I started talking with my cowboy buddies and they convinced me that my saddle was too old and it was fine for older raw boned high wither horses but not for the modern horse. I went down to J.C. Penney’s and bought a brand new saddle. It had a new style tree in it. The tree was made of plastic and they guaranteed it for 5 years. The tree is the skeleton of the saddle made up of the bars, pommel, and cantle. A short time later we were working cattle and as I roped a 600 lb calf she hit the end of my rope and out popped the horn. That was not a good feeling to feel your saddle come apart under you. I took it back and they put in another tree. It happened again and the manufacturer said I was too tough on the saddle that it had not happened to anyone else. They reimbursed me and I bought a saddle with a wood tree covered in rawhide. This saddle served me well for a number of years riding horses.

I had lots of folks tell me that a mule would suit me better considering the rough country I rode and the things I was doing. Consequently I soon bought my first mule, Casper. Yes, I did like a lot of folks I put my "horse" saddle on my mule, jumped on and tried to treat him just like a horse. I added a lot of pads to get the saddle to FIT. I rode with a breast collar but not a britchen. (I wrote an article about using a britchen entitled Sitting on the Neck of My Mule.) Casper taught me a lot of things starting with going down hills. Without a britchen that saddle went forward real fast! At that time I didn’t know that a mule has a "V" shape shoulder and a horse has an "A" shape shoulder. When going uphill on a horse the saddle goes back, on a mule it moves forward going downhill. After getting Casper started in his training I started looking for other mules to train. Pretty soon I had a good little heard of mules on my outfit and they taught me a lot.

In 1986 I met Nick West and Delos Burk from Alberta. Each year they wintered in the valley they would come nearly every day to help around the ranch rather than play cards or shuffle board at the trailer park. They introduced me to their good friend Abe Ewert. Abe worked for the forest service and was a packer out of Vancouver, B.C. Abe had developed an adjustable pack saddle and wanted to design a set of bars to fit mules. We made back molds of the mules we had at the ranch and some others. We came up with a new bar. I have used that bar for over 20 years on my pack saddles.

Over the years I learned that a semi-quarter horse tree or a full quarter horse tree was not going to work on my mule. I approached several saddle makers asking questions, telling them I needed a saddle for a mule. I did not explain what I had discovered over the years about the differences between a mule and horse back. I presumed a saddle maker already knew the difference.

After a month of riding with my new saddle my mules started showing signs of discomfort; shaking their head going down hill, moving around when saddling, switching their tail or moving around when I got on. These were the same things I had problems with using a horse saddle.

I went to the saddle maker and questioned him about the type of tree he had used in my mule saddle. He said a semi-quarter horse tree. He assured me any problems I was having were not from the saddle. I asked if he had a tree the same as I had in my saddle that I could take and set on the backs of my mules to see the fit. We took that tree, placed it on the mules back and it rocked like a rocking horse. The saddle maker’s suggestion was to add pads and blankets. That made things worse, which started me looking closer at the trees.

Abe came by one day and we started discussing the problem I was having. Then it dawned on us that we had the right bars on the pack saddle. I started searching for a tree that had bars similar to the pack saddle. I looked at lots of tree manufacture’s bars. Nothing came close to the bar we used on the pack saddle.

By this time I had really studied mules and discovered some big differences between horses and mules:
First, the scapula (top of the shoulder blade moves up and down like a piston in an engine. Horse shoulders move forward and back.
Second, mule shoulders are V shaped and horse shoulders are A shaped.
Third, mules have fat pockets which they inherit from their daddy, the donkey. These fat pockets run on the top of the neck, across the top of the ribs and around the tail dock. A mule or donkey being fed high protein feed and not working may develop big ugly masses in theses areas. The 3rd and 4th rib area is where you can really see the difference. A horse saddle has a twist in it and tends to sit right on top of these ribs. This sores the mule.
Fourth, the kidneys are closer to the center of a mule than the center of a horse. If a tree is setting flat in the kidney area it may place undue pressure on the muscles in that area. This may cause discomfort or problems with the kidneys and hair wear on the hind quarters.

So think about your mule’s disposition and attitude. Is there a problem with the saddle you’re using?

I hope this information has been helpful to you. Should you have questions please contact me at steve@muleranch.com

Steve Edwards

Steve Edwards trains mules and donkeys and educates humans about how to communicate with them by offering clinics, apprenticeships and specialized training programs. Queen Valley Mule Ranch is a college for mules and their human companions owned and operated by long-time Arizona residents, Steve and Susan Edwards.

Steve can be reached at steve@muleranch.com or (602)-999-6853.

Guess what happened on the first down hill? Yep, you guessed it, over the head I went. The saddle went over the shoulders and on up the neck. I stayed on going over grabbing halters and ears, landing in front of the mule but on my feet.

I decided to tighten up the cinch and down the next hill I went. This time I turned sideways on the trail to keep from going over the neck.

One of my old cowboy buddies suggested I center-fire the saddle. That worked better, but not great. I fought that saddle the whole trip. It was miserable. I even made a crupper, put the saddle on and put the crupper under the tail. That mule went nuts! He was determined to buck me off. He didn't like that thing rubbing on the softest part of his body.

That night I decided to talk to a saddle maker and get a britchen. The saddle maker and old friend suggested I use a britchen off one of my old harness. Now that started my quest for what makes Mr. Mule comfortable. I know what it's like to have a sore back and a belt that's too tight. I decided that's how a mule feels when he is saddled up poorly. Horse saddles are not made to fit mules, and it does make a difference.

When I first started out I was not only using a britchen but I was using a horse saddle. The mule protested but I thought it was the mule's fault. You know the mule has a bad reputation so everything he does is his fault right? Nope it's our fault.

Now first I want to say the best you can do for your mule is to have a good fitting tree! Notice I didn't say a good fitting saddle. You CANNOT TELL IF A SADDLE FITS UNTIL YOU SEE THE BARE TREE FIT. The tree is the Skeleton.

Next in importance is the britchen, which is what I want to talk about today. First let’s talk about what a britchen does not do. You do not use it to keep your saddle or cinch back ALL THE TIME you are in the saddle. The britchen is for stops and going down hills. This is when the saddle moves the most. This is what the britchen is designed to help with. When the britchen is tight all the time, it will rub hair off the hip in a short time. I have seen mules scalded in as little as half an hour. Do not adjust your britchen straight. This may look good but will pull hair quick because it does not fit the hip flush.

Lets look at different ways of fitting the britchen

This picture shows how I see a lot of britchens fit. See the area at the top of the britchen strap? The hair is pushed up. This will start cutting hair just like a razor. Notice the space under the bottom of the britchen strap. This further confirms the pushing up of the hair at the top of britchen you see in the picture.

What should a good fit look like?

This picture shows the angle I prefer. Notice the angle of the strap. The whole strap is flush with the hip

Here I am pointing out the area where it you can position the britchen. Where to place the britchen depends on the size of your mule’s hips. You may have from three to as much as ten inches of adjustment.

The wide strap that all the adjusting straps attach to at the top of the hip is called the hip safe. Set the hip safe just behind the croup at the top of the hip. Placing it there will help the hip safe to stay in place and not slide towards the saddle.

Adjustments – I may move my britchen up and down the hip sometimes twice in a three-hour time frame. This will help prevent wearing hair off the hip. Do consider the temperature. If your mule is hot and sweaty, hair will rub off much easier.

As you can see in this picture, you should be able to place both of your hands between the britchen and the hip. The hair of the hip should just touch the back of your hand.

Reasons to use a britchen rather than a crupper

I can ride with a loose cinch. This will help the mule to have better lung capacity and to be a whole lot more comfortable. Each strap on the britchen will do its job to help keep the saddle in place.

The britchen will help keep your saddle from going forward. When adjusted properly, it will also help limit side-to-side movement.

The hip has more mass to help distribute the weight from the rider and saddle. This is an extra bonus when getting on and off.

You can adjust a britchen up and down the hip several inches where you can’t adjust a crupper at all. A crupper will wear the soft skin of the tail and sore it. (You would never use a crupper along with a packsaddle.)

I could go on and on, and at my clinics I address lots of questions on this subject. We hope to see you at one sometime soon!

Steve Edwards

Steve Edwards trains mules and donkeys and educates humans about how to communicate with them by offering clinics, apprenticeships and specialized training programs. Queen Valley Mule Ranch is a college for mules and their human companions owned and operated by long-time Arizona residents, Steve and Susan Edwards.

Steve can be reached at steve@muleranch.com or (602)-999-6853.

I’ve stepped on lots of toes about now so let me explain. Think about how you pick up your mule’s hoof. Do you reach down and pick up the hoof by “pulling on it” rather than asking the mule to give it to you? Have you allowed the mule to shift his weight so he can prepare to work with you? When you are done do you drop the foot? Does your mule lean on you when you pick up the hoof? Let’s learn to do it right!

Now before I get started I want you to understand, any time you work with animals you have a chance of getting hurt or your animal getting hurt. It is very important that you think things through before you start working with Mr. mule. When you have fright you can have flight and fight. When you start getting mad or Mr. mule gets mad you need to find a good place to quit. Either start rubbing Mr. mule to calm him down or leave him to stand and think about things. Standing is a great training tool; don’t shy away from using it.

Let’s start at the beginning and see if we can make picking up the feet a pleasant experience. To start you need an attainable goal. Our final goal would be to have a mule that picks up all four feet and holds each up indefinitely without leaning. The immediate goal would be to achieve any kind of movement upon touching the shoulder or hip button. If your mule is young this will be a fast process, if your mule is older he has probably found lots of ways to get around this picking up the foot process. Remember to always reward by rubbing the mule and use a quiet tone in your voice. Say some thing nice and rub the mule at the same time. Something like, good for you, good mule, keeps a positive attitude for you and Mr. mule. Sorry words develop a sorry attitude.

This is how I start young mules that no one has spoiled. Keep the lessons short, always stop on a good note, this is true any time you’re training or working with your mule. At first Mr. Mule may do something you don’t like, for instance kick at you. If you make it a big problem it will become exactly that. Never kick him in the belly or hit him with a whip. At first he may kick at the quirt. This is not the time to kick him in the belly either. You just stay consistent, keep taping, and as soon as Mr. mule moves, stop tapping and rub and love on your mule. Remember; never make a big deal out of him kicking at you, just keep tapping.

STEP #1. I start at the left front leg, looking from the tail of the mule. It’s also called the “near” front. I ask the mule to pick up the hoof by pushing on the shoulder blade. You can feel the sharpness of the bone at the middle of the shoulder. (See photo on right.)
Watch the hoof carefully as you push on the shoulder blade. Look for the hoof to get loose on the ground. As soon as it does, take the pressure off his shoulder. Do this 3 times in a row.

Tip of the shoulder blade

Things To Do:
Three times of any training starts your foundation.
Do this with each hoof you work with.
Be sure to do lots of rubbing.
Make a big deal out of the smallest thing you see Mr. Mule do right.

Now that you have asked each foot to ‘think about giving’ now use a four-foot long quirt. Rub the shoulder blade with your thumb and as you see the foot move tap the hoof with the quirt. Look for the smallest attempt to work with you. As soon as you see it, take the pressure off the shoulder and stop tapping the hoof.

Tapping the hoof with the quirt

Things To Look For: At first the hoof will move a little. As you work on it every day, Mr. Mule will start working with you.

Training Tip: A good training tip here is to keep feeling the esophagus. Before you start your training rub and shake the esophagus. See how it feels like a bowl of Jell-O? This will tell you Mr. Mule is calm and has an understanding of what you are teaching. Throughout the training if the esophagus tightens up, stop and rub and speak quietly to the mule. When he softens up go back to work.

As you touch the shoulder blade say, "give it to me." Mr. Mule will learn that when you touch the button (shoulder blade, hipbone), that’s the cue to pick up the foot .

STEP #2. To work with the rear leg, push on the hipbone and you will see the hoof move a little. Remember: when you get a little you’re on you way to getting a lot, reward him. As with the front foot, have the mule think about picking up the foot.

Hipbone

Things To Look For: When you see the mule switch the tail or the tail is tight or maybe even a little crooked he is not happy! Be very careful here! Mr. mule could kick at you or move fast and knock you over.

STEP #3. Use the quirt the same way as you did with the front feet. Light taps increasing until he picks up the foot. The back foot is usually more difficult than the front.

Tapping while pushing on the hipbone

Things To Look for: On the back foot he may just take the weight off the foot. That’s OK— this is a great place to stop. When you are able to pick up the rear hoof, as he gives you the hoof bring the hoof to the front first then take it back. This will get the back leg to relax and uncheck the hip. Then take the leg back again and get your work done to the hoof or leg. Everybody wants to hurry up and go riding.

Training Tip: Groundwork is more important than riding.

Another problem is that folks drop the hoof after they are done. You are teaching the mule to pull a way from you by first teaching the mule to get in a hurry by dropping the hoof. When you are done cleaning the hoof put your left hand on the hip and the right hand on the canon bone and set the foot down. This training will be good when you need to care for the health of your mule.

Hope this helps you. Let us know if we can help.
Steve Edwards

Steve Edwards trains mules and donkeys and educates humans about how to communicate with them by offering clinics, apprenticeships and specialized training programs. Queen Valley Mule Ranch is a college for mules and their human companions owned and operated by long-time Arizona residents, Steve and Susan Edwards.

Steve can be reached at steve@muleranch.com or (602)-999-6853.

After Mule Days it was summer in AZ. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories. It’s so hot we fry our eggs on the sidewalk! That’s almost true. What is true is that only the true diehard trail riders ride in the valley during the summer. Ann may have rode a dozen times over the next few months. When October came and it cooled off Ann decided to go out on a nice trail ride. A short time into the ride she renamed the trail: “Monster Trail.” Behind every bush and every rock was a mule eater.

Once Norman found the first mule eater (a black rock behind the bush), he decided to take control of the situation. Snorting and going side ways down the trail just sure he was going to be missing a leg before the ride was over. Needless to say Ann was on pins and needles the whole trail ride. She would just get relaxed and Norman would find another mule eater. Jumping sideways running backwards and sometimes spinning around. Nice sweet Norman could have been sold that day for twenty-five dollars, or better yet Ann would have paid you five hundred to take him off her hands. Ann took Norman home and thinking he just needed to get out more so she tried a couple shorter rides the next week. Ann was pretty frustrated when she emailed me saying, “What do I do now?"

"Monsters have attacked my mule." I called her on the phone and she told me about the past trail rides and how Norman wasn’t getting any better.

I chewed her out real good for not calling me after that first ride. Now the monsters were 10 foot tall and wall-to-wall. Once Ann calmed down, I asked her what she was feeding Norman. She told me alfalfa hay. She was awful quiet over the phone for a minute when she answered me. She said, “Now, I know what you are going to say. I am feeding too much good feed." "You’ve told me, and told me and I’ve been in your clinics and I guess I can’t get it through my head not to do that and I guess you are going to tell me to change feed." She was right. I told her to start changing feed slowly because even mules can get a touch of Monday morning sickness. Monday morning sickness is another name for azoturia. The farmers use to refer to it that way because their draft animals would sometimes have a bit of colic on a Monday morning after standing around without working on Sunday. I suggested Ann try Lakin Lite pellets. Years ago I would of never considered feeding pellets. I did not think mules could possibly be full and contented from eating such a small amount of food in such a short time. I did not realize that the pellets expand after the animal drinks and it gives them a full feeling.

Pellets are high in fiber and useable nutrients. Some pellets include grains, corn, wheat bran, cottonseed meal etc. These types of pellets are necessary for hard working animals. If the animal is not fed enough grain he will first burn body fat for energy and then burn muscular tissue and this will result in a thin and less effective riding mule. Mules are very easy keepers. I have told people for years that you can feed two mules for the same amount of money it takes to feed one horse. I have proven my theory with my own tests I have done over the years. I have found that mules will thrive on good quality grass hay along with a mineral salt block. About a year ago I started experimenting with Lakin Lite pellets. These pellets are nutritionally sound. Here is a list of ingredients from the package.

Crude Protein min. 11%
Crude Fat min 2%
Crude Fiber max 30%
Calcium min 0.7%
Calcium max 1.2%
Phosphorous min 0.2%
Copper min 15ppm
Selenium min 0.2ppm
Zinc min 50ppm
Vitamin A min 300IU/LB
Ash max 12%
Added Minerals max 1%
Alfalfa hay, Bermuda hay, Cane Molasses, Phosphoric Acid (feed grade) Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Cobalt Carbonate, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Vitamin e supplement, vitamin B 12 supplement, Riboflavin supplement, Thiamin Mononitrate, Niacin supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid and D-biotin.

Any feed must contain enough fiber “roughage” to keep the animal’s digestive track moving properly. Foals and weanlings need around 16% protein while mature mules can get by on 8% protein. It is very difficult to know just what vitamins you are getting from a bale of hay. With pellets you just read the label. For instance selenium in the soil varies greatly from place to place. Consequently you are seeing this mineral being added in the pellets and concentrated feeds.

Most mules and horses stand around five days a week. They just eat, drink and sleep and get ready for the next meal. Just like most of us Americans these days. The good feed we are on if not combined with exercise results in overeating and over weight. Then we follow up with a weight loss diet. Mr. Mule is made to last 20 to 30 years and his big ole horse type body must stand on those little hooves that he got from his daddy Mr. Donkey. As I travel around doing Mule Training Clinics I see lots of mules fat as an old steer ready for the butcher. Now it is not good to be stuffing that ole mule full of that hi protein feed when he is just standing in a corral.

When you are using Mr. Mule 2 to 4 hours a day 5 days a week you might consider putting a nosebag on him and adding a little grain before you get in the saddle. Feed a lot of grain to Mr. Mule when he just sits around on a daily basis and you are going to have a rocket ship on your hands. Besides that it’s expensive. The colts that I ride get fed real good to build bone and muscle. They get ridden in the mountains and I need them to have a lot of energy. A 1000-pound mule is offered 3 pounds of grain. Usually he won’t finish it all and then I get right to work with him, either riding driving or packing. Any time that I have mules with a sorry attitude i.e. snorty, bad ground manners, unwilling nature, hard to catch, in general not wanting to do anything but stand in the corral and be left alone, those mules get nothing but the Lakin Lite pellet. I have seen the absolute sorriest mule change his attitude. I think these rich alfalfa hays and feeds we are feeding are kind of like drugs, for mules. It has amazed me to see the awesome change in attitudes in a mule. One mule in particular made an amazing turn around once I changed feed; Moses who belongs to Rich Fillman here in AZ. When he first brought the mule to me you could hardly get near him. He was hard to catch, snorty on the ground, and did not want you on either side of him. He just wanted to be left alone. So I started my foundation work and on a daily basis. I fed this 1000 pound mule (he was extremely fat and the top of his back was as flat as my kitchen table) Lakin Lite pellets twice a day measured out in a three pound coffee can. I also required him to do some aerobic exercise in the form of hiking trails, pulling wagons, packing freight all on a daily basis. The first 5 days I saw a tremendous difference in Moses. He started to be more willing to be trainable. He had learned lots of bad habits over his 8 years and had learned to bluff all his owners during that time. So not only did I have to work through his attitude, I had to give him patient and consistent training to build a good foundation and to help him on his way to being a good mule. I found that if I added alfalfa hay or other hot feed to his feeding program, he had an immediate negative attitude change. I have been training ole Moses 2 month now. I have had him on the Lakin Lite pellets the entire time. He has lots of energy, I use him on the wagon starting other colts, he’s a great lead mule for a pack team and I have been riding him. He eats up a mountain trail like it was flat ground.

Please don’t change your mules diet because I have written this article. Get with your veterinarian or a good nutritionist to see what would work well in your program.

One thing I want to caution you on; DO NOT FEED GRASS CLIPPINGS in any form. Grass clipping should not be fed for a multitude of reasons but mostly because they have weed killers and fungicides that can be toxic to horses or mules. Grass clippings are prone to cause choking because the animals do not have to chew in order to swallow.

Some folks back East have lots of great grass hay, which is great feed for Mr. mule. While I was out there I saw the prettiest hay I’ve ever seen. Lots of folks thought my mules where skinny, but when they climbed on their mules the saddle slipped sideways because their mules were so fat that the mules body could hardly hold a saddle. Ha! Ha!

The reason I started experimenting with different feeds was from reading a book called How To Be Your Own Veterinarian - Sometimes By Ruth B. James, DVM. I got this book from her about 5 years ago and it sure has been handy.

Oh, you are probably wondering what happened to Norman. I have been getting emails from Ann Mulcay every other day telling me that Mr. Norman is absolutely doing fantastic. He is listening to her, he is finding fewer monsters on the trail and Ann is real happy because she can relax in the saddle again. She is planning to go to the Mule Rendezvous here in Arizona and Bishop California for the world championships.

Steve Edwards trains mules and donkeys and educates humans about how to communicate with them by offering clinics, apprenticeships and specialized training programs. Queen Valley Mule Ranch is a college for mules and their human companions owned and operated by long-time Arizona residents, Steve and Susan Edwards.

Steve can be reached at steve@muleranch.com or (602)-999-6853.

When you get home you put her in the corral because it’s late. It’s late because it took three hours to load this great mule! Now you feed your mule and say good night.

The next morning, you go out and walk in the corral and that great-deal-mule won't come near you. Two hours later, and with the help of the neighbors, you catch the "great deal." Now you are leading the mule to the hitch rail and you are wishing that you had a tractor to lead with. While she's tied at the hitch rail, you go to brush the great deal and she tries to kick your head off. The problems with this "great deal" go on and on.

Now this is just one little story out of hundreds that we have heard over the years. Lots of folks have thoughts on what a broke saddle mule is suppose to look like. I like what Ben Tennison said in one of his articles, "My favorite color is broke." "Broke" is the old cowboy term for "trained", or as I have seen it on most outfits, half trained. I want to share with you some of the things you can look for in a mule that rides, drives and packs.

First, let's look at a saddle mule. "Disposition" is everything for any mule. If your potential mule won't work with you and doesn’t like people, don’t go any farther. As you are looking at the mule, allow the owner to go into the corral to get the mule. If the mule is already saddled, this always throws up a red flag to me. The mule could be lots of things: drugged, hard to catch, bad to saddle and full of lots of other spoiled habits. What I would like to see is for the mule to be in the corral and meet you and the owner at the gate. Watch to see if the mule turns and faces the owner or turns to go the other way.

Now, as he halters the mule, you want to see the mule put her nose in the halter. As the owner leads the mule, it's good to see the mule lead easily with slack in the lead rope, following rather then dragging.

While brushing, I like to see the mule stand quietly, enjoying the brushing and the conversation. Yes, conversation! Mules like it when you talk in a nice quiet voice. Yes, their vocabulary is limited to a few words they were taught in their foundation training; "get over", "give me the foot", "gee", "ha", "whoa", etc. The most important word they need to know is WHOA! Whoa means a complete stop; no other movement, just stand still and quiet and wait.

As the owner picks up all the feet, at no time should the mule lean on him or pull away. Have the owner take a hammer and tap on each hoof. Miss Mule should stand still and quiet the whole time. All the while, watch the ears and the tail. The ears should be still and not stiff, the tail should hang quietly -- not switching or sucked up.

At this point, it’s time for saddling. You are watching to see that as the owner is saddling, the mule stands quietly. Now it's time for the bridle. As the bridle is put on, the ears can be easily moved into place. If they have to unbuckle the bridle, the mule may have ear-shying problems. This can be a big problem. I have found that this is a hole in training that is time consuming to fix. It is also the start of other problems that are going to surface later on when you are not expecting it. Note the bit: how does the mule respond to it? Does she neck rein or do you need to plow rein to turn?

Now you are ready to watch the owner ride. I’m never impressed when someone jumps them out into a run or a lope (canter). I want to see the mule stand still to get on, waiting to see what the rider is going to ask of her. That could be step to the right two steps, or to the left five steps, or a quiet back up or back five steps, then walk off quietly.

If the mule is saddled ask the owner to remove the saddle. Look at the mule's back. If you see white spots, she has had an improper saddle on. Folks try and fit a horse saddle on a mule and they hurt the mule's back. The bigger the white spots, the more the problems. Look for any old scars on the mule and ask questions about the scars.

Here is the problem with a poorly fitted saddle: a mule doesn’t like pain and the wrong saddle is like boots that don’t fit; soon your feet will get sore. There are a lot of mules bobbing their heads going down a little hill, and by doing this, they are telling you that the saddle is hurting their back and one day they will get tired of telling you and they will buck you off! Now they'll have your attention! Other saddle fit problems are evident when the mule is walking short and choppy, jumping around, or even kicking the saddle out of your hands.

Have the owner lead the mule back to her corral and turn her loose. Visit with the owner and listen to the stories about the mule. Ask where he got the mule, how long he’s had the mule and why is he selling the mule. Note the mule's attitude while she is standing in the corral. Now take the mule back to the hitching post and have him saddle the mule. The whole time a mule is being saddled, observe the mule's disposition. The ears need to be loose and moving around quietly. The tail must be hanging loose and not tight.

If the owner has a britchen, note how goosey she is and the crupper the same. If the owner doesn’t us a crupper or britchen ask why. I have seen lots of mules that, when you slide the crupper under the tail or the britchen down, they go to kicking at you or they are very goosey. If he doesn’t have a britchen or crupper ask him to tie a rope to the horn, go the long way around, then slide the rope under the tail and around the hips. This will show you how goosey the mule is. Now for the bit, watch for its ability to work with the mule. When they get on the mule does he stand still and patiently? Ask him to back first. Note the ease of the backup: did he work off the bit, or the rider's legs or both? Next ask him to ride him in a figure 8. Is the rider having to pull on the rein to get the mule to turn, or is the mule light on the bit? Watch to see if the mule responds to leg cues. Spend as much time as it takes to do all of the above on the first visit.

Now at this time I suggest you tell the owner you're going to think about it. Go home and do a lot of thinking. If you’re interested in the mule, set up an appointment. This time, set up a pre-purchase exam by your veterinarian, then revisit and go through the steps again. You are buying this mule to relax on your time off, so take your time. When you take your mule home, spend a lot of time on the ground. This will help the mule get used to you. Take her out as much as possible, lead her around, tie her to the mule trailer or anywhere else. This teaches the mule that their job is not to just stand around in their corral and eat and drink all day.

She Drives... (Part II)

In our last article, we wrote about looking for a riding mule. We told you what you need to look for: disposition, conformation, training. We need to look for these same traits in the driving mule. I start by asking how the mule was started. What type of training has he had? I want to know about the foundation work.

As an example, we start all our driving mules without blinders. The reason is that Mr. Mule wants to know everything going on around him. He is much happier when he can see everything that is happening around him. Did he start learning to drive by first pulling poles, tires, etc.? How long was his training before the first drive? Thirty days will give a good foundation. (I would never consider him trained in only thirty days.) Did he start single or as a team? Can he drive single and/or double?

Now let's look at Mr. Mule's disposition. When buying a mule, start at the corral. How easy is he to catch? The very best mule will walk up to you. I like to see the mule drop his head and tip the nose toward me to put the nose into halter. While leading him to be groomed, how attentive is the mule to the owner? He should follow willingly, not be pulled. The mule should stand quietly as he is being groomed. He should be able to have his feet and legs worked with ease. Before you hook him to a wagon, I would like to see the mule dry drive, (without a wagon) pulling a tire or pole or just walking quietly behind him. While putting the harness on, Mr. Mule needs to be quiet, but a little shifting of weight is OK. He should not be bothered by the different parts of the harness touching him.

Be specific when you ask about driving. Ask if the mule drives single, double or both. How do you want to drive Mr. Mule? Just because someone says ‘he drives’ doesn’t mean single and double!

Let's take a minute and look at single driving harness. Here at the ranch, we like single harness with a collar rather than breast harness. We believe that the mule can pull with more ease and will be more apt to enjoy the drive.

When being hooked to the wagon Mr. Mule needs to wait for every move the teamster will ask for. A well-trained team will walk quietly and step over the pole and stand quietly while the teamster hooks them up.

When climbing in the wagon and holding onto the lines, Mr. Mule needs to stand still and quietly while waiting for the teamster to pick up on the lines. At this point the mule should not start to move -- not until the driver asks for either a backup, come gee (right) or come haw (left), etc. As Mr. Mule starts out, his head position should go straight, not to the right or the left. When you come to the gate going out to the street, does the mule wait on the driver, or he is impatiently ready to go as soon as the gate opens? This is a taught trait and not the fault of the mule. This is the driver's fault. This teaches the mule impatience. Does the driver have to slap the mule with the lines? This is "only in the movies", as Bud Brown would say. Instead when you ‘pick up on’ the lines and you speak to the mule. The mule, if he has a good foundation, will go the way he is asked.

Now the real test! The road is a very dangerous place. Just being on the road with all kinds of vehicles and folks who are all in a hurry is bad enough. With a vehicle, you have bumpers. But with a wagon, the mule has the driver and he needs to be very experienced! This can be a fun time but it is very difficult; it is a hard test with the traffic flying by and lots of noise. Watch the ears and tail; Mr. Mule will tell you what he is thinking. The tail should hang quiet and not be switching. If it is switching, he is upset. Hanging quiet, he is at ease. The ears will be flopping if he is at total ease and straight up if he is questioning something. The ears will be straight up and stiff when he is mad.

Folks, before you get in to the expense of driving, do your homework. Read, go to clinics, buy videos, take classes and most importantly, drive a lot with an experienced driver.

As you observe the way different mules respond to the above test, you will begin to have a genuine insight as to what it takes to make a good mule. Driving is great family fun if it is done safely.

She Packs...(Part II)

In the past two articles, I have shared with you a few things to look for in a riding and driving mule. I cannot emphasize disposition enough. This means that the mule must be a willing friend; willing to go where you go and willing to do what you ask. A big quiet brown eye, not snorting when you come around, anxious to see you when you come to the gate. In short a willing nature.

I prefer a medium bone conformation. The head coming straight up out of the shoulder, the longer the ear, the better. Nice round hips and a good wither would be a bonus. I’m 5’ 6", so packing a 16 hand mule is sure tough. I prefer 14.2 hands to pack.

Lots of folks think that a pack mule doesn’t need to know much. I look at packing as a level of knowledge and foundation the mule needs to know before he becomes a good saddle mule. We believe in lots of training aids. We tie to our trailers, we front leg hobble, and we use hitching posts and hot walkers. These all teach the mule patience. These days, mules think their job is to stand in a corral. When you take them out of the corral they paw, jump in the air, or move around a lot. Tying them out helps them under stand the need to be happy anywhere you ask them to go or stay.

In lots of packing books, the author suggests to "make everything tight so nothing rattles and scares the mule". As part of our training program, we put tin cans and any thing else that would rattle in the boxes so we can sack him out. How about the day you open a stick of gum and this little noise scares Mr. Mule?

I use packing as final sacking and preparation for riding. I figure that pack boxes won’t jump like I will when the new mule hits a tree or a saguaro cactus. An experienced pack mule will know to step to the side and go around those things; that pack box could have been my leg hitting the tree or cactus!

A good pack mule should stand still while you are packing him. The pack bags and boxes are bright orange but this should not be a problem as mules are color-blind. This packing is good foundation training that will help Mr. Mule get adjusted to weight and noise.

Opening a tarp and pulling it over the pack outfit will sure blow a mule’s mind if he has not been sacked out. Notice we use a plastic tarp to pull over the mule. We take a foot away at the same time with a scotch hobble. This teaches the mule to give to the new pressure of giving to his leg. A few times of this and he will learn that he can’t take his leg away. You will be training him to accept the tarp and give his leg at the same time. This is essential training to prepare for easy shoeing and foot care.

The lash rope flying over the back of Mr. Pack Mule can be tough, especially when the lash slaps him on the belly. By the time you get the 40-ft. rope tied, you have trusted Mr. Pack Mule with your life. You have been under his belly, around his back legs and moving around the off side (right side). Yes it is a very good mule to just handle the loading part!

While the leg is tied up, you can practice with the lash rope. We place the mule in training in a string with a good mule for the lead. I tie the mule I’m training to the good mule and we head down the trail for an hour or two. We string five mules together to pack our freight to camps. Mr. Mule gets a lot of trail miles this way.

The first time out with a new pack mule can be quite exciting. The mule may have done great up to this point, then the sorry beggar thinks that he is a boat anchor. This is where good halter training comes into play. I start all my mules with come-along hitch, or as some call it, a nerve line. This goes around the nose and up over the pole. When Mr. Mule sets back in the string, he’ll only do it once or twice before his foundation will come back to him. He remembers to lead with out any problem. I have a low opinion of mule halters with chains that go on the noise or under the chin. I think that if he has a good foundation, Mr. Mule will lead with just a rope halter. Mr. Mule likes his nose and you will get a softer mule if you don’t hurt it.

It is very important for the pack mule be in good physical condition. Packing dead weight is tough on the animal. Don’t just take him out one day and put a pack outfit on his back. He needs to be conditioned. Use a hot walker if you have one available. Lead him behind your riding animal for a few days.

Let’s take a quick review of the things you want to look for when buying a mule to ride, drive, or pack:

- Good disposition
- Conformation
- Easy to catch
- Stands quietly
- Moves away from trees, etc.
- Leads well
- Gets along with others in the back of him and in the front
- Medium to heavy bone structure
- Good wither
- Long in the back
- Good physical condition

We know that buying and maintaining a mule is expensive. By following the guidelines we have laid out in the last three articles, we trust you will truly be purchasing "a friend for life".

Steve Edwards trains mules and donkeys and educates humans about how to communicate with them by offering clinics, apprenticeships and specialized training programs. Queen Valley Mule Ranch is a college for mules and their human companions owned and operated by long-time Arizona residents, Steve and Susan Edwards.

Steve can be reached at steve@muleranch.com or (602)-999-6853.