pictures

[R A]

I've had the mule almost 2 weeks now. I was nervous having never dealt with a mule before,
but so far so good.


So far I've taught her to be caught and...


...to be roped



...to trailer load



...to be ponied



....to smile ...halter marks are from the halter they had on her.




I'm glad I didn't sell this bull. What I thought was foot rot, was just ulcer deals.
Can't even tell he had sore back feet now and he couldn't hardly walk a few days ago.



He's a fierce one














Come on little gloves...be strong. You have to hold out a couple more years
Buying dollar something replacement gloves will ruin my bottom line

[Big Muddy rancher]

If you were up here this morning you would be off to the bank for a loan to get a pair of mittens.

[R A]

[Nicky]

Nice pictures. LOVE the sunset and barbwire! The mule is cute, how old is she?

[R A]

[Nicky]

I don't, have never been around one. Soapweed has one. No offense but our neighbor says "anyone who says they have a good mule has never had a good horse" LOL I'm sure you will do great with her.

[R A]

Well, that's not the response I was hoping for....lol. just jokin! I thought maybe you guys had mules and could set me straight on them from the start here. No offense takin! I know some people hate them. I'm easily entertained, but at the same time need to be learning new things. I need to learn about the mule...training, riding and packing with them,etc....then it's off to draft horses and using them here to do things. I want to have a good draft horse team running off with me story while teaching my grandkids someday how to pack a mule....lol.

[Faster horses]

We have never had a mule, but my grandfather raised them in Missouri.
They were half-draft. One thing, a mule won't forgive you like a horse
will...looks like you are doing good with her. Fortunately, you seem to know
that animals can't tell time.

Go at her like you have two hours and it will take all day. Go at her
like you have all day and it will take two hours. Mr. FH taught me that
with cattle...

[Soapweed]

I always enjoy your photos, R A. The sunset picture is really nice.

Speaking of mules, here is a molly that was five years old when I acquired her in the summer of 2010. I didn't seem to be getting much done with her, so paid some tuition so she could go off to a semester of mule college. She is in the care of some excellent mule folks, Tom and Levi Jones from Falls City, Nebraska. They have quite a mule business going and are top hands. My mule, Delilah has been with them since October 1, 2011. They have ridden her a lot, and she is now broke to drive also. She will be coming back to our ranch soon, and I am excited to see the progress I know she has made. The irony of it all is that Tom Jones is singing about Delilah.

Here is their webpage. http://www.jonesgentlesaddlemules.com/

Here are some pictures of her from July 15, 2010:


A new five-year-old molly mule

That I traded for yesteday. Her mother is a daughter of Colonel Freckles. I am calling the mule "Delilah."

[R A]

[R A]

Thanks, Soapweed!

Fine looking mule! Thanks for posting pictures and that story!

Thanks for the link to them guys that train mules also! Falls City, Neb isn't all that far from me....it's straight as an arrow, straight west of me. I didn't know about them. Looks like I might have to go over a be a fly on the wall there at the end of April.

I think I seen you roping off of her in the branding pen, so I can't imagine what she'll be like having made progress like you say! That's funny about Tom Jones the mule trainer and Tom Jones the singer and Delilah is her name. I youtubed the lyrics of that song and changing a few words here and there in it, could make a great mule song

Do you have any mule pointers?

[burnt]

The Old Order Mennonites just north of us seem to be using a lot more mules all the time rather than draft horses. Although they get along well with them, one had an very bad experience a couple of years ago while treating one with a sore hoof.

After a week or so of treating it, one day the mule lined him up and "double-barreled" him like you said and plastered him against the stone barn wall across the alley behind the stalls. They found him there dead from head injuries suffered when he hit the wall. Left behind a young pregnant wife and a little one. Not the kind of story you wanted to hear, I'm sure.