About Us
Mark Rashid
Mark Rashid is an internationally known author and horseman 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 are structured as one-on-one work with horses and riders 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 third 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 best-selling author of fifteen books including his newest, For the Love of the Horse, and such classics as Considering the Horse, Horses Never Lie, Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse, Horsemanship Through Life, as well as a novel, Out of the Wild. His books have also been translated into nine different languages. He has three music CD’s: Song of the Prairie, Making Good Time, and My Western Town, recorded with his good friend Brad Fitch.
Crissi
Crissi McDonald
Crissi McDonald is a clinician, author, photographer, indie publisher, and Masterson Method® Certified Equine Bodyworker whose work is rooted in a lifelong devotion to horses, storytelling, and visual art. For more than thirty years, these intertwined passions have shaped how she sees the world and how she helps others learn to see it differently too.
As an instructor and horse trainer with over three decades of experience, Crissi brings a broad and practical understanding of horse care, including dental maintenance, saddle fit, bits and bridles, nutrition, and how horses experience their environment. When a question stretches beyond her own expertise, she values collaboration and learning from trusted professionals who share her commitment to the horse’s well-being. Alongside her husband, renowned horseman Mark Rashid, she has traveled internationally for more than twenty years, working with thousands of horses and people across a wide range of disciplines. Her approach emphasizes softness, clarity of communication, and the deep learning that becomes possible in an atmosphere of safety and non-judgment.
Crissi’s photography has been featured in numerous equine publications and books in the United States, the United Kingdom, and across Europe. As an author, she has written two non-fiction books exploring the horse–human bond, as well as the award-recognized romantasy series North to Home, which has earned multiple semifinalist and finalist placements in indie publishing contests.
Certified as a Masterson Method® Practitioner in 2017, Crissi has helped hundreds of horses find greater relaxation and ease. She continues to expand her science-informed approach through attending courses and collaborations with equine neuroscientist Dr. Steve Peters.
Whether through horses, words, or images, Crissi remains endlessly grateful for the chance to learn, share, and invite others into experiences that feel more at ease, both with their horses and themselves.
Website