06/25/2026
"You've got to start somewhere."
I recently got a subtle—but much-needed and deeply appreciated—reality check while on the phone with Mark Rashid.
I was struggling with the feeling that I wasn't helping some of the horses I currently have in training. I wasn't seeing the progress I thought I should be.
As always, Mark listened. Then he'd ask a question or two and offer a little direction. But the one thing he repeated more than anything else was:
"You've got to start somewhere."
I've worked with and known Mark my entire life, and somehow the simplest, most obvious responses are often the ones that leave me thinking for days. He has a way of saying things that bring reality back into focus, and for that I am ridiculously grateful.
In a world that celebrates the finished product, it's easy to forget that progress is built in small moments—the first try, the first mistake, the first breakthrough. They are all building blocks, laying the foundation of understanding and experience that help us navigate the world.
We get so consumed with reaching the end result that sometimes we forget we have to start in the first place.
The horse doesn't care how much you know, how many ribbons you've won, or how long you've been doing it. They respond to how you make them feel.
So slow down.
Start where you are.
Somewhere.
