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About Mark
Mark Rashid (pronounced RASH-id) is an internationally acclaimed horse trainer 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 ten, 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 center on 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. 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 Estes Park, Colorado. 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 seven books - Considering the Horse, A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color, Horses Never Lie, Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse, Horsemanship Through Life, Big Horses, Good Dogs, & Straight Fences, and his latest, A Life With Horses. He also has a solo music CD Song of the Prairie and enjoys singing and playing guitar with a local band The Elktones.
Crissi McDonald Mark’s wife, Crissi McDonald was born and raised in Arizona, sat on her first horse when she was two and began riding lessons at eleven. By the time she was twenty, she was a certified Camp Horsemanship Instructor, giving lessons and managing a Girl Scout riding program in New Mexico during the summer months. She also worked as a trail guide and horse wrangler for a ranch in southeastern Arizona, where she helped out with cattle work. Though she initially learned to ride Western, in the mid-1990s, she expanded her skills to include riding and showing Hunt Seat and later, Dressage, which she continues to pursue. She has also been training in aikido for the past three years.
Crissi is an accomplished clinician in
her own right, and travels full time with Mark. Students who ride in
clinics also have the opportunity to continue their work with Crissi
following their sessions with Mark. While guided by the same principles
of building trust, communication and seeking softness, Crissi offers an
additional perspective on the work while helping the student solidify
what they have learned during their time with Mark.
Photo by Kathleen Lindley
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