Re: Re: Mules?

["Corky" <corky@rabbitbrush.com>]

Title: Re:  Mules?

I believe the reason that more people don't ride mules is most people just don't understand mules.  I have a mule that will soon be 21 years young, I bread her myself and have had her all her life.  I have also bread and had as many as 30 Arabians, I am now down to 1 purebred, 2 half Arabs and the mule.  I did do some endurance rides on her and she was fun to ride but not real fast and slow to recover ( she is 16hh ).  She is the most honest animal that I owned.  One thing that I have found out about mules is that they are either good or they are awful, there just dose not seem to be any in-between.  Mules bond with their person much more than a horse dose.  Mine was raised with Arabians and I was always afraid she would see herself in a pond and wonder who that long eared animal was, I am convinced that she thinks she looks like an Arab.  My one piece of advice to any one who rides or is thinking of riding a mule is to let the mule think it was his idea, if you can convince him of that he will do any thing.

Corky Young

Calamity (21 years young Appaloosa mule, my ass has spots)

----- Original Message -----

From: Tara Wheeler

To: ridecamp@endurance.net

Sent: Friday, November 09, 2001 6:38 PM

Subject: RC: Re: Mules?

So, why don't more people use them?
Comments?

'Cause people would gang up and kill them after they brayed all night and kept everybody up.  :)

Sorry, the only ride I've ever been to with a mule in attendance, everybody glared and sniped at the rider because the damn mule brayed all night and only those of us lucky enough to be way on the other side of camp from them got any sleep.

To be fair, I have had similar problems with stallions and just plain herd bound horses squalling all night, but there's just something about that bray that sets my teeth on edge.