Not every ride on a young mule is perfect.
Siera did well, we traveled down the country road where we stopped and visited with 'mule' eating cattle.
She locked her legs and stared ... and stared ... and stared.
I find that with some mules it is okay to let them look.
Suddenly you get a big sigh that you can feel and hear.
Then Siera was ready to move on with one ear cocked towards my neighbor's curious looking animals.
We did the road riding ~~ she was eager and pleasant.
Next we decided to head down the hillside near my house.
This is where we had some challenges.
Nothing bad.
Just pull on the bit, try to rush down the hill [we are talking about a heavily forested hillside with lots of trees and downed tree tops...logs, stumps, berry briers, multi flora rose, and rocks] kind of hillside.
She wanted to rush towards home.
This was unacceptable in my book.
So each time she tried to rush down hill, she ended up doing serpentines around trees and back to the top.
We did the hillside numerous times.
Up
Down
Around
Up
Down
Around
We even came up upon the now 'infamous' trophy buck with a rack to die for! He bounced up out of a dead-fall of trees and crashed through the woods sounding like a 40 ft tall Black Mule Eating Bear!
Good girl, she watched.
[I think I was more surprised than she!]
Over huge logs, around trees, through brush.
In the end she walked mostly quietly towards home.
She stood very nicley while I talked with hubby. Non of this is unexpected in a young molly mule.
It wasn't a picture perfect ride but then is there ever one?
Sounds to me like you know what you are doing. I have seen several people do this with young mules and it definately gets their mind back to you. It's pretty hard to have "perfect" rides with young ones but I think if you got out and rode and came back with the mule still under you I can that a good ride. As you know I cannot ride right now so I have Angel tied to the hitch rail. Look at my blog to see her. You keep going with that young girl and you'll make her a riding mule yet!! Be safe!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIn my humble opinion (for what it's worth) I would wonder about a mule that didn't question something new. It seems to me if they have any intelligence at all they should always take a good look at the new mystery stuff. Sounds to me like you had a very good lesson ride!
ReplyDeleteBoth of your opinions are well respected.
ReplyDeleteI do like a young mule to be curious and look things over. Too often they are pushed and that is when we get in trouble?
Just my take on them.
It was a very good learning experience for both of us.
;-)