Well, I did it.

I haven't thought much about riding now for two years. I've maintained my mules by making sure they are healthy and well cared for.

I didn't have much time to get back in the saddle and enjoy them.

Over the weekend, the gals got their classic spring haircuts.

Siera was the messiest one. But a bit of trim ....

Cleaned up her ears and mane!

Yeah--she didn't want me

to take her photo.

So yesterday I finally took her out of the pasture and saddled her up. She had some tail swishing but that could be because the flies were still after her or, she was unhappy about the prospect of working.

This mule is basically lazy. She won't do much of anything unless you ask politely. Get rough [my husband used to be rough with her] and she will do nothing. She will become a statue.

Hubby relented years ago that this mule was a lady mule like my mule Badger had been. She preferred my soft spoken ways to his growly gravel voice. Her name when he rode her was *goddammitSiera*.

I am the quiet one. I don't expect perfection every time I saddle her. I expect we get along and have a safe trip.

Anyway, there was no reaction when I mounted and rode her around the yard area. She did everything I asked of her.
Below is her listening to me to ask her to walk. The mule ears are like antenna, they point to what is interesting to her.

I then took her down through the neighbor's meadow and we took a short tour of some of the deer trails. I let her stretch her legs into a fast gait. 

It was a short ride that only lasted about 15 minutes, but she did everything I asked of her. Step out, walk, gait, stop, backup, and turn around.

Another crap shot, but here she is enjoying some yard grass while I put things away. Yes. She will stand in the yard and not leave. 

This is my mule that had never found her place with the other mules. She tolerates them but doesn't hang with them unless she is using their tails to swat flies.

When the Vet was here a few weeks ago he noted that she was a 'people' mule and that she preferred my company over her herd mates.

I like that.

But even more?

It looks like I'll be riding more and more. Siera will go to my friend's farm after June 5th. Then I will be riding with my friend and her horse Johnny Cash. 

Hopefully we will take lots of trail rides through her valley and streams this summer. She also has an indoor arena and outdoor arena. Maybe I can teach this mule a few new things.

I mean...wow....how did I forget how much I loved the sight of those ears from her back????

Another nice ride

Look at Siera! What a typical mule face!

Basically she is giving me the stink eye for tossing the pad on her. Siera is my younger molly mule that I ride.

She came to our place when she was 3 years old. My hubby purchased her against my wishes. We did not need another animal! Of course, her mother was Peruvian Paso and she was gaited. Hubby saw $$$ signs in a trained and gaited mule.

 The folks who sold her to us kept her full sister who was taller and more elegant. Only to sell her a couple of years later because she was in their terms, Ill Tempered, and Difficult. They had sent her to a trainer in Iowa to be 'broken' and trained. 

I have found Siera to be rather sweet and calm. Sure she lets you know when she is a bit tentative about something that is being asked of her. And she will refuse to step into a tiny puddle. She can be a bit bull headed too.

However. She is a mule.

She was probably the easiest one I ever put a saddle on. Just two or three round pen sessions and I was riding her when she was 4. Obstacles like puddles are nothing to me. However, to her they were life threatening.

We worked in hand and under saddle together. She is one of those animals that works best when she thinks it IS her idea and not yours to cross that ditch or to walk through a puddle.

On a flat open trail she boogies in such a smooth gait. When she startles, she becomes a statue. When she figures it out, she sighs and proceeds.  

We moved over to the Hickory tree because it seems some wasps have taken up residence in the back of the trailer.

She is wearing my favorite saddle. I swapped out the western stirrups for English ones when I was doing Endurance with Badger. The ease of changing the length made this a perfect saddle for all the grand kids to use. 

Plus, the saddle is much lighter.

We headed out to ride the same trail as I took Sunshine on. It winds through the woods partly on the old 4 wheelers trail and drops into a valley before climbing again and then follows deer trails and old cattle trails just below the ridge.

Those Ears!

There are 3 dry runs or ditches to cross to circle back towards home. I planned it that way so Siera would think it would be a good idea to cross them.  When she was first ridden in these woods long ago, she absolutely refused to cross these ditches. She planted her feet if you tried to lead her across, or backed up under saddle. 

I don't think she had the confidence at that time to know she was capable.

I spent a lot of time with her and lesser 'ditches'. Eventually, I think she gained confidence in herself. Now? 

She just looks things over and then decides that heading towards home through the obstacles is a good thing. 

She got sweaty ears from worrying about being away from the others.

Our ride was quiet. I made her stand and look around several times. She wants to rush through things when she is by herself. When she is with another equine, she is very chilled.

We found no monsters and no logs or ditches that were scary. We found a lot of little stick tights though.

And ... it is always nice to take the very long way around to go get the mail on the ridge.

Oh. Remember how I said my hubby purchased her against my wishes? After I got her going under saddle I decided she wasn't leaving. I plunked down her purchase price in front of him one morning and said, "SHE is mine."

Her sister? Those folks contacted me after seeing pictures of Siera working with my grand kids. They offered to by her because they wanted a good mule. They went on about how awful her sister became.

And I often wonder if it was the way the mule was handled. When Siera balked at things I never punished or even cursed. I just figured she needed help in figuring out what I was asking of her.

I've done that with all the mules I've handled in the past. 

The trainer they sent the sister too? He was known for being rough and heavy handed to get results. Some mules could handle that I guess. Others? I think it ruined them.

I am not a trainer. Nope, not at all. I just learned through trail and error. I simply ended up often with animals that needed work and since I like to trail ride, I worked with them. 

I'd like to think that I created a bond with those few that have been special in my lifetime.

We had a great little ride and a nice chat in the yard before she went back with the others.