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. :lol: :lol:

 

[R A]

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

I bet! ....yeah, I have a guy in my office wanting to know how many years out we can go on a loan for a pair of mittens? It's been crazy all winter here!!! I'll be in a t-shirt, then it will cool off and snow, then I'll be in a t-shirt
and so on all over again, all winter so far. :???: :???:

 

[Nicky]

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

 

[R A]

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

Thank you! She will be two this spring. She is out of a warmblood mare. She is very shy/timid! They halter broke her, but that was it. You couldn't just walk up to her and she didn't like being touched. Like I said, I haven't even led or even petted a mule before and was scared to death I would do something to make her scared of me or hate me for life and we would just butt heads and I would cry because my mule hates me and quit ranching.....lol.

I was told to be very patient, never beat, make the punishment fit the crime-don't over react-then forget about it, make friends, have a sense of humor and mule training should be like watching paint dry. I like putting 3 or 4 years of ground work on horses before I ride them, so I am use to taking things slow. I don't know if all mules are like her or not, but she doesn't overreact to anything and I'm real careful how I approach teaching her things and she really has been easier to train than a horse so far. Like, it took me 5 hours to load her here the first time taking our time and not getting excited. She loads like she's done it for years ever since. I thought me desentitizing her to me throwing ropes all over her would make her hate me, but she gave me a funny look the first time, I petted her, she hasn't even cared since. I feel a lot better now messin' with her, but also can see or sense where a person could ruin one real easy though already.

Sorry for going overboard...lol. I'm just excited!!! I've wanted to mess with one for a long time and I finally have one! I'm truly fasinated by how they think and all that and can't wait to learn more and try things with her! I've been reading about them everyday.

Do you have mules?

 

[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. :wink:

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]

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...

Yeah, the not forgiving part I've been hearing is what had me on egde a little. The 3rd or 4th day I was messin' with her, I accidently hit her with the end of the lead rope while untieing it from the post. I was like OH CRAP I'm going to get double barreled for that sometime here real soon.....lol. ...but she forgave me, I guess. I was going- I'm sorry girl- over and over...lol.

Another wise sayin from MR. FH! ...I like that! Very true, but can be easy to forget when out there!

 

[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.

 

[R A]

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.

That is a very sad story burnt, but I am glad you told it because it is a reminder of what could and can happen. I feel bad for that family!!!

 

[Hayguy]

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.

That is a very sad story burnt, but I am glad you told it because it is a reminder of what could and can happen. I feel bad for that family!!!

a close freind and neighbor who ran a small feedlot(4000) hd. was using and training mules for general feedlot and trail riding use. one day he was working one in his round pen when his daughter who was still in the barn saddling her horse heard something out side , she went out to find her dad on the ground totally stomped,but alive, ambulance called, air ambulance called,etc. he says that all he can remember the Doc saying was "massive internal injuries" several years of surgury rehab etc. finds him pen riding again . don't ever ever trust a mule.

 

[leanin' H]

A good friend of mine who outfits in the Book Cliffs of eastern Utah has had mules since i've known him. He says it takes ten or twelve mules to find a good one but once you do, you'll never ride a horse again. They have a different gait and can sure move out on a trail. He doesn't have to shoe them and they don't need high dollar hay. He feeds his oat hay and they thrive. I have rode several but never broke a mule. Ask Mrs. H though because she claims she has been married to a jackass for years! :wink: And i've heard he minds pretty good.

Love the pictures as always! May i ask why you take 3 years on the ground before progressing to getting on? With the method i use (Sacking and ropes), i am on the horse on the first day in the round pen and out for a ride on day 3. Just curious. Might have to send you my ancient copy of a VHS tape that teaches the method i use. I have broke probably 2 dozen horses this way and have never had one do more than crow hop.

 

[gcreekrch]

Might have to send you my ancient copy of a VHS tape that teaches the method i use. I have broke probably 2 dozen horses this way and have never had one do more than crow hop.

That's probably a good thing, you might get hurt otherwise. :lol: :lol:



I haven't been on a colt in 10 years and hope to never get on another.

 

[leanin' H]

Might have to send you my ancient copy of a VHS tape that teaches the method i use. I have broke probably 2 dozen horses this way and have never had one do more than crow hop.

That's probably a good thing, you might get hurt otherwise. :lol: :lol:



I haven't been on a colt in 10 years and hope to never get on another.

Shoot! Ol' Billy Etbuarer and Lewis Feild used to call me all the time for tips but i got tired of trying to teach guys with no natural ability like i have! :lol: :lol:

You better not try topping off any broom tailed colts at your age! :shock: Just take a couple geritols and try not to break a hip typing mean comments on here directed to me while Deb does all the work. :lol: :wink:

At my current weight, all I gotta do to break a colt is sit on him. He couldn't buck if he was line bred back to airwolf! :shock: :lol:

 

[R A]

*
*
**********MULE FOR SALE!!! GET YOUR MULE HERE!**********

I moved to town and don't have time for her any more....lol.

 

[R A]

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.

That is a very sad story burnt, but I am glad you told it because it is a reminder of what could and can happen. I feel bad for that family!!!

a close freind and neighbor who ran a small feedlot(4000) hd. was using and training mules for general feedlot and trail riding use. one day he was working one in his round pen when his daughter who was still in the barn saddling her horse heard something out side , she went out to find her dad on the ground totally stomped,but alive, ambulance called, air ambulance called,etc. he says that all he can remember the Doc saying was "massive internal injuries" several years of surgury rehab etc. finds him pen riding again . don't ever ever trust a mule.

Yikes!!!! Man, that's terrible and had to hurt like heck for quite awhile!!! :shock:

I'll keep my wits about me and see what happens....hoping for the best!

 

[R A]

lol....I hear ya on the weight leanin' H!!! I started weight liftin and training strongman a year and a half ago and am up to 300 lbs right now. Horses won't buck when they know they can't...lol. So I'm tied for the owner of the worlds smallest ranch :wink: ...and am the worlds weakest amateur strongman We should fly back and forth and train together...it makes ranchin chores a breeze!

Yes, you may ask on the 3 years of ground work thing, I don't mind at all! How long of an answer do you want?
hmmmm.... I'm not good at typing how or why I do things...lol.
I like to start a colt at......I'm a wimp and don't like getting hurt....lol. Basically, I just love the feeling of starting to ride a 4 year old horse that I've had since birth or a weanling that has been through my enormous amount of grounwork! It just feels right???