Evening Rides with Sunshine

Sunshine, after we came out of the woods. Riding the woods is so much nicer than riding the fields and back roads. 

No traffic. No surprise coyotes running in front of you. No gaggles of turkeys or deer leaping out of fields of corn.

It seems these girls are happier in rough terrain with deep woods surrounding them. Of course, the footing can be difficult, there are logs, rocks, and dry washes to navigate so it requires most of their brain cells.

Yes, she wears a trammel. I could probably get by with a snaffle these days however this is what she has worn since her first run-away with me 21 years ago.

She wore a snaffle at 4 yrs old. Did you know that because a mule has a wide set of eyes, that you can pull their head to your knee and they can still canter in a line of their choosing? 

The second time I tried a 'one rein stop', her head was pulled to my knee and she galloped through trees and jumped a creek. I survived the run off by steering her with all my strength into a brier patch. We got scratched up but survived.

We put this bit on her and it can be very gentle with gentle hands. I set her up for another run away. We rode up the gravel road and when one of the neighbor's came by with her tractor, Sunshine tensed and then bolted. I let her bolt 3 steps and then lifted the reins so the bar would touch her nose.

She screeched to a stop. Mules love their noses and don't like pressure on that spot.

In the following 21 years of riding, she has never offered to bolt. She will spin at crazy spooky Zombie Deer that spring out of the corn field, or aggressive dogs. But she no longer takes me on a wild and crazy ride.

With that said, our wood rides are so relaxing. We drop down steep hills and negotiate old trails and deer trails. She knows the way since she helps me maintain the trail. Here is a choppy, crappy video of our last ride. I'm not good at holding a cell phone to try and capture video. Usually I don't even try.

I have a pocket camera which I normally take.

This is our last deep ravine to cross to go back home. I make a huge circle [about a mile loop] through the neighbor's woods. 

The mules wear breast collars and either cruppers or britchens which keep the saddles from sliding around in this steep stuff.

There is a 3 mile loop, but I haven't done it lately because I don't like going that far off by myself. I will see if my neighbor would like to do it with me one of these days if he has the time. [He was raised on a Quarter horse farm]

Sorry for all the creaking and whatnot. But I like that noise! She also wears a bell if you can hear it.

The first part is a long descent on a very steep hillside, so she tippy toes down the trail. Again, forgive my crappy video, but there it is.

1:34 seconds....

 

25 Years together

Sunshine and I have been together for 25 years now. Her mom was a grade Arab/Quarter mix that I was riding when I met my husband. At that time I'd never seen a mule until I met hubby and his mule Fred.

Cheyanne was with us until she crossed the Rainbow bridge at 28 years old.

I took Sunshine out last night because for the first time in a while, the weather was nice and not insanely hot or smokey.

Rich told me that I needed to work with her and I have done so for all of her years. Last night she thought that perhaps she'd creep away while I was mounting her. I told her she was naughty so we did some practice walks, stops, and back up until she recalled her manners.

Then it was time to ride about the yard and driveway to make sure her brakes and turn signals still worked.

They did.

She felt so comfortable and relaxed that we went off for a short jaunt to watch deer on the ridge and collect the mail.

She detected a hen turkey and we watched them scurry out of the corn field and across the road in front of us. The little ones were so cute.

Her reaction was a big sigh and then we moved on. 

I just wanted a short ride to see where her mind was at. She was with me and not worried about the calls from her sister at home. The funny thing about most mules is that they generally don't like leaving their herd mates. Sunshine has always been a bit more independent that way. As long as she has a human with her, she is relaxed.

We saw three bunches of deer who came running out of the cornfield and bounded into the woods. It was too late in the day to go down into the woods for us, it would have been too dark. So we just walked out to the open ridge and scoped out the fields.

I figured that was good enough for our first jaunt this year.

A view from the saddle on a long eared mule. [20 seconds]

The woods were getting dark.

When we got home I see that Sundance [Sunshine's sister] had been having an absolute fit that her sister had left the property.

Siera on the other hand was peeved because she was separated from the bay horse we call 15.  Or perhaps they were both pissed because they had hot wires between them.

In a few more days they will get used to this arrangement and I won't have to walk all the way to the back woods to grab either Sunshine or Siera.

I did take Siera out and ask her to recall her manners on a lead line. At first she wanted to look for her pals and then she decided that she'd follow my directions. Walk, turn in hand, back up, and stand for inspection.

Here she is after grooming. Her attention is on the other mules.

Siera used to be give me a very hard time about leaving on her own. I do miss the days of going to Wildcat or Duck Egg to ride. There was never any 'home' drama. But since hubby can't drive and the old truck is Kaput, I make do with woodland trails and open fields and back roads.

Meanwhile, Sunshine trotted up to the fence and had a talk with her sister, Sundance. At home in the pasture she can be a real goof. 

I turned Siera back out and the rest of the evening was rather undramatic. They all took turns rolling in the dust to get the flies off them.

I look back and am amazed. One mule for 25 years? We've certainly become good friends. There won't be any more after Sunshine and Siera. 

It is Siera's turn under saddle on Sunday.