Contemporary "Natural Horsemanship" Trainers
We hate to describe these trainers as "Natural Horsemanship" trainers because they would probably not describe themselves that way. They are trainers who teach riders "feel" for the horse. They typically are in western tack but know more about dressage than any FEI competitor we have ever seen!
Mark Rashid Mark Rashid (pronounced RASH-id) is a 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 also incorporates the principles of aikido into his training. Mark has written many books including, “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 “A Life With Horses”.
Harry Whitney Taken from Harry’s website…
“Harry Whitney prefers not to call himself a horse trainer. Instead, he is simply someone who sees things from the horse's point of view. Someone fluent in the language of horses. A perceptive, kind, and clear instructor, Harry is able to help folks understand their horses, not only for their benefit, but for the benefit of their horses. You would never know it by looking at his old high toppers and cowboy hat, but Harry holds an animal science degree from Kansas State University. Harry has been a professional animal trainer since he was a youngster. His acts have included not only horses and ponies, but dogs, cats, goats, steers, and even chickens!”
“A horse is always looking to have his feet and his mind in the same place” is something I wrote down as Harry having said. This pretty much sums up in the most concise way possible his training philosophy. Harry Whitney has no books or videos. If you want to learn what he is about you must go work with him. Tom Moates wrote a book called, “A Horse’s Thought: A Journey into Honest Horsemanship” about his experience learning from Harry. Harry spends most of his time giving clinics across the country as well as at his home in Arizona.
Leslie Desmond Leslie grew up in Massachusetts and Vermont where she trained her horses for jumping competitions and local gymkhana events. She went on to coach children and new horse owners in the basics of riding and horse care. After high school, she worked at a number show barns, racing stables and small breeding establishments on the east coast and Midwest USA. For 43 years Leslie has helped horses and their owners.
In 1990, Leslie relocated her riding school to Novato, California, where she founded Diamond Lu Productions and released her first three-volume video series, "American Horsemanship for Young & Old. She was inspired to produce the best-selling "how-to" horsemanship series for beginners by her most influential childhood mentor, Ivan Taylor, a retired World War I cavalry officer from Manchester, Vermont .
During the last years of his life, Bill Dorrance asked Leslie to accept his guidance during a 4-year apprenticeship while she recorded his knowledge and experiences for posterity. Between 1995 and 1999 they trained horses together, put on demonstrations and held clinics around Monterey County, California, while she co-wrote the classic text, "True Horsemanship Through Feel". The sequel to their book, a 10-CD audio book called "Horse Handling and Riding Through Feel" that Leslie published in 2006, is a guide to better horsemanship through feel.