Josh Armstrong Clinic

This past weekend we hosted a invitation only Josh Armstrong Clinic at our Red Bird Ranch with six participating riders......Josh Armstrong and Betty, a happy student, at left. Few in the Horse world and nobody in the reining world has not heard of Josh Armstrong and Armstrong Equine Services of La Mesa, New Mexico. Josh is a Top 10 Finisher at both the NRHA and Congress Reining Futurities, and a European National Champion Reiner. He is an author and has made a horsemanship video — The First Dimension — available for purchase at his website. Armstrong Equine Services offers training, boarding, breeding, temporary stays and foals for sale. Among their set of Stallions is the well known Von Reminic.

Josh spent three hours in the arena teaching, demonstrating and explaining how to get a better stop on your horse; walk to trot, walk to trot to lope, and walk to lope transitions; rollbacks and doubling. He spent time individually with each rider helping them on their weakest points. One of his strong points is the calm, common sense way he presents the hows and whys. One of the riders had a pretty high strung Roan Mare. Josh took extra time to help this mare, driving her around (see picture at left), help her find a place where she could accept the pressure and find a release.

As much educational as the clinic was, there was a some funny moments, highlighted when we tied the horses up to have lunch and the Roan mare Josh was working mistook a plastic horse statute as a servicing stud, moved over and stuck her hind end in his face.

Anybody in the greater El Paso, Texas - Las Cruces, New Mexico area would be well served to attend a Josh Armstrong clinic or visit any of the events Armstrong Equine Services hosts at their ranch in La Mesa, New Mexico. It's really a pleasure to watch Josh ride bridleless, getting sliding stops and spins off of his performance horses. In fact, Josh has got to be doing what he does because of his love for it, because he certainly ain't making alot of money with the inexpensive fees he charges.