Product Description
Mark will show you how to teach your horse to relax and soften to the bit. Once the student learns the process, the horse will begin to seek this state of relaxation, and a positive feedback loop enabling progress can begin. Relaxation allows the horse to access healthy ways of being and going, paving the path to Art Form Riding.
Due to prior experience, anxiety, or injury, some horses first introduced to this approach may become confused, defensive, or may be physically or psychologically challenged. In the film, you will see Mark teaching seven different horses in clinic settings. Each horse has a different set of challenges. The work is done on the ground with the simple bridle teaching the horse to release tension by relaxing at the jaw, poll, and neck. Acceptance of the bit and soft contact result. This work is essential to all progress in riding and, left unaddressed, can be the very reason riders and horses are mysteriously “held back” in their progress. Relaxation is foundational.
Releasing the Jaw, Poll, and Neck: More Lessons in Lightness with Mark Russell is intended to be used in conjunction with the author’s book: Lessons in Lightness, Expanded Edition, and his other DVDs: Lessons in Lightness: Building the Horse’s Foundation in Hand and Riding with Chi.
Mark Russell 1951 – 2016, was a master in the application of equine biomechanics. He began his career in his teens and developed his approach after studying with Master Nuno Oliveira in the 1980s. His lifetime practice of Tai Chi and Chi Gong greatly shaped his approach to horses. Mark’s gifts were to see, understand, and form a deep connection to all horses fortunate enough to have encountered him.
© Hela Russell 2021
2 reviews for Releasing the Jaw, Poll, and Neck: More Lessons in Lightness with Mark Russell – DVD
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bantamriver –
Mark does an amazing job at combining all the best parts of classical dressage with that of good horsemanship. His descriptions of jaw flexions can elevate your horsemanship to a new level.
Sandy Mckay (verified owner) –
This video is a posthumous tribute to Mark’s legacy of softness and lightness. He demonstrates how to get jaw, poll, and neck releases in different horses, showing what each horse needed at that point in time. These horses were experienced in various disciplines, but had issues with tension. His approach is respectful, delicate and sensitive as is Hela Russell’s narration. Sometimes, the best lessons are learnt from footage that was never intended to be published. This is a very useful video for those who wish to learn from observation and apply these lessons to their own situations.