DVD Review: *** Rashid, Mark ~ Sitting Trot

*** Rashid, Mark ~ Sitting Trot

I was really not sure what to think of this as I started to write my review. As you all know I rent from giddyupflix.com and this particular dvd is VERY popular and I have waited quite a long time to get it. Occasionally I wanted something else really bad when it was available, so moved it down on my que. But none the less I waited a year to watch it. So I was a little disappointed when I finally got to. I think you all also know how much I really like all of his books and other dvds. In fact I have had many a profound revolution thru his teachings….so I guess I was actually REALLY disappointed with this dvd.

Most has nothing to do with the actual educational info…more like….I am not a blue grass hillbilly so I am not a fan of banjo’s……needless to say….there is quite a bit of banjo being played….nothing the volume control on the remote didn’t cure……

Next was the repetitiveness of the material covered….it was just not needed and become….well….repetitive. There was a bit of sound control issues in that it was hard to hear him talk in the segments where he was teaching a clinic……and unfortunately not hard to hear the banjo during the intersections. Half of the dvd was scripted in a nice quiet arena with a microphone and a student on the ground….scripted for the dvd. I wish the whole dvd would have been in this venue. It was easy to see and hear what they were saying and adding the clips at the clinic was just repetitive and did not add any insight to the subject matter. I would have preferred if his student would have just gotten on a horse to demonstrate the actual in the saddle work.

Then he lost points for the fact that the dvd is suppose to be about the sitting trot and quite little was actually directly related to the sitting trot. If you are not aware, Mark is into Aikido and so a lot of his teachings are based around those principles. Which I like. So it is quite possible the beginning of the dvd where it doesn’t seem to be about the sitting trot…..really is helpful info to know. I found it informative so that was good. BUT…..the 3 minutes of the info on the sitting trot needed to have been expanded. In defense of Mark, out of my deep respect for him, it was something I had never heard of before, thus a totally new concept and I cant wait to try it out and report back on how I do, but really, I wish there was more. Yes it was a simple concept, one that really doesn’t need a whole lot of explanation, thus why I think the repetitiveness of it to stretch out the content. But maybe what could have been shown was students actually trying to do this technique and possibly any struggles they faced and how they overcame them. I don’t know…..all I do know is that it was not my favorite dvd, but if the technique actually helps me sit to my bouncy big strided TB mares trot….well then it was definitely worth it. Because in the end, it is the content of information translated into success, that makes a dvd valuable, not the entertainment value. Though I will say…..charisma, like sugar, helps the medicine go down.

So, here I sit, teetering between giving 2 or 3 stars….and in the end, I am giving it 3 stars because I do think it is worth watching, just giving the caveat that YES you will have to filter a lot to get the unique perspective of how to sit the trot….that no one else has ever said before (not that I have heard anyways).

For more info on Mark….Click here

Savvy On
Michelle