Little Miss Sunshine

 

When this mule was born hubby thought we should sell her right away. She never got big but mom was only 14 hands. I wasn't impressed with her at first as she wasn't super striking to look at. I didn't feel that she had the best confirmation in the mule world. She inherited her mom's barrel body but did not inherit her mother's attitude.

At the time, I was working with her half brother who was 15 hands who was an incredibly handsome dark bay mule.

Rich put her up for sale and a guy came and looked at her. He wasn't impressed with her looks either so we decided to keep her and make her a grand kid mule. 

Thing is, she became our all around trail mule.

What I never realized in the years I worked with her is that she was absolutely beautiful, kind, sweet, and just like her half brother...she would do anything I asked her to do. I lost Badger when he was 16 years old due to an illness. It broke my heart and I couldn't bear to think of even loving another mule.

In the face of difficult situations in the forest, Sunshine will look at it, assess it, and then deal with it. She thinks, just like most of the mules I've worked with over the past 30 years. 

Sunshine's mother was reactionary. 

A deer would step out of the forest a quarter mile away and she'd generally spin and then stop. Sunshine points her hears, slows down, observes, then walks on. 

When I was working her as a 5 yr old I'd sing from her back, drop her reins, flop around in the saddle, and pull branches off trees and wave them around. I'd cry out, whine, complain, and carry on.

Rich laughed and said I was acting like a 4 yr old and I agreed. If a kid were to ride her, they'd probably do all of these things. 

But she did end up being an incredible mule to carry grandkids.

For whatever stupid reason, she still was not my 'favorite' heart throb mule. I was still lost over losing Badger so I rehabbed Opal the people hating mule. I fell for Siera with her good looks and her incredible gaits.

Time and time again, I returned to riding the Little Red Mule. Each time I discovered more reasons why she was so good.

My friend who has horses had invited me to bring a mule to her place so we could ride together. 

Kristi just wanted to ride and have someone to go with.

My first thought was to take Siera. She is 14.5 hands and a very striking bay mule. She is calm and easy going too. Siera developed that weird lameness so that left Sunshine.

I struggled with that decision because she is 28 but in great health and no issues. But I've never ever been apart from her for 28 years. I didn't know if I could wake up in the morning and NOT see her in the pasture.

This week we finally made a date to move her. My anxiety level went through the roof. How could I let my red head leave the farm?

Another thought struck me. I have raised this mule from birth. I have overlooked her time and time again but always knew in my heart that we have a special connection that normally doesn't occur between equine and humans.

When I took her photo in the pasture the other night I was again struck by her poise and beauty. Plus the fact that I could not step out on the porch without her spotting me from across the field. Always, always, she knickers and watches to see what I am up to.

Was I really that dumb to not appreciate the plain colored red beauty? With my heart in my throat, I took her to Olive's house where we transported her to Kristi's farm.

I put her in the paddock next to Johnny Cash [Kristi's new horse] and observed. Sunshine walked around the paddock while the horses checked her out. The horses bounced around and whinnied. Sunshine gave them the once over and then got down and rolled. Apparently she wasn't too impressed.

Kristi sent me a photo of Sunshine this morning so I wouldn't miss her too badly.

So Sunshine and Johnny Cash got along just fine.  She must like his songs.🎶

I went there last night and we rode for a bit in her indoor arena. 

Sunshine had never been in one and didn't care for it at first.

We then headed out and down her road which is a dead end. The wind was blowing pretty hard but the two equine didn't seem to mind. We traveled through a gate and rode through a large pasture. Sunshine was on a mission and did her best mule walk which is fast.

Johnny is a Western Pleasure horse and walks slow and easy. 

Eventually we went to the outdoor arena and practiced some figure 8's at a trot and just enjoyed the evening.

The kids went by in a UTV, the Amish neighbor was moving sheep and they were making a lot of noise. Tyler the handyman was using a skid steer just outside the outdoor to spread dirt and do landscaping.

Both equine took it all in without batting an ear. Though the crappy shot below shows my long ear watching the Amish Sheepdog.

So.

What does it feel like riding after such a long hiatus? 
Sweet.

I will commend my Little Miss Sunshine for taking it all in at a strange place and not being a butt head. She did everything I asked her to.

Saturday morning we are going to trail ride at Kristi's.

My decision was the right one. Serendipity chose Sunshine and Sunshine once again proved exactly why she was the one mule I've always wanted.

What can I say. Except that I haven't felt this stress free in years. Yes, riding is magical.

A Little Sunshine....

Decisions, decisions.

I've come to a final decision.

I'm supposed to take Siera next week to my friend's place for summer riding. Siera needs to stay home until we figure out her lameness issue. Is it an abscess occurring, arthritis, or something else? 

I cannot in good faith take a mule that has issues to a friend's place.

Kristi would stress out  worrying that it could be her fault somehow. 

[Even though the mule would be on pasture]. 

She is a worrier. Kristi cares for her boarded horses as if they are her own children.

I know Siera's vitals are all perfectly normal. Siera is a wonderful animal with a good mind. However, I need to figure out what is causing her troubles and see if she is to be permanently retired or what.

So tonight I took Sunshine out and saddled her up to go get the mail on the ridge. My trail cam in the driveway caught us leaving.

Naughty me, I was in shorts and tennis shoes with no helmet but it was a last second decision and we just mosied up to the ridge, took a look around and grabbed the mail on the way back.

Sunshine acted as if we'd never stopped riding for the past two years. Good girl.

When she was first in 'training' to be a trail mule, I rode her nearly every single day for doing something. Checking fences, looking for mushrooms, taking the Jack Russell out for a jaunt. Giving the grand kids a ride on her -- leading them of course.

We trailered her all over. Sometimes Rich would ride her and sometimes I'd ride her. 

From 4 years old to nearly 20, she was ridden often. I'd trade between her and Siera.

When Rich got sick the mules became pasture pets. Still, kids would sometimes come and take rides in the yard.

Tonight we just went. It was short, but it was sweet.

I felt more relaxed with Sunshine than I was with Siera. 

Maybe it is because Sunshine was born in my lap so many years ago.

Maybe it is because I can walk out into the pasture with a lead rope and halter and sit down. 

Sunshine walks up to me and puts her head down to mine as if to say. "Hi, long time no see!" Her half brother Badger used to do the same thing.

Sunshine may be a better choice anyway. Kristi needs some confidence building while trail riding and I have a little red mule that has been there, done that and is mostly unflappable. 

I feel better about this decision. 

I can take time to figure out what it happening with Siera and take a good little red mule to her house.

 If we get a handle on Siera's issues, I can always swap out mules.

But tonight brought some deep emotions to the surface.

I recalled sitting in the pasture with Sunshine's mother during Sunshine's birth. I recalled all the miles I put on with Cheyanne her mom and then all the years with Sunshine. 

How I thought at first she'd be too short, she wasn't stunning enough, she wasn't a blazing drop dead beauty like her mom. But she was steady. And to her credit, Sunshine still thinks I'm her mom. She will follow me to the ends of the earth.

I've posted this photo before on my blog. For those who didn't know, this is how Sunshine came into the world nearly 29 years ago.

I think it is appropriate to recall that this little red mule is on this earth because of the Muleman I met on a Wagon Train.

I've been so busy with everything the past few years that I've forgotten the incredible relationship I have with this little red mule.

You 

are 

my 

Sunshine....