Besides the wealth of experience and gently offered advice in Horses Never Lie (Johnson Books, 2000) one cannot help but be captivated by this author’s voice and style. Mark Rashid skillfully leads the reader from past to present and back again in an effortless way, like the flow of a warm, meandering river. Perfectly matching this beautiful flow is Rashid’s voice – clear, calm and hypnotic, ensuring that one is carried smoothly along the stream of his storytelling. His art may be unparalleled for this type of subject matter, making this “horse” book an excellent choice for all readers who love a well told tale, rich with love and beauty in the telling, and ripe with advice and anecdotes.
A Horse's Perspective
Cleverly, Rashid shares his opinions and ideas about horses and horse training in the same under-spoken, gentle way that his mentor, “the old farmer” for whom he worked as a child, did with him. Enchanting, endearing and blessed, this tale describes Rashid’s account of the “old man” who offered him the rare gift of grasping the horse’s way of perceiving things: “Just because we think a horse should do things a certain way doesn’t mean that the horse sees it the same way” (p. 29).
The Passive Leader
Trust is ultimate in the man/horse relationship, according to Rashid. And true trust cannot be gained by physically abusing and terrifying the animal. As the author points out, the “alpha” horse (the dominant, often bully-type animal in the herd) is not the horse that the others seek out. The “alpha” horse leads through fear and intimidation. Rather, horses tend to drift towards the “passive” leader. The horse herd, far more complex in its organization than most people realize, is often organized around “passive” leaders who tend to promote cooperation because they have unwittingly gained other horses’ trust. “ People have the best results with their animals when they strive to become a “passive” leader and not the “alpha”.
Ultimately, a horse owner or trainer who aims to be the “alpha” partner only wins through inflicting fear. Horses, like people, can only be bullied, pushed around and dominated by fear for so long before they rebel: sometimes violently, but often through annoying passive-aggressive behaviors.
Rashid’s opinions and ideas are substantiated by numerous well-told examples of “problem horses” who often were bullied or abused, sometimes unwittingly, by owners/trainers. This usually occurs because the owner/trainer is either misinformed by other well-meaning misinformed folk, or because few people are truly able to perceive things from a horse’s point of view. Rashid points out repeatedly that it’s all about perception. Only when one can perceive events the way a horse might can one work effectively with the animal.
Trust is Essential
By striving to adopt the qualities of the “passive” leader (quiet confidence, dependability, consistency and a willingness not to use force) one can work most effectively with horses. “Over the years I have noticed a very distinct difference between horses that choose to see us as leaders and those that have been forced to follow. The difference is palpable. Every horse I’ve been involved with that truly trusted its owner was always willing to bend over backwards to do the right thing…Horses that have been forced into submission, on the other hand, bend just enough to get the task accomplished, but no more. If given the chance, the horse has no qualms about quitting when the owner needs it most” (p. 143).
Other Works
Rashid is also the author of Considering the Horse, A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color, and Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse.
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