study the martial art of aikido as a way to improve his horsemanship, he brought the same quiet determination to it that he exhibits in his work with horses. After years of practice, he has earned a second-degree black belt in Yoshinkan aikido and now teaches the “way of harmony” in the local dojo, as well as in his Aikido for Horseman workshops, which are known also by the name of "Aibado."

Mark worked full time on ranches for many years gathering herds, managing stock, and training horses. When time permits, he still enjoys working on ranches near his home in Colorado, as well as playing guitar professionally with his friends.

Mark has been a guest on NPR’s The Horse Show and was featured on the Nature series on PBS. He is the author of fourteen books including: Considering the Horse, Horses Never Lie, Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse, Horsemanship Through Life, Whole Heart, Whole Horse, Journey to Softness, and Finding The Missed Path, as well as a novel, Out of the Wild. He also has two music CD’s: Song of the Prairie and Making Good Time, recorded with his good friend Brad Fitch.