Clara’s Verdict
I am not, by any measure, a horsewoman. And yet I found myself completely absorbed by Nature in Horsemanship, which tells you something meaningful about what Mark Rashid is actually writing about. Yes, this is a book about horse training — but it is also a sustained and quietly profound meditation on the nature of harmony, the value of softness over force, and what happens when you stop trying to dominate something and begin, instead, to truly listen to it. The Eastern philosophy that underpins Rashid’s approach — specifically aikido’s principle of resolving conflict through yielding and redirection rather than direct opposition — translates with remarkable clarity into his work with difficult horses. And from there, it translates with equal clarity into almost any domain of human life in which you are trying to work with rather than against another living being.
One British reader put it best: « Much more than a book about horse training. More about personal growth and awareness and the importance of our connection to nature. » That, precisely, is what this is, and it is the reason this book has maintained its reputation and its readership for more than a decade since its audio release.
About the Audiobook
Mark Rashid is one of the most respected figures in natural horsemanship, known for decades of successful work with horses that other trainers have given up on entirely. In this book, published in 2015 via Audible Studios, he draws on his parallel study of aikido to develop what he calls a seamless new incarnation of horse training — one that blends the traditional firmness and directness of old Western horsemanship with the conflict-reducing, ego-dissolving principles of the Japanese martial art.
The book is structured around stories — Rashid has always written in this mode, and the narrative approach makes complex ideas about energy, intention, and connection accessible without over-simplifying them. Running at seven hours and seventeen minutes, it is a meditative listen that rewards genuine attention. The core argument is essentially this: the conventional assertive approach to horse training creates resistance; aikido teaches that resistance met with more resistance escalates, while resistance met with redirection and softness often dissolves entirely. The same is true, Rashid suggests, in any relationship where you are asking something of another living being. The goal — always — is harmony between horse and rider, between self and other, between effort and ease.
What makes the book particularly interesting is that Rashid never claims the Eastern approach simply replaces the Western one. The integration he describes is genuine and practical — taking the best of both traditions and creating something that is more effective than either alone. For riders who have spent years fighting their horses and finding the fights getting worse, this book offers a fundamentally different way of thinking about the relationship.
The Narration
Matt Patterson narrates, and his voice suits the material well — warm, unhurried, conversational, the kind of reading that works well during long drives to a yard or as background to stable work. Patterson does not impose on the text; he serves it, which is exactly right for a book this meditative in quality. The audio quality from Audible Studios is clean and professional throughout, and the production is sympathetic to Rashid’s quiet, story-led style and measured delivery.
What Readers Say
Rated 4.7 from 219 listeners, this is a book with a genuinely devoted following and consistent praise across many years of reviews. UK readers describe it as « possibly the very best and most useful work » in the natural horsemanship canon, written « as if you’re sat chatting with the man himself. » One reviewer with a martial arts background notes it works equally well for those coming from Wing Chun or Judo, finding the philosophy perfectly transferable. Another writes: « Mark Rashid’s books are good for the soul — horse and human. » Several readers note they have seen Rashid teach in person in Scotland and that the book captures his voice with complete fidelity. The single four-star review acknowledges the book is « slightly different » from his others due to the aikido content, while still recommending it warmly — and noting that the martial arts connections gave them new tools for thinking about their own discipline as well.
Who Should Listen?
Essential listening for anyone serious about natural horsemanship, particularly those who have reached a wall with more conventional training approaches. Also strongly recommended for practitioners of aikido and other martial arts curious about how those principles apply outside the dojo and in the natural world. And for anyone — horse person or not — interested in the philosophy of working with rather than against resistance. If you are in any relationship — professional, personal, or interspecies — that is not working the way you hoped, this book may offer a genuinely different angle on why. Listen on Audible UK: Nature in Horsemanship on Audible UK.
