Opal Wants to Get Caught?

Oh darn another mule related post.

Well with the good weather that is what I've been working on in any free time I have.

My work with Opal over the past few yrs has really paid off.  
She was the impossible mule to catch unless you liked to try and run her down or keep herding her into smaller and smaller areas.
It was very frustrating.

When my husband told me I could begin riding her when Badger fell ill, I decided that I didn't want to spend 30 minutes or more trying to catch her just to go for an evening ride.  In fact I was convinced I could get her to let me catch her.  
Or, so I thought.

She has even progressed to the point that she will let my husband catch her.  

Yesterday I went to catch Siera for her daily dose of work.  I am putting in the time and effort like I did for Badger years ago and that requires lots of hands on time.  Not always riding, but always doing something.

So I walked into the pasture with a lead rope and halter over my shoulder.
This long eared shadow appeared at my side.
Note the tilted ear as I tell her that I appreciate her and after I am done with Siera, she can get groomed.

Apparently that wasn't good enough, so she thought she'd try my other side.

I did get Siera first and we did a bit of halter work.  She can be pretty amazing.  We walked up to a large tarp in the yard that we had spread out to dry, the wind tussled it up.

She looks terribly concerned.  Never blinked an eye.  However the septic tank cover that we'd dug out was sure to eat her.  She is pretty leery about anything with holes it seems.  After a bit she decided it was no big deal and I groomed her.
Yes her face is oddly colored if you notice.  That is not dirt, but one half of her face gets very light while the other side stays dark bay.

Opal did get to come out.  I groomed her and let her work on the yard a bit while I sat on the picnic table.

Fred was not to be left out and decided he needed to be caught also.

Fred can always be convinced to come if I take Opal away from him.  He loves to hate her.  Can't stand it when she is out of his pasture.  Can't seem to stand her when she is in his pasture!

Mules, you gotta love them!

I'm sure that anyone who has equine can understand how nice it is just to spend some time with your critters.

Thank you Opal for turning out to be such a nice beautiful mule.

Opal the People Challenged Mule

I've talked about Opal before.  The people challenged mule.  
Seriously.  She dislikes humans.
Well.  Most humans.

Tonight she gave me the giggles.  I went to see Badger and thought I'd brush him a bit and check on his breathing.  He'd been listless all day and he managed to perk up when I haltered him and led him into the 'catch' pen for some grooming time.

I however did not chain the gate behind me.  Next thing I know, Opal has stuffed her muzzle in between the gates and is pushing it open.
I reach over and pulled it shut.

As I am pulling, she tucks her muzzle into the metal frame and gives it a hearty push as if to say...'Oh NO you don't!'

Well, if she wanted to be groomed that badly, then who was I to say any different?
I relented and let her in with Badger.

I curried her until she shone.  She may have even liked it.
Badger stood quietly and watched me curry his now 'favorite' molly mule.  I keep them together so Badger isn't 'lonely'.
We put Fred in with them and he is the outcast.  He loves to pick on Opal, who loves to hide behind Badger.


The people challenged mule let me rub her ears tonight and run my hands over her poll and face.  What a great old coot she is.  I think had I gotten my hands on her at a much younger age we could have had something really special together.


Hmm.
I think we have something special going on right now!
Just gotta love mules!