Our visit with Kat and Colin was amazing and fun. Kat was fascinated by our mules and I decided to take her riding. She has previous riding experience while Colin really doesn't. He rode our Billy Bob mule when he was 12 around our yard.
Rich suggested I pull Fred out of retirement and saddle him up with my lightweight saddle and take them on a short ride.
Fred was ridden for the last time in 2016 by kids in the pasture. The past winter seemed hard on him and he'd lost condition and weight. All this summer I've been soaking alfalfa pellets and Senior Feed for him twice a day.
His coat is back to glistening and he has gained conditioning. He even gets bossy with the other girls out in the pasture and lopes up to the gate when he sees me coming at any time of day.
His teeth are probably just about worn out, but his attitude is the same little determined pony mule he has always been.
We know he cannot live forever soooooo....I commissioned Kat to do a portrait of Fred for Rich. Here is one she did of our Sundance mule as a gift.
Here are some shots the 'kids' took with their cell phones of our nice little ride.
That's me on Fred. Bad me. I totally forgot to put on my helmet when I was helping my guest riders get ready.
Oh well.
Then Colin took a short video while riding.
I'm so tickled that Fred seemed so eager to be on the trail and lead the pack as he as always done. He never even broke a sweat while the two Fat Bottom Girls did.
Here is Fred in the pasture. He is 13 hands and 37 years old.
One of the reasons this little mule is so special is because he is the reason I met my hubby.
He was riding Fred when he admired my horse. I recalled his mule's name but not his. The little mule impressed me so much 28 years ago, that I had to find out more about him.
And so it goes...