Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Went to check on my 2 yr old again

Went over last night to see how my 2 yr old mule colt was doing after 30 days at the trainer.

H walks out nicely and has a comfotable trot. Steering is much better, stop, Whoa and back up is coming along. Pretty quite and stands to mount or dismount.

The gal is doing a decent job, I just wish it was faster. So I had to get on for my 2nd ride on him. I wore my spurs this time, trainer has not yet.

That caused some excitement, I didn't hit the ground, but had an uncomfortable moment or 2. Really the colt took it pretty well, just a buck or two to show my he didn't like it, but he cooled off pretty fast. I tried to sidepass him a little and got it done but wasn't pretty.

Trainer is going to ride him some more till he will lope off with spurs on. More time and money at the trainer is better than buying life insurance I think.

Adios,Ray

If you take the time it takes, it takes less time.

There are no shortcuts.

Check as often as you can, then check some more. You won't accomplish much if you don't learn the trainer's techniques and use them once you get your mule home. Even if you think you know all about it, the trainer's techniques are going to be different.The trainer should be able and willing to work with you on this. If the trainer is not willing to train you too, you need to find a new trainer. Most of the problem with getting the mule to work with you is knowing how, when,where to ask the mule to do something. It's 75% human and 25% mule. A lot of this, people call mulemanship.

The other thing is with the mule at the trainers and he/she spending enough time with it, the mule will become dependent and bonded with the trainer and not you. You need to interject yourself into that routine. Probably a mule needs to be with a trainer at least 90 days, 30 days only gets the mule use to the trainer.

A good resource is Pall Garrison III' s FB page. He is located down be Medina TX

I will say that I have worked with that colt since he was a few hours old even flagging him out while he was sucking on his mama. I had him standing pretty quitely tied while saddling and line driving in my arena. He would whoa, back and turn while saddled,with me on lines,but not on his back.

I also workrd him from a saddled mule, loose in the arena, pushing and pulling on the saddle and pushing him on the side like you would when riding. He would step over on the ground when I used a spur in my hand, appying it where you would with your leg when riding. He would do all this at home before the trainer got him.

I want to get a solid start on him while he is 2. When they get older they get a lot tougher. I am all for gentle persuasion when training if I can.

I read a story about a guy who hired a man to plow with his mules. When it was noon they came in and unharnessed to water and feed. The boss said " Watch out for that mule, he will pull the lead away from you and run to the tank, you can't hold him"

The hired man didn't say any thing he just got the mule unharnessed , lead him to the door and let him break away for the tank, except he had the lead rope tied to a good post. The mule got stopped hard, but the next day you could lead him to the tank, no more pulling away.


When I ride I ask lightly for what I want, If no response, I'll ask more assertively, if I still don't get a desired response I'll try another tack.

If we still ain't getting along I will stop that request and do something we can and will do untill a good stopping point. Then tomorrow we'll come back and win the battle if it comes to that. I will not allow a mule to get in the habbit of refusing me if it knows better.

I will quit a battle if I don't a good end, but I will plan ahead to win the goal. The goal being a quite, responsive, useful and safe mule.