Sorry to have to inform everyone that the Randy Rieman El Paso Horsemanship Clinic, previously scheduled for 2-3 May 2020, has been cancelled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. We are being ultra cautious in cancelling the clinic which we think it just the right call given many unknowns, especially how the pandemic environment would look at the beginning of May.
Since many were looking forward to Randy's clinic, I thought I would include a video of Randy and his horse Chewbacca, a really nice travelling Buckskin gelding, from three years ago. This will have to tide you over until we can look at a Fall 2020 date. Regards all.
What do dressage horses, barrel horses, team roping, pleasure and ranch horses all have in common? It was that they and their riders were much better after participating in a Randy Rieman Clinic I hosted on 4-5 May 2019. Randy, who rode with Tom and Bill Dorrance and Ray Hunt, and roped with Bill Dorrance including learning how to braid rawhide from him, came in from cold Northern Montana to 90 degree West Texas heat to work with everyone on their specific problems. Thirteen total riders over 2 days gave everyone plenty of individual attention.
For some riders it was how to give the horse the freedom to find what you are asking for. For others it was a subtle way to ask for lead departures. And for everyone it was asking for a bend, and using more of your legs and being less reliant on your hands for that bend.
While all of the clinic participants said they came away with much more than they expected and thought the time and money they spent was a bargain for what they received,.... two of the clinic participants told me they were hesitant to come and pre-disposed to think it wasn't going to be worth it as they came from very specific uses for their horses - dressage and team roping, but Randy proved to them and everyone else for that matter that no matter what discipline you ride, no matter what breed of horse you are sitting, you can get better performance by putting together willingness and balance.
As good as Horseman Randy Rieman is, I suspect he is an even better man having to get to know him over the span of two clinic in two years. He stayed with me and had but to walk out the back door less than 100 yards to his classroom - my arena. Before and after the sessions gave me plenty of time to pick his brain across a wide range of topics. His insight into what Tom and Bill Dorrance were trying to impart, with understanding and communicating to the horse, was insightful to say the least.
Randy is close friends with Bryan Neubert and Joe Wolter and said more than once that there are no better horsemen then these two. I'll just bet that if you asked either of these two who the two best were, either one of them would put Randy on that list. And if you haven't heard of Bryan Neubert, Joe Wolter or Randy Rieman it's likely because they are as least commercialized as they come. They do not benefit from the movies, television and magazines highlighting the already well known clinicians on a weekly and monthly basis, nor do any of them market a long line of logoed products. You also won't likely see the flash, smoke and music of a DownUnder style event either. Randy fit his El Paso visit in between his foaling season and his annual clinic tours in Germany and Switzerland where there is a large following of the Californio style horsemanship (that's the term I think of - Randy may think of it as something else), but in any account Randy is carrying on what Tom and Bill Dorrance brought to the public.
Randy Rieman is easier to book and cheaper to host for a clinic than some of the more common names everyone is going to, or watching tapes on. I can't imagine anyone not getting their money worth having Randy sort out their issues with their horses. He will simply make everyone better, and make you want to get better - learning to learn as he said. Give him a call. Put him on your calendar and host a clinic, you won't regret it, and I'll just bet you will come away with at least a yearning to learn more.
Randy Rieman
472 25th Rd NW
Choteau, MT 59422
406-925-2467
We are fortunate enough to host a Randy Rieman clinic this coming May 4-5, 2019. In fact, I just announced this and we have filled 10 of the available 40 slots for four 1/2 day sessions.
Randy, based out of Choteau, Montana, is fitting us in during the beginning of his foaling season and just before his annual trips to Europe to conduct clinics.
He came down two years ago to neighboring Las Cruces to give us a two day clinic and demonstrated why he is highly sought after a Horsemanship, Stockmanship and Ranch Roping clinician.
Not only is Randy known for his horsemanship, but he is a noted Cowboy Poet, performing at events like the annual Cowboy Poet Gathering in Elko, Nevada, as well as being a renowned rawhide braider crafting Reatas and San Juan style hondos. Randy learned to braid rawhide from Bill Dorrance and produced a two DVD set called "Four Strands of Rawhide" with Bill Dorrance. He also conducts Rawhide Braiding schools for those interested in carrying on this old cowboy tradition.
The Randy Rieman Clinic location will be 17 miles East of downtown El Paso, Texas. If you are interested in riding in one of Randy's clinic sessions, text or call me, the sooner the better, at 915 204-7995.
My wife and I were very fortunate to ride in both days of a Randy Rieman Clinic in neighboring Las Cruces, New Mexico this past weekend. I had never met Randy before, but had talked to him on the phone about the rawhide reata my wife bought from him for a birthday present to me years ago (my wife is awesome) and about Montana history - my Granddad built a ranch North of Livingston in the early 1900's. Randy is a noted rawhide braider having learned that skill from Bill Dorrance.
Las Cruces area horseshoer, James Eguires met Mr Rieman in Hawaii while Randy was there starting colts for the famous Parker Ranch on the Island of Oahu, and arranged for the two day clinic. The night before the clinic, James and his wife Ja-Kee, hosted Randy and clinic attendees at their home in Mesilla Valley for a meet and greet with Randy, who after a dinner treated us to a couple Cowboy poems, including 'The Man in the Glass'.
When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your father, or mother, or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.
He’s the fellow to please – never mind all the rest
For he’s with you, clear to the end
And you’ve passed your most difficult, dangerous test
If the man in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
We appreciate that Randy took eight days out his schedule, six of those were driving days, back and forth from Montana, to come to all the way down here to help less than 20 riders. However, that worked out well for those who attended as Randy gave individual attention when asked and where needed - those are not mutually inclusive. Randy travels all over to give horsemanship and problem solving clinics including travel to Germany and Switzerland. If he comes to your area, don't miss seeing him.
As James was planning this clinic with Randy, we advertised the clinic to the local West Texas - Southern New Mexico horse community, and were surprised to learn that many people have not heard of Randy Rieman. I did not ask but those same people likely haven't heard of Buck Brannaman, Brian Neubert, Martin Black, Joe Wolter, nor the late Peter Campbell either. These are truly great horsemen who are not going to seek you out through the over commercialization of school, clinics and products but exists to bring us the lessons of Tom and Bill Dorrance, and Ray Hunt. It was the best two days of riding I've had in years.
Right off the bat Randy had us jog circles. I rode like I always do, and tell others to do as well, by using my outside leg to push the horse and my inside leg to get a bend. In other words bending the horse around my inside leg. Randy had me try using my inside leg to get the bend by getting my horse to put his inside back foot underneath his body and in front of the outside rear foot. So from the start he had me changing what I have been doing for years. I'm glad I did not resist doing what he asked as I was surprised to feel my horse moving more relaxed in those circles. Still using your reins to tip the head slightly to the inside, Randy also had us use rhythmic lateral pressure to get the horse to find the middle and drop his nose where he got a release. My horse found that right off. And all of this in the first hour.
Randy helped others discover this as well. And with a rider who's young horse was troubled with somthing, Randy would say "stay with him,....it's always darkest before first light." A few times Randy would take a horse, like the Palomino in the photos below, a get a change in that horse to underscore a point.
Randy is a humble man, leaning to "let's both of us see what works with you and your horse" rather than telling you what to do. That's what I call putting the "why" into instruction which is often over looked by some clinicians.
He mentioned that Bill Dorrance, who at 93 years old, got up each day eager to see what he can learn that day. Randy said he wants to be that guy.....don't we all want to be that guy. Before Randy left for the long drive back home, I said to him, as humble as he is, that he may not fully understand what value he brings to us, not just in his teaching from his experience working with thousands of horses, but in his inspiration - how he approaches working with a horse.
More Randy Rieman and Bill Dorrance in Lessons from a Legend below. Horseman Bill Dorrance shares horsemanship and roping lessons with Randy Rieman in this segment from Four Strands of Rawhide.
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