Regarding the Horses in our lives...

[perchie.girl]

My roommate was a woman namde Marie Hale. She had a nick name of Wild Mule Mary. Her stories about her mule Jeep were a hoot. I got to do a poker ride with her one time. Jeep slipped under the top chain of his camping corral and galloped all over the camp ground.... Me laughing histerically because before he would change direction his ears would make a flip and end up pointing that direction and he would be gone. Everyone in the camp was trying to catch him.... It was like watching a deer evade all those "cunning" predators... I could see Jeep laughing at them all.

Mule just went back to the horse trailer... and came out with a handfull of grain in a bucket and went to his corral.... and shook the bucket..... Key in cartoon sound effects of the Road runner putting on the breaks.... He was back to the corral in a nannosecond. "Wasnt THAT fun...." he said as he dove his head into the bucket....

The Poker ride was for charity so when we came back to camp after the ride the Channel 8 news was there.... and of Course they interviewed Mule who was riding in full period piece clothes Mule saddle made by McClintock and on the only Mule (Jeep) in the ride. first thing she said.... "This morning was exciting I had the loosest A S S in camp...."

the cameraman was stifeling laughter... But his camera was shaking.... the reporter smiled and dropped her mike down and said Thank you to Mule.... As they walked to the other interviewees She said to the cameraman.... "I guess that one goes to the Christmas party.."

I have to say you have to be a different kind of person to ride mules and to understand them.

kind of like Arabs.

deb

 

[casportpony]

My roommate was a woman namde Marie Hale. She had a nick name of Wild Mule Mary. Her stories about her mule Jeep were a hoot. I got to do a poker ride with her one time. Jeep slipped under the top chain of his camping corral and galloped all over the camp ground.... Me laughing histerically because before he would change direction his ears would make a flip and end up pointing that direction and he would be gone. Everyone in the camp was trying to catch him.... It was like watching a deer evade all those "cunning" predators... I could see Jeep laughing at them all.

Mule just went back to the horse trailer... and came out with a handfull of grain in a bucket and went to his corral.... and shook the bucket..... Key in cartoon sound effects of the Road runner putting on the breaks.... He was back to the corral in a nannosecond. "Wasnt THAT fun...." he said as he dove his head into the bucket....

The Poker ride was for charity so when we came back to camp after the ride the Channel 8 news was there.... and of Course they interviewed Mule who was riding in full period piece clothes Mule saddle made by McClintock and on the only Mule (Jeep) in the ride. first thing she said.... "This morning was exciting I had the loosest A S S in camp...."

the cameraman was stifeling laughter... But his camera was shaking.... the reporter smiled and dropped her mike down and said Thank you to Mule.... As they walked to the other interviewees She said to the cameraman.... "I guess that one goes to the Christmas party.."

I have to say you have to be a different kind of person to ride mules and to understand them.

kind of like Arabs.

deb

Or thoroughbreds, aka "terror-breds"

-Kathy

 

[Bunnylady]

The first thing people have to understand about donkeys and mules, is that they aren't just funny-looking horses. That's what trips most people up; they try to treat a mule like a horse, and it just doesn't work. You can bully a horse into doing what you want; try that with a mule, and it will come back to bite you - literally! A mule has to trust you to work with you. They are so smart, they almost seem psychic. When I first started working with Betsy, I did some lunging work (a mule rapidly gets bored, and then creative, so you don't want to do this sort of thing too much). If I thought, "ok, halfway around again and we'll stop;" Betsy would stop the moment the thought crossed my mind. I learned that I had to slightly up the pressure when I thought about stopping, or she would catch the subtle difference in my body language and beat me to the cue, so to speak.

Betsy came to us very 'man-shy.' One day, after she had been with us for a couple of months, I came home one morning and parked in the driveway as usual. I heard my husband's voice, screaming the kind of language that is frowned upon on this forum, from the direction of the barn. Looking that way, I saw Betsy cantering toward me. Hubby had left the gate open, and Betsy had gone through it. He gave chase, and she was running just fast enough that he couldn't catch her. Syd was trotting along behind him, looking like, "where are you going? I don't know where we're going, but I'm coming, too!" When he saw me, Hubby said, "Oh, good, you're home. You can catch the stupid thing," and went back to whatever he had been doing. I usually had carrot coins in my pocket, and Betsy knew it, so she trotted right up to me. I never have understood why anyone would chase a horse, or a mule . . . you'll never outrun them.

 

[casportpony]

The first thing people have to understand about donkeys and mules, is that they aren't just funny-looking horses. That's what trips most people up; they try to treat a mule like a horse, and it just doesn't work. You can bully a horse into doing what you want; try that with a mule, and it will come back to bite you - literally! A mule has to trust you to work with you. They are so smart, they almost seem psychic. When I first started working with Betsy, I did some lunging work (a mule rapidly gets bored, and then creative, so you don't want to do this sort of thing too much). If I thought, "ok, halfway around again and we'll stop;" Betsy would stop the moment the thought crossed my mind. I learned that I had to slightly up the pressure when I thought about stopping, or she would catch the subtle difference in my body language and beat me to the cue, so to speak.

Betsy came to us very 'man-shy.' One day, after she had been with us for a couple of months, I came home one morning and parked in the driveway as usual. I heard my husband's voice, screaming the kind of language that is frowned upon on this forum, from the direction of the barn. Looking that way, I saw Betsy cantering toward me. Hubby had left the gate open, and Betsy had gone through it. He gave chase, and she was running just fast enough that he couldn't catch her. Syd was trotting along behind him, looking like, "where are you going? I don't know where we're going, but I'm coming, too!" When he saw me, Hubby said, "Oh, good, you're home. You can catch the stupid thing," and went back to whatever he had been doing. I usually had carrot coins in my pocket, and Betsy knew it, so she trotted right up to me. I never have understood why anyone would chase a horse, or a mule . . . you'll never outrun them.

I've never worked with any mules or donkeys, so I find this interesting.

-Kathy

 

[perchie.girl]

The first thing people have to understand about donkeys and mules, is that they aren't just funny-looking horses. That's what trips most people up; they try to treat a mule like a horse, and it just doesn't work. You can bully a horse into doing what you want; try that with a mule, and it will come back to bite you - literally! A mule has to trust you to work with you. They are so smart, they almost seem psychic. When I first started working with Betsy, I did some lunging work (a mule rapidly gets bored, and then creative, so you don't want to do this sort of thing too much). If I thought, "ok, halfway around again and we'll stop;" Betsy would stop the moment the thought crossed my mind. I learned that I had to slightly up the pressure when I thought about stopping, or she would catch the subtle difference in my body language and beat me to the cue, so to speak.

Betsy came to us very 'man-shy.' One day, after she had been with us for a couple of months, I came home one morning and parked in the driveway as usual. I heard my husband's voice, screaming the kind of language that is frowned upon on this forum, from the direction of the barn. Looking that way, I saw Betsy cantering toward me. Hubby had left the gate open, and Betsy had gone through it. He gave chase, and she was running just fast enough that he couldn't catch her. Syd was trotting along behind him, looking like, "where are you going? I don't know where we're going, but I'm coming, too!" When he saw me, Hubby said, "Oh, good, you're home. You can catch the stupid thing," and went back to whatever he had been doing. I usually had carrot coins in my pocket, and Betsy knew it, so she trotted right up to me. I never have understood why anyone would chase a horse, or a mule . . . you'll never outrun them.

Yep.... too funny.... its that hybrid vigor... Donkeys are surprisingly smart as well... cross em up with horses and there you go. I have never handled a mule except lead one to the hitch post. but I have listened to Mule about them and read some and watched some BAD video and some GOOD video on them. The saddles are different and the bridles are different too. Mule backs are not the same as a horses back so a mule tree is important when buying a saddle for a mule. breeching and breast collar have to be used on some...

Then there are those ears.... I personally have seen ear shy Mules and donkeys.... too many people want to Mess with them. then getting a standard bridle on is shall we say a practice in enrormous ear folding.... Or buying a bridle that buckles behind the ears.... what a concept... All adustment is done below the browband. The brow band gets clipped on...

Mule bridle


snap brow



deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Mules and dressage. this is fourth level

deb

 

[casportpony]

Do you know what test that was?

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

This is one of my favorite Welsh stallions:

-Kathy

 

[perchie.girl]

This is one of my favorite Welsh stallions:

-Kathy

He has passage to die for..... incredible impulsion even the piaffe is outstanding.... I hate it when horses barely pick up the hind feet.

As to the Mule test... all I know was level four.... not which test it was. Found it in passing. I was looking for the Grand prix level one when I came across that one.

deb

 

[casportpony]

Quote: It was quite a good test... had no idea that a mule could look so good at that level.

-Kathy