Rode a MULE on a CTR on the weekend

[Dalriada]

Now I’ve been riding long distance competitions off and on since the early '80s. I grew up with Arabians and Partbred Arabians, ridden Welsh, Saddlebred, Quarter Horses, Appaloosa, etc, mainly the light breeds or crossbred draft.

I’ve shown a multitude of breeds and disciplines but I have always wanted to try riding a MULE.

Two weeks ago at the last 50 miler of the OCTRA season a fellow rider who is noted for his mules, a rarity in Ontario, offered me a chance to ride his molly mule (female) at the next ride one of the last CTRs of the season.

Needless to say I jumped at the chance but was told I would have to be restricted to the shortest distance as she hadn’t been ridden in 8 weeks due to the owner being injured. I was still game - at this point any mount at a ride is good for me, as my mom and I are splitting one distance horse.

Well Kate is a lovely mule and I had met and admired her earlier in the season when she did her first 15 miler with her owner. One word of warning to others contemplating this “adventure” mules don’t cotten to strangers to well. It took about 3.5 miles for us to come to some sort of agreement: a) we weren’t going to go at CTR speed or faster, we had to stay at the 5 mph that the other 2 short distance horses (doing first outings) ; b) there is to be no shaking of the head, pulling and popping wheelies with the front end when being asked to slow down; and c) no rolling into a canter, putting head between knees and crow hopping. All this had to be tactfully negotiated without pissing off the mule. Talk about a battle of wills to get to a wonderfully pleasant hack.

When we compromised we were able to let the reins out without changing pace, travel along at a good steady pace and I wouldn’t pester her about the stopping dead to wait for the others when they got out of sight and hearing, I wouldn’t discipline her other than with voice, and I would reward good behaviour back at base camp with left over grain cadged from my own horse’s bucket.

All in all a good ride, pretty hairy in the beginning but a real treat that given the chance I would repeat in the future. The bonus was that Kate is a Tennessee Walker cross and is gaited. This was my first time riding a gaited horse and OMG running walk at 7mph without my rear leaving the saddle is truely amazing. I must say it took some getting used to when the previous weekend I posted the majority of a 50 miler.

[pandorasboxx]

That sounds like a blast! Especially the gaited part. I would kill for a true gaited Arab or at least my back would!

[gdolapp]

I have been riding my horse a little bit this year. But I have been riding my friends
MULE an awfull lot. She is a big girl at over 16 hands and is a sweetheart.
I am leaving on the 1st of Oct for Eminance, MO and will ride her for ten days. I can’t
wait.

I broke my back last november in three places had to have surgery. My horse threw me.
I actually got back on him the end of may of this year and have ridden him quite frequently
but have ridden this mule more. She is not gaited but has a big smooth stride to her
and actually she makes my back feel better.

[Shadow14]

[QUOTE=pandorasboxx;3549429]
That sounds like a blast! Especially the gaited part. I would kill for a true gaited Arab or at least my back would![/QUOTE]

The problem with gaited horses is the pace is often too slow. Sure they have a nice running walk but a good arab doing a nice working trot runs away from them. I worked a rocky mountain horse this summer and while she sure could move out again my arab would run away from her. What do you do then. Ask her to trot??? No a lope would be the only solution and that defeaters her purpose. The TW also have a running walk that is very smooth but if you ask for a little too much speed from the walk they get really really uncomfortable and again a lope in the only solution.
I will stick to my versatile arabs
The idea of a mule crosses my mind often. I would jump at a chance to ride one.

[Auventera_Two]

:lol: Sounds like a very fun and challenging ride for you! I’m jealous that you got to ride one, but not envious of your “discussions” you and Kate had.

I recently started working with a girl to teach her how to trim hooves because she has mules that try to kill strangers. The last farrier that tried to trim one of them almost didn’t make it out in one piece.

I trim a donkey who likes to lay down during trimming. She shuts her eyes and goes to some happy place where donkeys go when things get too stressful, apparently. :o

As much as I’ve entertained the thought of a mule, I think I’ll pass. Nothing beats a great Arabian.

[katarine]

Mules have their own opinions and sense of justice. Often they don’t openly cotton to strangers, esp if they’ve had a tough run with some.

We used a grand, big mule on our annual MT trip of 2007. He never gave us a moment’s trouble, despite all of us being strangers to him. He was a loaner, LOL. We treated him with affection and respect and he returned the favor. He was easy to load (pack mule) zero trouble on the trail, and when the arab we also packed failed to understand that bridges are for crossing, not avoiding then trying to straddle :eek: he calmly undid his little haystring lead, pirouetted perfectly…and came back to me to avoid the wreck.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b7d727b3127ccec2595687832500000050O08AZN2TRm4Ytwe3nwA/

He was sold after an unwitnessed wreck in the mtns last Fall. No one was killed but something/someway/somehow came uncorked and a rider was hurt pretty bad.

Now he’s solo in a pen in MT with a mankiller rep? Farrier went to trim this new guys horses/mules and there stands G. Farrier gets warned he’s a killer?? Thing is farrier knows G. Tells owner I don’t know what you’ve been told but that there is one of the best mules I’ve ever known!

anyone in SW MT need a good mule???

[Kyzteke]

[QUOTE=Dalriada;3549413]
Now I’ve been riding long distance competitions off and on since the early '80s. I grew up with Arabians and Partbred Arabians, ridden Welsh, Saddlebred, Quarter Horses, Appaloosa, etc, mainly the light breeds or crossbred draft.

I’ve shown a multitude of breeds and disciplines but I have always wanted to try riding a MULE.

Two weeks ago at the last 50 miler of the OCTRA season a fellow rider who is noted for his mules, a rarity in Ontario, offered me a chance to ride his molly mule (female) at the next ride one of the last CTRs of the season.

Needless to say I jumped at the chance but was told I would have to be restricted to the shortest distance as she hadn’t been ridden in 8 weeks due to the owner being injured. I was still game - at this point any mount at a ride is good for me, as my mom and I are splitting one distance horse.

Well Kate is a lovely mule and I had met and admired her earlier in the season when she did her first 15 miler with her owner. One word of warning to others contemplating this “adventure” mules don’t cotten to strangers to well. It took about 3.5 miles for us to come to some sort of agreement: a) we weren’t going to go at CTR speed or faster, we had to stay at the 5 mph that the other 2 short distance horses (doing first outings) ; b) there is to be no shaking of the head, pulling and popping wheelies with the front end when being asked to slow down; and c) no rolling into a canter, putting head between knees and crow hopping. All this had to be tactfully negotiated without pissing off the mule. Talk about a battle of wills to get to a wonderfully pleasant hack.

When we compromised we were able to let the reins out without changing pace, travel along at a good steady pace and I wouldn’t pester her about the stopping dead to wait for the others when they got out of sight and hearing, I wouldn’t discipline her other than with voice, and I would reward good behaviour back at base camp with left over grain cadged from my own horse’s bucket.

All in all a good ride, pretty hairy in the beginning but a real treat that given the chance I would repeat in the future. The bonus was that Kate is a Tennessee Walker cross and is gaited. This was my first time riding a gaited horse and OMG running walk at 7mph without my rear leaving the saddle is truely amazing. I must say it took some getting used to when the previous weekend I posted the majority of a 50 miler.[/QUOTE]

I love mules! And many of them are just fine with strangers…THOUSANDS of people do the Grand Canyon ride every year, and 100% of them are riding mules. Many of these people have barely ridden before.

I’ve know plenty of horses (including Arabs) that would act the fool while being ridden, and I’m sure you have too. This one just had longer ears <g>

Now a days they are breeding some really handsome mules o/o QH & TB mares. In fact there is one for sale that I really lust after, but I simply can’t justify his price. It’s a buckskin weanling colt o/o a cutting bred QH mare…He’s a handsome dude!

[Kyzteke]

[QUOTE=katarine;3550851]

He was sold after an unwitnessed wreck in the mtns last Fall. No one was killed but something/someway/somehow came uncorked and a rider was hurt pretty bad.

Now he’s solo in a pen in MT with a mankiller rep? Farrier went to trim this new guys horses/mules and there stands G. Farrier gets warned he’s a killer?? Thing is farrier knows G. Tells owner I don’t know what you’ve been told but that there is one of the best mules I’ve ever known!
anyone in SW MT need a good mule???[/QUOTE]

Send you a PM!

[Rachel_L]

I want a mule so bad. I want to breed my Icelandic mare to a donk for an Icelandic mule, but that would be irresponsible backyard breeding and the Icelandic people would probably never forgive me. Nothing to add really, just joining in the mule love-fest.

[jeano]

[QUOTE=Shadow14;3550655]
The problem with gaited horses is the pace is often too slow. Sure they have a nice running walk but a good arab doing a nice working trot runs away from them. I worked a rocky mountain horse this summer and while she sure could move out again my arab would run away from her. What do you do then. Ask her to trot??? No a lope would be the only solution and that defeaters her purpose. The TW also have a running walk that is very smooth but if you ask for a little too much speed from the walk they get really really uncomfortable and again a lope in the only solution.
I will stick to my versatile arabs
The idea of a mule crosses my mind often. I would jump at a chance to ride one.[/QUOTE]

My grade walker can trot like a house on fire, and, since he isnt terribly strongly gaited, shifts into the trot when he cant go faster in his running walk. My racking horse trots in the pasture but almost never does under saddle. That’s a gear I’d like to elicit from her, better for her back than the rack, and she’s smooth as silk no matter what she’s doing. Even her hard pace is sittable, if a little alarming. The racker is too lazy to be an endurance horse but the walker, now he’s never been tired. I’m thinking the best endurance gaited breed would be the foxtrotters, my riding buddy has a very strongly gaited gelding that can foxtrot faster than my horses can canter.

Since there are gaited saddle donkeys, it might be possible to have your gaited Arab mule that way…

[Shadow14]

[QUOTE=jeano;3552543]
My grade walker can trot like a house on fire, and, since he isnt terribly strongly gaited, shifts into the trot when he cant go faster in his running walk. My racking horse trots in the pasture but almost never does under saddle. That’s a gear I’d like to elicit from her, better for her back than the rack, and she’s smooth as silk no matter what she’s doing. Even her hard pace is sittable, if a little alarming. The racker is too lazy to be an endurance horse but the walker, now he’s never been tired. I’m thinking the best endurance gaited breed would be the foxtrotters, my riding buddy has a very strongly gaited gelding that can foxtrot faster than my horses can canter.

Since there are gaited saddle donkeys, it might be possible to have your gaited Arab mule that way…[/QUOTE]

I have had very limited experience with gaited horses. I am just basing my opinion on two. One is my regular riding partner on a TW and I have to keep my horses pace down so he doesn’t go into a really rough gait trying to keep up. He does not trot. It is a running walk or lope and nothing inbetween. Same with the rock mountain horse.

[katarine]

but all and every gaited horse is different- even within the same breed, mostly apparently within the same breed…my racky filly - SSH/TWH will slip into a trot from her fastest rack and in time I may teach her a cue to ask for it. My step-pacey TWH gelding has a gorgeous trot at liberty but never considers finding that gear u/s. IF a body could find a nice multi geared gaited horse that will take a trot when cued, coupled with a ground eating RW or strong flat walk, now THAT would be cool

[Dalriada]

It was a blast and yes she was doing some “gait” at over 6.5mph when I let her out. I couldn’t post to it - and there were mile markers up as the ride was in conjuction with a local CTR.

When I let her out she “lost” in her dust the 2 horses we were with and almost caught the CTR horses in front that were travelling at a decent clip - had to make speed where you could as there were plenty of boggy sections to slow down your overall speed.

I must admit, I almost bailed and walked back to base camp when Kate and I were having discussions. I can RIDe and love to ride challenging horses but at that point neither of us were having fun. Once she got lectured over her crow hopping, she settled down. I kept thinking another 1/2 mile of this and I’ll call it quits - not worth me getting hurt especially when I’m entered for the 50 miler at the AERC/AHA National Championships in 2 weeks.

Anyone going??? Want to meet?

[Trakehner]

I ride a gaited mule…and he will walk away from the horses. He’s also happy trotting…which he does naturally, I have to ask for the running walk.

Luckily, he gets used to “strangers” quickly…the first time they come up to mount, he gives em’ a “do I know you?”, they give him a pat and then can get on. He does great as long as they don’t “bother” him too much and ride with light contact.

Had him out this weekend (we’re working on crossing creeks and ditches with water). The never-stop horse stopped…he stood for a second and you could feel the “aw c’mon” and he walked right by her and gave a little “hup” and across we went. We were all pleasantly surprised.

Neat animals.

[2Horse]

[QUOTE=Rachel L;3551410]
I want a mule so bad. I want to breed my Icelandic mare to a donk for an Icelandic mule, but that would be irresponsible backyard breeding and the Icelandic people would probably never forgive me. [/QUOTE]

If you bred the mule for you to keep. It is NOT irresponsible backyard breeding! You may have found a money making thing!