SADDLESORE - " ... I prefer mules because as the saying goes. A horse will kill you by accident and a mule will kill you on purpose. They are that much more smarter than a horse. Also a good mule is 10 times better than a good horse, but a bad mule is 100 times worse than a bad horse."
That reminds me of a story in
"TULAROSA, Last Of The Frontier West," by C.L. Sonnichen, Univ. of New Mexico Press, (c)1960. In it he recounts the history of New Mexico and it's settlers, outlaws, ranchers, etc.
One old crusty rancher, John Prather, who was a third generation N.M. rancher had his ranch located on what became the White Sands Proving Grounds. The Army wanted his property and he would not sell, or move, no matter condemnation efforts, Federal Marshals, local Deputy Sheriffs, etc. He swore he'd die before moving, and he'd die by taking some of the "confiscators" with him.
Finally, trying to reason with the old man, an Army major said to Prather, "Sir, we're going to be shooting rockets and missles right over your house. Doesn't that concern you?"
Prather looked him in the eye and said, "Missles? I am not afraid of missles. I have raised mules all my life."
The Army finally relented and Prather kept his ranch until he died. Then it became property of the Army.
That tells you something about mules, huh?
L.W.
