When you are considering buying a mule it is so important to know how it has has been handled. This will help you to get a feel for our operation, it is not intended as a training manual
We do not train outside mules- with the exception of client mules, out of our jacks, and only a select few of them.
-Marie Lanier
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Bet you didn't think we'd start there, but of course, this is the first step to ending up with a mule that has a personality suited for successful training. Roper always says that wild mules are made by letting them drink wild mare's milk! Remember that no matter how much time you spend with it, a mule will get the majority of it's very early training from it's mother. We choose mares that are calm and easy to handle when they have a foal at side. |
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Imprinting starts by being there! It takes a sneaky mare to get a delivery by Roper! As a matter of fact, I'm not sure that our mares know how to deliver a foal without his encouragement!
From birth we spend time with
each foal daily, handling them all over, with special attention to legs
and hooves. We keep these handling sessions as calm and pleasant as possible.
It is possible to be too rough, insistent or over-handle a foal to the point
where a foal will dread seeing you coming. The point of this handling is
to encourage the mule to be comfortable with us and confident about being
handled. This is the beginning of teaching a mule that he has no reason to think that we will do anything that will hurt him.
When a mule foal is separated
from it's mother (at from 4 to 6 months old) it is feeling pretty alone
in the world, whether the little guy is with buddies or not. This is a great
time to position yourself as someone very important in his life. This is
also when we will do a lot of leg and hoof handling and halter training. A
weanling who is stand-offish gets lonely indeed, and since mules are very
social, most will come around. Roper likes to get them addicted to having
their tail heads scratched. Visitors to our place may be alarmed at a pack
of mules that come backing at them, but a tail scratch is all they are looking
for. Ideally we have the John mules castrated in their first fall (or the following spring), for we
have found that as long as we have a vet that will stitch those vessels
(they have more tendency to bleed than in horse colts), they do very well
and there is no point in waiting. Chances are the longer you wait, the less
you will love your rambunctious little john mule!
Yearlings
Yearlings vary considerably in their size and maturity, but many can start to have some ground work started in the fall. Here are some of the first things that we work on:
Moving out on lead
Stopping on lead
Backing on lead
Giving to pressure
Halter Driving
At this time a mule is still
a baby, and we take great care to be sure that the mule is ready,
and that the sessions are short and fun. This is when we begin to teach
respect for our space in a firmer manner. By next year most of these mules
will be big enough to run you down if they think they can. Teaching respect
is done with as much firmness as necessary, as well as TOTAL consistency,
and remember-
but that doesn't mean that they will be allowed to hurt us.
Two and Three Year Olds
Each mule is different in the time required to communicate something to him. Often after a day or two of Halter Driving, I add "working above" the mule. This is done from the back of another horse or mule, or an arena rail. The purpose is first to get the mule used to seeing a person hanging over them, banging around and then feel a person's weight for the first time. When they do not seem worried about this, I step on and off from the ground on both sides.
It may be two days to a week before I ask a mule to move out with me in the saddle. During this time, I have also taught the mule to move it's hind quarters away from pressure, move his shoulder away from me, back, and move forward on command. He will also give his nose to pressure on the lead on both sides. So far, this whole process has built a line of communication between the mule and me, and begun to forge trust and respect.
Now I begin to ask the mule from the saddle for the same things I asked from the ground. These are familiar things and I use the same cues and voice commands. I also use the same praises and lots of petting and scratching from the saddle.
When the mule is comfortable with moving and responding with me in the saddle, I introduce a snaffle bit. Up until this time, I have been riding with a rope halter and lead. We like the Myler bits that have more tongue relief and do not bend so much that they pinch. Many mules do not like snaffle bits and will move to another bit quickly, but this is a good place to start. (Side-pulls work great, too, but most mules will need to be familiar with a mouthpiece at some point.) We let the mule just carry the bit first- standing tied (by halter) with the bit in his mouth. Mules respond best when new things are introduced one at a time. Give them time to do the thing that sets them apart from horses- think!
A few rides in the round pen to show them that everything is still working the way they were taught, and a mule is ready to be ridden into the world and have his horizons broadened. There are spooks and boogers out there, but a mule who has learned confidence through consistency and fairness will have enough trust in his rider to do well.
Setting "Gait"
Most of our mules sell as soon as they have 30 to 60 days
on them. Often their new owners have no previous experience with gaited animals,
or if they have ridden a gaited horse or mule, they are uncertain about
how to keep them going in their gait. Our mules have "gait"
bred into them. This does not mean that after 30 to 60 days of training,
your 2 year old is going to be able "hit a lick" and pass up a seasoned Tennessee
Walking Horse. You will have to put in many miles, giving him time to build
his muscles and teach him to understand what you are asking. You will gradually
ask for more speed and build consistency.
Here are some links that will help our customers understand "gait" and work toward getting the best possible "gait" from your young gaited mule. Most "gait" information is on horses, but will translate to mules. Always avoid using "devices" or extreme shoeing to improve gait. Mules tolerate it even less than horses.
LINKS:
Gaited Horse Net All kinds
of gaited horse breeds and information. Gaited mules, too!
Ten Tips for
Finding, & Keeping, the Gait Great, clear and informative article.
