Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Horses vs. mules

I'v got to to say I have been fortunate to own one super good horse and one super good mule in my life.
The horse was an cross something.As Baxter Black says, Out Of Truck from OK.He was smallish, maybe 14 hds,maybe 800 lbs, had more of fox trotter build than anything,but probably also had some Arab in him. He was kept east of Albuquerque in the Manzano mtns, and the guy got tired of sending the brand inspector down to the indian reseravtion to claim him as the boys kept stealing him.I paid $175 for him,saddle and everything else.When I went to get him,he jumped up in the bed of my 58 Ford pickup that I had a stock rack on.He took to me instantly and I to him. That was back in 65 or so and he stayed with me until maybe 77 or so when I finally had to put him down. He is buried on the place here.
He did about everything,but decided he wasn't a cow pony when I roped an angus bull that drug him over 20 acres.I learned a lot about tieing hard that day,or rather not to.

The mule, I bought as a weanling at about the same time the horse went to his maker. This mules was about typical of the mules you found back in the early 70's. Smallish, big head, short neck,short cannon bones and his trot was like a pogo stick.There was not much info back then about training mules so I set about it myself. We made a few mistakes,but he came out pretty good. Won a bunch of ribbons and such for gymkhana events and western pleasure and reining, but shined in the mountains.We did the Forth Worth Fat Stock Show,the Denver Western, NM State Fair and Iowa State fair, and many parades. He was pretty well known and a lot of parades you could hear the crowd yelling "Here comes Whiskey"
We did the St Patricks Day Parade in Denver with all the drunks out hanging on him and did a small parade up north where they had a F-14 fly over. We truned around and all the horses had bucked off thier riders and Whiskey just turned 180 to watch them come in,then did the flip side to watch them go.He's buried on the place too

Any horseman or muleman that has owned such an animal knows what it is to have that one good mount and you spend the next many years looking for a replacemnt but some how,none measure up.You get some goods ones,but never quite as good. A lot of dog owners know the feeling too.

So I'm not down on horses, I enjoy a really good one. I was just hurt or dissappointed too many times trying to find a replacment and an orney litle,black mule just seemed to fit me better.I have been riding them ever since. I would ride a horse if it meant I had to walk otherwsie though.

SS,

You mean like this ugly sumbich. "Dusty"

I'm not convinced that appys have ever really had a set confirmation other than color and stamina. They were bred by the Nez Perce Indians and they wanted color. Their horses were pretty mixed for body type but they had some really tough animals.

I don't know Wyowhisper.That looks like a matched set to me.

"You mean like this ugly sumbich. "Dusty""

prezacktly my point!

Rock Chuck...

I had an appy that was off the wild horse ranges in NV. So technically it was a mustang and gubmint branded.

Tell you what, he wasn't fast but the son of a buck would go all day long and the next day before supper. Now matter where ya pointed him... he'd go straight up a cliff and never break stride or slow down.

[quote=WyoWhisper] Now matter where ya pointed him... he'd go straight up a cliff and never break stride or slow down. [/quote

That is what I liked about our little one, he would go anywhere.

I would have like to have used him to sort cattle, as he had a bit of a turn to him, but never got the chance as someone was always hunting on him.

I am curious about the Mustangs; we only had one come through the place and it was a more of a pet. A worthless pet at that. Hammerhead, long back, no give at all to the pasterns, etc. Could kick and bite though. But I knew folks who had some fine stock from the govt programs, thats a nice looking one in the photo. Are mustangs like wives, either very good or very bad?

How come it's only the horse guys that have prejudices?

I'll grant you the tradition part. But I'm with Ray, most mules can't/won't move like a horse. I'm not talking about the rodeo arena either.

Well Ralphie,it is probably because you haven't been on a good trained mule.I'd bet you are under 35, and have the attitude that all cowboys ride horses and tradition says you have to. Nothing wrong with that and I'm not picking on you for it. Heck, if it were not for horse riders, we would have anything to breed to make good mules.However,if you think cowboys never ride mules,you need to work down in AZ, NM or parts of Texas or Nevada. You also need to spend some time at Jake Clarks Mule sale and rodeo in Powell, WY and the Mule Days at Bishop Ca ,if you don't think mules can move like a horse and ar not athletic.

There was fellow at the Eagle Co Mule sale this year from Riley NM.That is all high desert country. He and his family ranched 57 sq miles of that nothing country and does it all with big tall 16-17 hd mules

As for the predjudiced part.I have just always found it is the horse mounted guys who claim they would not be caught dead on a mule.

Common sense says if we can find some thing to do the job better,we use it. Example:I would not try to pull my gooseenck with a 1/2 ton pickup.

Most mule riders did not start off as mule riders. In fact I don't now anyone who was not a horse back rider to begin with.These folks didn't just one day say,"I'm going to start riding" and decided they would ride a mule instead. They just made the switch after they found out mules could do what they wanted just as well as the horse but had more attributes. I'd never climb on a mule that only did mountain trail work in order to work cattle on, just as I'd never climb on a roping horse, that only did that for a living ,to run up and down mountains with.

I have been around horses/mules and donkeys my whole hunting life and I will take a good quarter horse over a good mule for hunting..I also have seen more than one hillside torn up from horses and mules not wanting to pack game or are just in the mood to be ornery that day.

A good hunting animal is one you raise from a baby just for that.I have held on to the tail of a nice palomino which pulled me up the steep trail with half an elk on it's back with it's "master" leading it. It also was the family pet in Eagle Idaho in the old days and stuck it's head through the kitchen window..

There both good but once you have either and only use it for hunting,your in for a surprise.I have had over 20 horses and mules in my day and can't afford them anymore as they are spendy as hell anymore.

Just my opinion...Jayco

Your pretty much right Jayco. I have probably had 30 or so mules ,not near as many horses,and the best are the hand raised ones for the purpose you want them for.

Well... Most people will throw in a Pat Perelli sp? CD and start in on 'em... they soon decide it isn't worth but the price of AlPO. Not the way you do it.

Here's the cliff notes.

If you have a BLM horse from the range you gotta remember they are a flight animal and havn't seen many 2 legged things that have done anything nice for em. It is a by far slower process. Also, not a 1 or 2 hour a day thing. Once you start school there are only certain times you can "call it a day". Then you are right back at it the next day. My wife has more patience in that regard than I ever will. There were quite a few 10-15 hour days. Everything I mean everything is done from the ground first until it is SOLID. Then just a bit more. Then you begin the sideline and take a few good full hours of just testing the waters. Then get your best snubbing horse. Preferable one that out muscles or out weighs the Mustang by a bit. Then you test the waters. If there is any hitch or hole right back to the ground work.

It is a slow tedious trial. But in the end we never gave one up. They for sure arn't for everyone. I havn't seen many pards who started em right wish they hadn't, nor been eager to give em up.

Maybe?

I tend to think that the Nez Perc knew what they were doing.

Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition wrote in his February 15, 1806 journal entry:



Appaloosa Horse Club itself estimates that only about ten percent of the horses owned by the Nez Perce at the time were spotted.
Many believe that the spotted pattern was an after thought after the trend was established.

There is one clear fact, most foundation breed Appies will have half the hoof problems that AQHA's will have.

Another item for a think, about 1-in-10 to 1-in-12 Appies are also traceable to President Grants studs from Istanbul, the Ranger Horse, and that is purly a 'blood' breed.

Any one interested, here is a link to something I find of interest, I owned 2 Ranger Horses in my life, really liked both of them, (but will not vouch for the all of the breed) 9Link: )

Around here, we use a lot of Mustangs in a huge kids program that I am blessed to be a part of!

Here is a little article about he program and their use of Mustangs.

�Chance� Joins Ranks of Other Famous BLM Mustangs in Colorado

Some Youtube vids, just kids, lot of Mustangs in the ranks...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7tqCKMqTc0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT9D7nRJ2uY&feature=related

I can't really get into the horse vs. mule argument as I have seen good examples of both. Myself, I have a molley mule I broke 21 years ago. She is part of the family. I've a custom made saddle with mule bars and she is a nice ride. I also used to drive her some in a fancy high wheel wooden cart I built. I haven't drove her in years and my riding is about down to nothing as it kills my bad knee. SS is correct on going to Bishop to see some killer mules, they are there is spades. It is like Sturgis for mules. There is something fun there for everyone to do, even if they aren't into mules.

One thing about owning a mule that the horse guys can't live up to is, "getting drunk on my ass".

Saddlesore,

You nailed the age part, 33. But I've ridden some good mules including two friend's mules that were bought at Jake's sale. Actually several of Jake's family members come to a big branding here every spring (they are all dang good hands). There is usually 4 or 5 of them and they've brought one mule, one time. Only used him for dragging calves. That isn't much of a representation of their riding, so I'm not making any judgements.

I think some mule guys might be just a tad prejudiced themselves. We should argue this some more sitting around a real fire someday. My vanity isn't so great that I can't ride with a guy riding a half-ass

708fan
Here are a couple for you. This mule is 26 yrs old

Hey Ralphie.I pulled cows teats for all my early years. Back then when we went to school,all us farmer kids had to sit in the back away from the stove because the city kids said we stunk when we got warm. I could never get cow smell off me from having my head buried in thier flank twice a day. I try real hard not to mess with them critters now days,except maybe to eat one. Around here they have a lot of small roping and team penninmg events and they always want me to come play.I always tell them I don't consider a cow a companion animal to play with

Ralphie,
One thing I have learned over the years from being around Mules and Mule men all my life is that it won't do any good at all to try and reason with them, they like those long eared demons because they both have the same qualities and dispositions!

I will put money that my well bred 14 year old registered rope horse, cow horse, hunting horse, that will catch the fastest steer out there in a heart beat, will pack a large deer in my lap 5 miles and can top any mountain in Idaho or Arizona in record time and when all the horses around me are foaming with sweat, he might be wet under the saddle blanket and instead of heaving he wants to eat grass..That is what he is, smart, tough as wang leather, and well trained...and at the end of a hard day I can go team rope steers until dark or I can rope 50 steers at a jackpot and he will run the last steer just like the first steer..I have never had a mule come close to this kind of ability and don't believe their is one.

BTW, the mule that was ridden by Buddy Heaton is all those old movies and rodeos was born and raised on my dads ranch, I broke and trained that mule, buddy taught him all those neat tricks..I had to teach him English as the dumb sob could only speak Spanish. His name was Hollywood and he was a really good mule, I hunted off him and could pack a deer in my lap on him. He was a smart mule and I hated to sell him but the money was too good.

Atkinson. Funny you should say that. My wife says the same thing.

"One thing I have learned over the years from being around Mules and Mule men all my life is that it won't do any good at all to try and reason with them, they like those long eared demons because they both have the same qualities and dispositions!"

Since first hand knowledge and experience trump all else on this forum,Were going to have to go with Mrs saddlesore on that one.