Indy Carol

Back to mule school (with a new saddle)!

Indy Carol — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:34:00 GMT

I am sad to say that I started to slide away (not purposefully) from my mule school training once I entered grad school; my mind became focused elsewhere a bit and Ruby could tell, she could read my attitude. I was drifting away from the practice of slow concentration, clarity, and steady, purposeful training (yes, my mule is my personal Yoda : ). I was more in a hurry (had tons of homework to do), more easily distracted, and less patient. Ruby could tell. One day she let me know she knew with a couple of good nips! She’s not a nipper, so this really woke me up. Ruby speaks plain ol’ English, let me tell you.

Well, after some serious thinking and soul searching, I decided to quit grad school. It was enjoyable, I loved the work, but I simply did not have the time and energy to devote to it (exhaustion was a serious problem), and I was NOT about to give up my mule time for it. (I’m also a musician, and my music life was suffering – not acceptable. I also have a significant other, and he was not getting the time he deserved.) I’m very happy with my decision, and am getting back on track with my life and with Ruby's training. Priorities!

I did a Google search for mule bits the other day (just out of curiosity, because I still use my “Indian bosal”) and apparently the typical “mule bit” at a general online store is a bicycle chain!! Yeah, put that in your mule’s mouth and see how far you get. Well, you may get far – a half mile down the road before your mule stops running because they’re in pain! Whose bright idea was that bit design? I’m happy to see, however, that Mylar makes carefully designed mule bits. The whole bicycle chain garbage goes along with the mule prejudice: the incorrect assumption that you’ll need some sort of cruel equipment in order to “control” your mule. Mules are more sensitive to bits (and other things) than horses are. And their mouths are shaped a little differently. One needs to select a bit, and all equipment, with utmost care! Bicycle chains belong on bicycles.

My Indian bosal is made of yacht rope with strategically placed knots – 2 knots over pressure points on each side of the face (made by Debbie Hanson www.crazyropes.com). I'm very light handed, and I’ve trained Ruby to respond to very light aids (leg, weight, and hand), so this bosal works very well for us. The thought of trying to be a partner with your mule by using severe tools is outrageous (and yes, even mild equipment can turn cruel in the wrong hands). Your mule will not trust you if you use that kind of equipment/treatment. Trust is everything.

I have a new saddle – and LOVE it!! I worked with Debra at Crest Ridge Saddlery to find a saddle tree that fit Ruby, and I got it. Crest Ridge’s motto is “This one fits!” and it’s true. I bought the Sonata – a lightweight leather/cordura combo – with a Guffey mule tree. The leather is of fabulous quality, it’s gorgeous, sturdy as can be, and it fits, fits, fits. A cool feature of this saddle is that the stirrups are set perfectly – I feel that my legs are instantly set correctly, and with such close contact (no bulky skirts or fenders). It’s like riding in a dressage saddle! I'm now in debt, but I really don't mind : ) This saddle was a must, no if's and's or but's.

I also bought the 5-Star pad with the spine cut out. My bridle, breechin and breast collar are from Crest Ridge as well. These folks take such good care of their customers, bending over backwards to help them and their equines, providing exceptional quality equipment for excellent prices. They specialize in gaited horses and mules and trail riding, but anyone can use their tack. They also have mules for sale : ) Please check them out! http://www.crestridgesaddlery.com/

Happy Autumn, everyone!

Recognize and respect the "off days"

Indy Carol — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:57:00 GMT

Important lesson: our mules and horses have off days, too – we must learn to recognize and respect that.

Yesterday, I was not feeling well. I had little energy, but being at the barn and working with Ruby always makes me feel good and makes me happy, so I went anyway (I go to the barn every day, or at least 6 days per week).

Since I did not have the physical capacity to ride, I thought we could do some light work in the round pen. (Here’s another important lesson – riding when your physical and mental capacities are low might not be a great idea – you could be more apt to confuse your equine companion with some sloppy cues, or miss any problems that might come up, or cause more problems, and there could be a chance that you could get hurt by not being focused or not paying enough attention.)
[Side note: Ruby used to dislike the round pen, but some gradual time spent in it has gotten her more comfortable with it. I’ve even let her graze and roll in there, so that she would be relaxed inside the fence, and associate the pen with good things. I still do not drill her in there – never drill a mule – but it’s a good place to get some really good work done.]

Well, we started out with a walk, and worked our way up to a trot. I am currently working to slow her trot so that she moves in a relaxed, more balanced manner, and so that she learns varying speeds. We also worked on our continuing studies in verbal commands, whip cues, and body language cues. All going very well. I noticed that her trot, although relaxed, lacked some push from her hindquarters. She is not – I repeat, not – a lazy mule, so this seemed odd. Well, on we went, so I asked for a canter, both directions, and in neither direction did she want to canter. My gut instinct said “This is not normal – what’s going on?” But the old-school thought, learned from various old-school folks along the road of my equine journey, was “You better make sure that your horse/mule does as you ask.” Well, I repeated my cues for the canter, very strongly (no yelling – I can't stand yelling - it’s silly and unnecessary – I was speaking boldly, theatre-style), raised the lunge whip to its “canter level” and popped the lash a few times in the air. She did go into the canter, but it was not smooth, and seemed almost “jumbled”, which is not her style, and she broke gait. I asked her to canter both directions – for about two rounds, but then stopped. I decided that my gut instinct was right. She was either reflecting my off day, or she was having one herself. I asked her to stop and come to me in the center, then I scratched on her a moment. I walked her a little in the outdoor arena (in hand), I asked her to back, then come forward again, and we were done. I acknowledged her off day and lack of energy, we stopped working, yet we did two more things that were easy and low energy so that we could end on a good note. She was grateful – I could tell.

I have been discovering that, although she is a rather independent girl, she is developing into more of the “pocket mule” type: following me around, asking for some quiet scratching time, looking for a treat. When I go back into the barn to put things away, after several minutes she will come looking for me, or holler for me. It’s very cool. She’s my buddy : )

I just bought a wool saddle blanket to try – purchased from an Ebay seller in Idaho. It’s 100% wool, 32x64 (I believe strongly in wool and mohair), the old-style fold-in-half blanket. I still love my 5-Star pad, but I’ve always wanted a blanket. The colors are lovely - it’ll look very pretty on Ruby.

Wish me luck – I’m starting a master’s degree program this week…I can see it now: sitting on a fence rail studying my little heart out, with Ruby nibbling on my homework : )

Bustin' with pride : )

Indy Carol — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:45:00 GMT

Do you ever just bust with pride over your equine companion? Chest swelled up, heart full to overflowing, a big fat smile on your face? Don’t you love it? : )

My gut instincts were right about Ruby – at age 3, she has come into a level of maturity and open-mindedness that wasn’t quite completely there before (there was always promise of it). We’re moving forward beautifully!

We rode in the heat yesterday – about 93 degrees. But, being of donkey blood, mules can withstand the heat well, and there was a wind blowing, so it wasn’t stifling or unbearable heat. Well, we only worked for about 30 or 40 minutes, and she had plenty of energy – good energy. No laziness whatsoever. That was the first good thing (although she always has good energy – not a very lazy mule, in general). Second good thing was that we worked with the arena gate open, and although she made a couple of inclinations toward it, she never offered any tussle, no naughtiness. I would put my gate-side leg on her, and open the inside rein, and we were fine. Third, we have begun to work in circles - walking and trotting. She was not only very responsive to my leg aids and hands (I’m really soft-handed, so have trained her to respond to light aids in the Indian bosal) and weight, but she also trotted some very tight circles with no lack of energy – I smooched to her a couple of times when I could feel a little slow-down, but she picked back up immediately, kept her hind end moving. I was so proud of her! And last, but not least, we worked on backing, and she took about 3-4 steps with ease (this was really only the second or third time we’d worked on it). And she did all of this without breaking a sweat!

She has been trotting more than single-footing lately, which is fine – I’m letting her decide on what is comfortable, and who knows how things will work out with time. Her walk is that great gaited horse walk – fast, smooth, 4 beat (1-2, 1-2), head-bobbing, floppy-eared walk. I love it! She does it best when we just walk around the barn doing nothing in particular.

Today, I hosed her off – she was a little sweaty, and had rolled in the dust (fine, powdery dust)– what a mess! She has been hosed off 2 times before: the first time, Mr. G hosed off her feet in the wash stall when the farrier came (she likes the new farrier – hally-loo-yah!!), and he said she was fine; the second time, I hosed her with warm water in a cross-tie area on cement/rubber matting. She kept her butt up against one wall for security (she is not 100% comfy in the cross-tie area when the outside door is open, and she stands diagonally so that she can keep watch on both ends). She was great when I hosed her feet, then legs, then body, but didn’t want to come off of the wall. Today, I tied her to a fencepost outside, just beyond the indoor wash rack/cross-tie area. She didn’t move at all! I had a gut feeling that if I got her out in the open, she would feel much more comfortable, and I was right. I even hosed her all the way up her neck and jowels! I used a wet rag for her face. Now, being a mule, she loves to roll, and after she was clean, I lead her into the barn (into shade), but before I could use the sweat-scraper on her she rolled in the dirt on the barn floor! Cracked me up!

Another source of pride – she has learned a hand/vocal command from me that works if ever she stops while on the leadrope. If she stops and won’t go further, I step a little in front of her, and make a “come here” motion with my hand, and say “Come on Ruby”, or just cluck/smooch to her (or both). Works 90%-95% of the time. The other times (the other 5-10%) are when I’m asking her to leave a particularly lucious patch of grass, or the grain bin, or other such thing – you know, where in a mule’s mind she’s thinking, “But why in the world would I leave this? Makes no sense!” Another thing to do, in those 5%-10% times, is to use a bribe, or start doing something very interesting (making noises while doing so), so that her mule curiousity kicks in and makes her come see what I’m doing : ) I try to be clever in getting her feet moving. Pulling/pressure releaseworks in some situations, but none of us can out-pull a mule. So finding other foot-unlocking methods is really best. (It’s rare for me to reach back and pop her on the behind, but in a case where she’s being a stinker, I may do that.)

She has become more affectionate as she has gotten older, too – sometimes wiping an itchy eye or ear on me, or gently rubbung her forehead on me (no pushing), or just standing quietly for a good scratching and a hug from me : ) Sometimes she’ll “caress” my hand with her lips – it has become a greeting. I'm sure this has to do with growing trust and a growing bond.

Here’s something funny…I never really noticed that she has “spotted horse” eyes – you can see the white, or sclera. I never paid attention because I was so used to my ol’ Appy mare’s eyes, that I guess my brain just took it for granted. How about that? I don’t know if her TWH mama was spotted, or her donkey dad, but one or both of them was!

I’m really loving my 5-Star pad and mohair cinch. I truly believe they are the very best products you can buy for your equine. A little expensive, but certainly well worth it! (No, I don’t work for them, I just believe in what they make.)

Here’s a company I bought my bridle from (has a snap on the crownpiece so you can fasten it behind long ears). I may be ordering a breast collar and britchen from them once we get rolling in the way of trail riding. These folks make nice products for a good price: http://crestridgesaddlery.com/

Happy horse/mulemanship, everyone! Enjoy the last weeks of summer with your equine buddies : )

Gut instinct

Indy Carol — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:50:00 GMT

I am forming the belief that mules shouldn’t be started under saddle until 3 years of age or older (I’ve perused a few websites of mule ranchers who stand by this belief). I don’t believe in starting any equine too young – bones and joints, muscles and mental processes are in transition, and too early of a start can cause physical and mental damage (which is why I wish the racing world would change their ways, and some show folks, too). I think mules need a little more time, as well, due to their intelligence - a little extra mental growth. Unfortunately, I did not have a say in when Ruby was started under saddle, as I did not have her then. But day by day I can see, literally see, her maturing – not only physiological growth, but mental, too - and I feel (my gut instinct) that now would be a good time to start her, if we could start over or go back in time (she happens to be turning 3 now).

She has had a couple of bumps in the road in her training, and I am believing that they wouldn’t really be “bumps” if she had been started later. This is one reason why I do not push her right now. I let her dictate our rate of progress. We’re in no hurry, have no “agenda”. I only ride a couple times per week at this point, and for about 30 - 45 minutes. I know that no training program is perfect, and I’m certainly not perfect, but here is where we are, and this is what we have, so we proceed in the best way we can. [It's not my intention to indicate that she was abused by her previous owners. Not at all - they are good horse people. She was presented as a gift and they aren't mule folks - they weren't sure what to do with her. So they sent her to a trainer to get her started.]

Something weird happened the other day – totally unexpected: I had Ruby saddled and ready to go, and lead her to Mr. G (who was working nearby) to ask him to hold her while I mounted (it worked well once before). She backed away from him at first (he did smell of gasoline from working on a tractor), then she stood still, I got on, and she bucked (I dismounted safely). Never ever happened before. I was completely puzzled. We took her to the round pen to work her a little, settle her down. I never had to do that before – she doesn’t need “settling”. Then I tried to mount again, with Mr. G holding her, and she acted as if she would buck again. I was very sad – what on earth was happening? All my tack was fine – there were no problems in that area – no health issues, nothing like that. Then I decided to get on her the way I had been for the last month – by myself, and with a halter buckled around her neck (just the crown), tied to a post. I am able to mount from the ground this way - she holds still after a moment of moving around a little. Once I’m mounted I unbuckle the halter, away we go, and we have no problems. So I did this, and we were fine. I think she was reacting to Mr. G – to him holding her head. I suppose part of it may have been the smell of gasoline on him, or just having her head held, or just him, or all of the above (there were horses in the stallsdirectly behind her, and that may have contributed, too). So from now on, we do things ourselves, as we have been doing them. [A side note – in past posts, I mentioned working on using a mounting block, which I do like to use, and I thought she had gotten used to it. But she just seems to flat-out dislike them, so I’m now mounting from the ground. I remembered that when I “test-rode” her last fall, she did not like the mounting block at all. We'll try using it again later.]

Ruby is a somewhat sensitive young molly (as the above story proves). She requires someone who really thinks about what is going on, and someone who is respectful of her opinions. She has a very strong personality, and strong opinions. Again, I feel that some of this is due to having been started a bit young. Yes, mules speak a plain and clear language, but sometimes she seems to think that she has to sort of “holler” for fear of not being listened to (so I make sure she knows she's listened to). Some of you may think I’m crazy, and putting too much thought into this, but I’m not – not crazy and not using “too much thought”. I’m just very aware and I know my mule well. Mr. G is a good trainer – respectful and patient - but he comes on strong, and is not really a mule person. Ruby reacts to these things. I have a very good gut instinct, and am 99% correct when I use it and listen to it, and my gut instinct tells me these things about Ruby. So we work very well together. Some days it seems that we read each other’s minds – and that right there is a dream come true to a horse, mule, or donkey person.

We're catering now – she has indicated that she’s ready for some speed, and so away we go! It took a moment to get used to her rhythm (I was used to a 15.1 hh Appaloosa canter, so had to adjust to a 14 hh straight-ahead mule gait). What a lovely canter she has! It’s so easy to sit, and is fun as can be! I’m very happy about it, and proud of her. She has improved in balance and confidence, and it shows.

Mule school is extremely cool : )

Check out a cool book – In the Company of Mules, by Jody Foss. A great adventure with mules. The kind of experience most equestrians dream about.
http://www.mulesacrossamerica.com/

A little bribery never hurts : )

Indy Carol — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:33:00 GMT

A little bribery never hurts : )
With mules, you can use a bribe now and then without it becoming an issue of “spoiling”, and once the behavior you are bribing for becomes habit, then you can stop using the bribes (and your mule won’t climb all over you looking for the treats). It works with my mule, anyway.

Case in point: I don’t get to feed Ruby. Wish I did, but I board her, so Mr. G does the feeding (unless everyone is brought indoors due to inclement weather, and I happen to be present at feeding time, then Mr. G will let me pour her feed). I don’t have that “provider” connection with her. She’s easy to catch in the field, but I thought it would be ideal to have her to walk/trot/run to me whenever I appear at the gate and call to her – which is easier to establish when you have that provider connection with your equine. I thought, well, why don’t I provide a little something each time I arrive and call to her? I thought something healthy would be ideal (as opposed to something sugary – personally, I don’t dig sugary treats, as they tend to contribute to health problems if used continually over time), so I used a big fat baby carrot.

On the first day, I walked out into the field, stopped about 20 feet away from her, and she came the rest of the way (she’s always been good about meeting me part way). I handed her the carrot, scratched her, talked to her, slipped on the halter, and lead her to the gate. The second day, the same thing happened, except she followed me to the gate without being lead. The third day, I walked a short way out, called to her, and she walked up – I just had to step back to the gate, open it, and give her the treat (there’s a small enclosed area behind the barn that she walked into – this is where I slipped her halter on). From then on, I just had to call from the gate. After about a week of receiving treats, she decided that she didn’t need them anymore, and she quit looking for them/expecting them. Today, I just appear at the gate and she comes up (and if she’s out of sight, I just call to her from the gate). Beautiful! One of these days we’ll have our own place, and I can be the total provider for Ruby and her buddies : )

I do give treats here and there on a pretty regular basis, yet Ruby never behaves in a spolied manner. She does not nip me nor look in my pockets, nor run me down looking for goodies. She seems to have the attitude of someone who hopes that a treat or two will come her way, rather than having an attitude of expectation or demand.

My favorite treats are all-natural with no sugar. I found some that are just pure dried apple - really great, love them - called Orchard Sweet 100% Apple Treats, purchased from Jeffers Equine Supply. I also like the Giddyap Girls treats (also at Jeffers). Good stuff!

Zen and the art of walking

Indy Carol — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:10:00 GMT

If you read a couple of my past posts, you may remember me talking about re-gaining my confidence – in working with equines, and in general. Well Ruby’s been working on the same thing. The more we ride outside, the more confidence she gains, and I’m beginning to feel like we’re up to a few adventures out in the pastures. She wasn’t ready for it a couple of weeks ago, but after this week, I feel that she’s growing bored with the arena work (remember - you don't drill a mule) and in walking the track around the barn, so we’re going to go find something to get into elsewhere! : ) It’s a gut feeling and the message I’m getting from her. This makes me very happy. She’s making amazing progress, and so am I. Just wait ‘til we’re able to get out on the trails!

As a matter of fact, something occurred to me today while thinking about our upcoming adventures. I’ve been doing some deliberate/specific training with her – responding to leg and rein and weight aids, ground work, etc., but what we need now more than ever is to just go out and ride (like I suggested to everyone else in a previous post). I want to let her just nose around and point us in new directions. I want develop and maintain her indepence of thought – thinking on her own 4 feet while we’re out. A pony who not only listens to you, but also thinks for herself, is someone who can take very good care of you!

I’m excited for her to find her gait. She’s done a running walk in very short spurts here and there, and it was pure heaven. So I hope with some relaxed riding, it’ll click for her soon. No hurry. We just want to have fun and gain more trust in each other and ourselves in all kinds of situations and surroundings. She’s still a kid – will be 3 in August. I don’t ride but two to three times a week, and for only about 30 – 60 minutes each time. Lots of walking. We’ll single-foot at a good pace, too, but other than that we walk lots. Cantering will come later. No hurry.

I think the walk is an underestimated gait. In this day and age of folks being in a hurry all the time, I think it’s vital to focus on slowing down when with your horse/mule/donkey. They can teach us SO much about what’s really important, and we need to LISTEN. Can’t use that word enough, because it’s too important. Next time you’re out with your equine companion and partner, try lots of walking: do patterns, little exercises, practice various speeds of the walk, or just enjoy each other’s company.You’d be amazed at the little problems that you can fix (maybe even also find some little problems that you didn't realize existed), and you’ll be spending some quieter, calmer time with your equine, taking in the sights, sounds, smells, around you; some bonding time; a little “Zen and the art of walking with your equine” : )

Reach deeper

Indy Carol — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:42:00 GMT

Just when you think you’ve learned a thousand new things, and are cruising along with pride in your education and enlightenment, your mule will “tap you on the shoulder” and remind you that you shouldn’t rest on your laurels – you have even more to learn, and need to reach deeper in your thinking and doing! And need to continue discovering more about yourself in the process.

Ruby’s been doing absolutely beautifully! She’s a pearl, no doubt about it. She’s so willing to learn and do for me – makes me very happy, makes me proud. We do have one thing to work on, though (training is a daily activity, I’m just referring to one specific things she needs to unlearn): standing still for the farrier without fear. She just wasn’t fond of the last one, anyway – pulling a foot away with a somewhat panicked look on her face (no kicking or laying down, just pulling). I have a different farrier hired, so we’ll see what happens. I’ve begun messing with her feet more, too, doing more than just holding them for a few seconds to clean them out (note: she does fine with having her feet cleaned). I want her to be comfortable with a farrier and having a trim done. I don’t believe in resorting to twitches or drugs. I believe in fixing the problem and eliminating fear. I want Ruby to trust me implicitly, and trust the people who work with her periodically (she already does well with the vet).

The other thing we did work on, and have fixed, is standing still to be mounted. This was a funny “issue” with her. Initially, my old/former saddle did cause her discomfort, and that was why she moved. However, I have since eliminated any possibility of pain or discomfort. It just became a game, a habit to be unlearned. I use a step stool to mount (2 steps on it). I believe in using a mounting block whenever possible. As I would lead her to the stool, she would; 1-move forward, 2-move backward, or 3-take one step sideways with her outside back foot so that she was just out of reach, diagonally. It was actually funny because it was so deliberate. The other day I practiced mounting her 3 times – once from the ground, twice from the stool. The final time I was puzzled as to what the deal could be. I stopped, stepped back, and thought about what to do. Then it occurred to me – sometimes a mule will play games with you. It’s just that it had been so long since Ruby had done anything like that, so I didn’t think of it right away. On goes the light bulb! Okay, so now here was the plan: I took the stool, placed it next to Ruby, and that was all. As I did so, she would move – sideways, backwards, forwards, whichever. Each move she made, I matched it by placing the stool next to her. I wanted her to know that that dern stool was not going to go away. She began to slow her game a bit, so I took the next step: not only moving the stool each time she did, but also placing my foot on it each time. That worked well. Next step: standing on the stool each time it was moved. No mounting, just standing, both feet. By the time I got to this last step, she decided that the game wasn’t much fun anymore. She stood stock still and I was able to mount with no hitches.

In order to resolve this issue, she made me stop, think, and be creative – reaching a little deeper. She made me take my time and work with her in a quiet, calm manner, sticking with it until the we were finished – until we had understanding between us and were “on the same page”. And she reminded me that I must not underestimate her intelligence. This is a general rule with mules – remember that big fat brain in there, and work with them until there is understanding, giving them time to think about it. You need to stick with it for a matter of minutes, hours, or even spread it out over days, depending on what it is. Sometimes you have a mule that needs extra help (caused by misuse or undesireable behaviors learned from a former owner, or other such thing), then you may have a problem that needs months to rectify. No big deal. If that’s what it takes, then that’s what it takes.

Usually it just takes doing something daily, and not making a big deal out of it.

When you have a good relationship, a mule will listen and learn from you. They like to learn.

Mules make you reach deeper into yourself – inspiring you use your heart, head, and spirit, to train, to bond, to overcome obstacles, to enjoy yourselves, to form a complete partnership. It takes more than showing up, hopping on and riding, then going home for the night. Mules request that you give more of yourself. It’s a very beautiful thing! It’s a reason to want to work with and be with them.

[As a side note, I saved my pennies and bought a Wells 5-Star mule contoured saddle pad, and let me tell you that it is wonderful!! It's red, for Ruby, of course : ) It's well worth the price. Check them out if you get a chance. http://www.5starequineproducts.com/]

There's nothin' like flyin'!

Indy Carol — Mon, 25 May 2009 18:43:00 GMT

How exciting – Ruby is a single-footing mule!!

We’ve only just now been able to get out and move around – after winter and after a very wet, cool spring - so I never knew that Ruby was a single-footer…until last week. During the winter we would work a little in the indoor space (very narrow, not an arena), and I always thought she was trotting. I kept wondering, “Why can’t I sit this trot?” My seat would naturally move back a bit, leaving my legs a little forward. I thought that surely my skills hadn’t slipped that much.

Well, last week we were finally able to go out and work in the outdoor arena. Mr. G was bush-hoggin’ the pasture directly behind the arena, and so was watching (he’s been a Walking Horse trainer, breeder, and rider for a long, long time). I got Ruby going into what I thought was her great trot, and we sailed – felt like flying! My seat came back toward the cantle, but this time I didn’t try to stop it – I relaxed and had fun. Mr. G stopped that tractor and said “Hey, not bad!” I thanked him and said something about her trot, and he said, “Oh, that wasn’t a trot. She was single-footin’!” I was dumbfounded. Well, I didn’t know what that gait felt like, so how could I know? And I can’t see her legs/feet from my seat on her back, so…….

Well, now I’m really excited! This is my first step into the world of gaited equines. I’ve learned barrel racing, straight western riding, and dressage (and plain ol’ bareback), so now I enter a new field. Fine with me! Wow, that single-foot gait is a blast to ride. And Ruby’s a natural. She had 2 speeds that day. Her slower speed was the sweetest, smoothest gait I have ever experienced. Just heaven! And the speedier gait was, as I said, like flying.

I think Mr. G is excited. I think he gets a kick out of having a gaited mule in his Walker barn : )

I must confess something: I used to quesiton the position of riders in saddle-seat or in western saddle on gaited equines. Seemed to me that their seat was too far back, their legs too far forward. Now I understand why. At least from my new perspective, this special gait naturally “pushes” your seat back so that, as Mr. G puts it, you’re sitting more on your back pockets. My legs hang relaxed at Ruby’s sides, guiding and cuing as necessary, but otherwise free and easy. My hands are steady and quiet, with a little contact (I’m still using the “Indian” bosal I bought from “Crazy Ropes by Debbie” – love it).

In my online research, I've discovered that single-footing equines can reach speeds over 20 mph!! And to see video footage of the power of the speed rack is just amazing. I’m also glad to report that of all of the photos and videos I’ve seen, not one single-footer had any “junk” applied to his/her feet or legs in order to exaggerate the gait. It seems to me the single-foot crowd must take pride in keeping their horses in a natural state. A giant Hoorah! for that.

On top of this thrilling new gait, Ruby and I have begun to work more and more as a unit. She has become more sensitive to cues, therefore I am able to pull back and use more refined and subtle cues – legs, seat, hands - all of them. Extremely exciting! What a fabulous feeling to learn together and to learn every minute that we are out together – working on feel, timing. Incidentally, Ruby’s “herd-bound” problem has basically dissipated. And I haven't had to use hobbles or any such thing. I know some mule folks are all into the use of hobbles, but, personally speaking, I’m not. And we’re doing beautifully without them.

My personal motto is “let’s take our time”. We’re not in a hurry, and as I mentioned in past posts, Ruby does beautifully when we follow that motto and learn in a relaxed, quiet manner. I work and learn better that way, myself.

I’m excited for our new adventure! I am in equine heaven! : )

Some interesting websites:
http://www.shobaonline.com/
http://fairwind.net/~singlefo/
http://www.fosh.info/index.html

P.S. - Speaking of flying, how about that Rachel Alexandra? Go, lady! Show those boys how it's done : )

Never underestimate.....

Indy Carol — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:59:00 GMT

Some folks might consider it anthropomorphizing when I speak about certain characteristics, quirks, and habits of my mule, or of any mule or other equine, but it has nothing to do with applying human traits. I’m just stating my observations, my experiences, and some plain facts. I think it’s a terrible human flaw that we completely underestimate the intelligence and emotional lives of non-humans. When you treat someone with respect and and kindness, and treat them as if they have a brain in their head, then what you receive in turn is quite amazing.

I have a farrier that trimmed my ol’ Appy mare’s feet for about 3 years (let’s call him Mr. H). He truly helped my mare and saved her pasture mate (who had been ignored by her owners), has been a good friend, and I'm very grateful to him. However, it has become apparent to me that he, unfortunately, does not work well with mules. At my last appointment with him, Ruby pulled away from him – she was obviously uncomfortable (she has been uncomfortable with him for all of the 3 trims he’s performed on her). She did not, however, kick or behave in a dangerous manner. I believe that she may have had a bad farrier experince in her past, and/or I don’t believe she’s too crazy about some men. Plus, she’s been very energetic lately in anticipation of finally being turned out on pasture (the owners of the stable are careful when beginning spring turn-outs, which is good, but Ruby would rather toss caution to the wind when it comes to grazing time : ). In my experience, and in knowing her, I know that what needs to be done with her is to have a farrier who will hold her hoof and begin working on it, then when she pulls away, let the foot go, wait a beat, then pick it up again. She’ll learn quickly that you respect her opinion on the matter, that you have no intention of wrestling her to the ground, or grabbing hold of her, and she’ll relax for you. If you hang on to her foot and refuse to let go, she feels trapped and panics. (Her back feet are “ticklish”, too – you have to pick them slowly, but I don’t think Mr. H believed me.) I know this from our early days together, when I was working with her on being comfortable with having her feet cleaned. But what Mr. H recommended was to put a stud chain on her and haul her around a bit, then also to bend her ear. To put it very mildly, that doesn’t float with me nor with Ruby. Not at all. All that will serve to do it make her even more fearful (which she demonstrated quite clearly). Then Mr. H proceeded to tell me that that is how to teach her to lead – with the stud chain and pulling on it (and his attitude at the time seemed like one of barely controlled anger - unusual for him). Well, Ruby leads with me extremely well, and without hauling her around with a chain on her nose. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to tell him and show him that. With me, she leads quietly and stops on a dime when I ask her to. I taught her this by treating her with respect, kindness, and patience – not by using force. Geez, here is that problem I was talking about in a previous post – older men assuming that I have no idea what I’m doing. Just because she had a problem with him, he assumed that she is difficult for me to handle and that she runs me down. He even said so in so many words. Sheesh! Unfortunately, I think he took her pulling away from him as a personal affront, rather than just stepping back to take stock of the situation and thinking of a better way to proceed.

Ruby has what I believe is a mild form of claustrophobia (a problem that I, personally, can relate to). I’m not anthropomorphizing – I’ve seen it in her. She can’t stand to feel closed in or trapped (of course, mules do not much care for things that make them feel endangered). It took a few weeks to get her comfortable in the cross-tie/grooming area - a relatively small space. She dislikes being stalled. She will quietly tolerate it during bad weather, but truly prefers to be outside, no matter what the weather. And as far as being outside goes, she much prefers a nice wide open pasture to the dry lot she is in during the winter. But she quietly and patiently tolerates the dry lot. It’s true that most equines do prefer wide open spaces, but in her case, I can read her feelings very well – she wants more space. It’s like “reading” someone who isn’t necessarily speaking their mind, but you can tell how they feel. Today she had been turned out on pasture for about 3 hours. When I got to the barn, she had just been pulled off the grass, and her attitude was one of contentment. She was very calm, cool, and happy – there was no other way to describe it. She’ll be even happier to be on pasture all day, later in the season : ) That will make me happy, too.

Ruby doesn’t much care for round pens. I’ve heard another mule person mention that round pens and mules don’t always mix. Seems a bit like drilling, maybe. And you don’t drill a mule or they’ll walk out on ya : ) She may have had a scary experience in one at some point in time, I don’t know, but I think it makes her feel a bit trapped, judging by her language and behavior. I can ride her in the small indoor space, in the barn, but even though it doesn’t bother her too much, we are limited in what we can do, and in what she is comfortable with in that space. She works well, she just holds back a bit compared to being ridden outside. It’s just so small. Once we get to working outside regularly (in drier weather), she’ll become more comfortable in general. We just need to get out and ride, get her feeling more balanced, and just have some fun. I’ve heard more than one horse and mule trainer say to forget the arena - go out and ride!

Most equines are biased toward one side, but I believe a mule may let you know a little more strongly which side he/she prefers. I read about a lady who said she had a mule who refused to enter a trailer. She was asking her consistently to enter on the left side. Finally, after some thought, or after someone’s suggestion, she decided to try getting the mule to enter on the right side…and up she hopped right into the trailer! Ruby is right-sided, apparently. She has been a bit antsy about being saddled – a problem from her past. I’ve been working with her on this, and it’s taking time, which is fine – however long it takes. One day, remembering the trailer story, I thought what might help is to place the saddle on her from the off/right side, rather than the left . Worked like a charm! She stood stock still. She also turns better to the right. I’m going to experiment with leading her on the right, just to see what happens. It’ll feel strange to me, but she may prefer it, we’ll see!

Something else I have discovered is that Ruby reacts very positively to my voice when it is higher pitched. Like all mules, she loves attention, and loves to be praised, but she especially reacts favorably when that praise and attention is delivered via a higher pitched, soft voice (not loud & shrill). I found this out when she would behave as if a bit jealous when I would talk to the barn cats in a cooing voice. I’d crouch down to talk to and pet the cats, and here she’d come a-trottin’, nose down, stopping and standing in front of me, as if to say “Hey, how about some sugar for Ruby?” When working with her my voice is usually soft and low, unless I need to speak a little louder once in a while, so I have to get used to applying the higher pitched voice at the appropriate times. What a fun personality trait! It makes me smile.

All in all, I have to say that in the 5 months that I’ve had Ruby, she has, as I’ve been saying all along, taught me so very much. And the most important, as I stated in the opening paragraph, is to never underestimate someone’s intellignce, their feelings, and their history/what may have happened to them in the past (use compassion, patience, and understanding).
What a fabulous teacher and partner a mule is!

Thanks so much for reading my post.

PS – please check out a couple of mule-related sites that I enjoy, and that may interest you if you’re new to the “mule thang”…

http://www.westernmulemagazine.com/
http://longearsmall.com/index.php
http://www.mulerights.net/
http://ruralheritage.com/

Listen, Think, Feel (thinking about Ray Hunt), pt. 2....

Indy Carol — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:25:00 GMT

(I'm rambling a bit here, so please forgive me...)

I used to think that I knew so much. Now I realize that I have a lot to learn.

Although I've been around/worked with and for horses for a long time, and have learned so much from them during all that time, for some reason it's only recently that I feel I am truly understanding what I've learned. All the things that I have been reading and have been taught by my teachers (human and non-human, in person and through reading/studying) is finally settling into place and is making sense. Wonder why? Well, aside from time and maturity on my part, it's because of my mule, Ruby.

When I read Ray Hunt's book, I use a highlighter to mark the words that I want to have jump off the page, so that I can go back and re-read them. It's important to re-read them, so that what he is trying to teach sticks in my mind when I put it into practice. Some of the words/sentences that I highlighted today (I was reading on my lunch hour) had to do with making sure that you keep your horse interested and willing to go somewhere and do something. It's vitally important to me that Ruby enjoy our time together as much as I do - to want to go places and do things - to be partners. I feel that we have the foundation of that very thing. She still needs some growing up time, time to be with the herd, now that she's settled in and is building relationships, feeling out where she stands. For the moment, I am allowing her to be a bit herd-bound. She isn't that way by nature, so I am not concerned for future problems. Let's just say that I'm using Feel here. I know her well enough.

During our last ride she went beautifully, and did her utmost to give me what I was asking for (she usually does - mules aim to please). I rewarded her for each try, and didn't drill her on anything, and I practiced using Feel - how long to work on certain things, how to get her set up to stop, to turn, to back, etc. I am still working on feeling each foot and what it's doing, (as Ray says). I have a good gut instinct, so am excited to work more on Feel an Timing. Now, an example of messing up Feel and Timing: once my gut told me to stop for the day, but I kept going - asking for a bit more. That's when Ruby started doing little things that were very game-like. Little naughty things that were no big deal, but that told me - "Hey, I get what we've been doing, but it's starting to get boring now!" So I chose some little fun thing to do so that we didn't end on a negative note, and so that she knew I was Listening. I will trust my gut instinct in the future! Trust the feel. Have some confidence in what I'm asking for, so that Ruby has some confidence in it, too. And don't make a big deal out of mistakes that either one of us makes.

I love to work on rewarding each try. Ruby is so much fun to teach, and she forgives my stupidity. I made some fairly big mistakes with her in the beginning (being new to mules), but she forgave me and moves forward with me. She recognizes when I am "getting it", too, and rewards me for trying : ) How remarkable is that? It's wonderful! Another "Ray-ism": we have to work on ourselves.

I cannot say enough how much I have learned from my mule, and how much she has done for me. I had lost a lot of confidence over the past few years - I had a bit of a rough time, my path led me out of the horse world for a while, and my dear old Appy mare was ill and unride-able, so I lost faith in myself and my equestrian skills. That faith and confidence is coming back. Don't know what I'd do without mules and horses! (I learned a great deal from my old mare, too. I miss her.)

I'm excited about the upcoming summer, and how much Ruby and I will do together. More learning, more time to listen, think, feel, to be one. I'm sure I'll be writing about it : )

Thanks for reading my posts. Please do look into the teachings of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt.

As Ray Hunt says, LISTEN......part 1

Indy Carol — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:38:00 GMT

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I was very much saddened to hear of the passing of Ray Hunt (March 12, 2009), and I hope that I will do justice to him in my post here. This is not at all an attempt at teaching other people Ray's methods and ideas - I just want to pass on what I am learning from reading about him, and reading his book, Think Harmony with Horses, and what I am learning from my mule and other equines, in my pursuit of the goal of being a genuine horsewoman. I do highly recommend that horse folk read his book.

Before the era of commercially famous “Natural Horsemanship” experts, Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt were teaching better understanding of equine language and behavior, of listening, respect, and partnership. I’m glad that we are moving into the Natural Horsemanship way of thinking. However, personally, I'm a bit put off by the commercialism. Tom and Ray didn’t push a store full of expensive equipment/products with their name/logo stamped on it. They were known for their methods, and that is what horsefolk everywhere sought them for.

In his book, Think Harmony with Horses, Ray says that this way of working with horses is “a way of life”. After all of my years of being around horses and working with them, I am only just now understanding this. It occurred to me one night – horsemanship is like a martial art. You have the physical side, the immediate goal that everyone wants to achieve successfully – like learning kicks/punches (getting your horse rideable and doing what you ask); however, in order to be successful at this, you must live all sides of it, aim for many goals - you are improving yourself in the process, not just trying to “get somewhere” – getting physically, mentally, emotionally, and dare I say, spiritually fit, learning clarity of mind, peace, humor, . When something becomes a way of life, then you should, as Ray also said, think about it during the day, when you go to bed, and when you wake up. It is on your mind – what you have been doing and what you can do better.

This is also the era of high speed humanity – we are supposed to do everything on the run, and have too many things to do, so that we cannot possibly devote any real time and focus to what we love, what is truly important. I’ve always been a busy person, but not crazily so – I like to do my best to avoid the insanity, so when Ruby came into my life (in Nov. 2008), I thought I was prepared to be focused, calm, so that we could “hook up”, link, or whatever term you choose to apply here. I like to old terms, “bond” and “partnership”. Anyway, when I began working with her (I was new to mules, too), she taught me right off the bat that I was NOT nearly as calm, focused, and ready to create a partnership as I had thought. Surprise! As I mentioned in a previous post, she “peeled me like an onion”. I had to shake off so many layers of human “stuff” – impatience (gee, I always thought I was so patient), cloudy mind (a mind still full of the work day, or thinking ahead to what was next to do that evening, or even self-doubt), thinking big (rather than focusing on small achievements and successes and building on them), and pushing my agenda onto her, rather than reading her and thinking “What is her learning ability?” “How far should we go today?” “What is her mood, how does she feel today?”.

I wanted to leave the barn each night feeling good – knowing she also felt good, that we’d both learned something that day, and that we could build on it the next day, coming together in our pursuit of one-ness. Once in a while we may have a “rough day”, where things don’t go as smoothly as I wish, but it’s my doing – I’m still learning, even more than she is. Like Ray says, we have to change ourselves, not the horse (or mule, in this case). But even if things seem less than ideal one day, I will always end on a good note. Usually those “odd” days are the ones where I’m tired and have marshmallow brain, or my mind is really elsewhere. Ruby can tell, too. You can’t hide much from mules! : )

It’s difficult to practice the philosophy and training methods of Tom and Ray (and I like Mark Rashid, as well) in barns where “old school” is the style (coercion), and you are pressured by others to follow their ideas (in some cases, even more so if you’re a female of small stature and quiet personality – see my last post). I have been learning to not be self-conscious when these folks are around, and to stand up for Ruby and myself. After all, if they’re watching, maybe we can teach those people a thing or two!

(to be continued….)

Keep an open mind.

Indy Carol — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:57:00 GMT

I am discovering that many people are quite prejudiced against mules and donkeys. It's rather dumbfounding. I mention that I have a mule companion, and people either say "A mule?? What made you get a mule?" or "A mule? Aren't they stubborn and mean? Don't they kick?" "A mule, huh? Did you get 40 acres, too?" or they make some comment to the effect of "Yeah, grandpa had mules...they were so stubborn...I don't like 'em." Or I run into folks who automatically assume that I know nothing about mules (don't ask me why this happens - must be sexism, or something to that effect, as it's usually men who do this to me, men who don't know mules and donkeys), and proceed to tell me how to "handle" them. Sheesh.

At my current boarding facility, the owner, a very kind man who is good with horses (raised and showed Tennessee Walkers for years), has a subtle prejudice. Whenever one of the other horses does something fairly "naughty", it's no big deal. But if Ruby does something similar, he and his wife make sure to point it out. They're kind folks, and I mean no disrespect, and I don't think they realize they do this. The owner's wife had this mindset about mules in the beginning - "You have to show them who's boss." Yikes. I almost have to jump up and down to get them to believe me when I say how wonderful Ruby is - that she and I work beautifully together. They don't see me working with her, so they make assumptions. It's as if we have to prove ourselves. I have a feeling it may be that way in many horse facilities. It's especially difficult for Ruby and I because she is young and energetic, was broke but had many holes in her training, and has many things yet to learn (she has learned SO much already). I'm very proud of her.

I read online somewhere that more and more people are "getting into" mules and donkeys. I hope that's true - that more people are realizing how intelligent they are - what wonderful companions they make - pals for life! They're surefooted, healthy and strong (don't seem to get a lot of the ailments that horses do), have great endurance, are level-headed, and can teach a person more than they thought possible - provided that person is willing to be a student as well as a teacher.

One of these days I'll have my own place, and we won't have to deal with prejudices at the barn. But in the meantime, whenever someone asks me about my mule, or mules in general, I speak proudly and happily. Ruby has changed my life - actually made me a better person because of the way in which I must work with her - with a clear mind, confidence, patience, a sense of humor, clarity, and true partnership (with mules, the relationship is 60-40 - awesome!), and a willingness to listen, listen, listen. She came along just when I needed her.

The next time you ask about a person's equine, and they say they have donkeys or mules (or hinnies), keep an open mind, listen well, and converse well. After all, we are all proud of our four-legged family members : )

Peeled like an onion - learning my way around mules.

Indy Carol — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:46:00 GMT

Ever find yourself on a tremendous journey, and part way through it, you realize just how tremendous it is? You feel as if you’re in a movie about someone having incredible experiences? There are usually several journeys, or great adventures, that take place at one time.

One of my adventures is with the male human love of my life, which I won’t go into here, and one of the others is the adventures with my mule. Yes, I said mule, not horse. Now, don’t cringe or roll your eyes, or make a face of utter disbelief. I am a horsewoman but have always been intrigued by mules, and now I have one! Her name is CSH Andromeda, better known as Ruby. Mules have a bad rap. They’re famous for “stubbornness”, “laziness”, “cantankerousness”, etc. None of it is deserved. This rap comes from those who have had poor handling. Mules are misunderstood. Working with a mule is like working with a person who speaks another language, and you have to figure out how you are going to communicate with one another.
Don’t misunderstand me – I do not anthropomorphize here - I’m speaking in metaphor.

My old Appaloosa mare, Jet (whom I miss – lost her in November 2008), had that “infamous” Appaloosa strong mindedness – I couldn’t “make” her do anything. I asked. And I listened to what she had to say. Because sometimes she would save my skin! And she would teach me. This was great preparation for my future with a mule.

Mules are partners. If a person is of the mindset that equines are here to do what we “tell” them, then that person is not only in for a wake-up call with horses, but would find themselves in a disastrous mix with a mule – they may wind up kicked multiple times, and would get next to nowhere in training. Mules speak a very clear language – we just need to translate. And yes, they will kick if they feel that their message is not being heard. I was kicked once by Ruby – she only tapped me. There was no attempt at an outright pounding, no deepset frustration – she just needed to make her opinion clear. It felt as if a person gave me a little smack with the back of their hand, no more than that. She could have hurt me if she wanted to. She didn’t want to. She just needed to make her voice heard. This was in the beginning when I was learning my way around her and making my mistakes (plus she was experiencing her first heat, and had just been moved to a new barn – stressful time period). Mules know what they are doing. Never ever underestimate their intelligence! They are amazingly intelligent – treat them as such. I often say that Ruby is smarter than I am : )

Ruby teaches me at the same time that I am teaching her (she’s just over 2 years old). She peels me like an onion! Mules are very Zen – you cannot work successfully with them if you are: in a bad mood, letting your mind wander, allowing ego to get in the way, allowing impatience to intervene, etc. The BEST way of working with them is to peel yourself - drop all pretense, all ego, all negative energies and negative thoughts, doubts, worries, whatever. Have a clear mind, a relaxed body, positive energy, and above all, a calm center. Calm, confident, quiet, relaxed, a clear, open mind, and a sense of humor. Practice and keep these traits, and your mule will do anything with you and for you (other things in your life will fall more easily into place, as well). It’s that simple. Well, not so simple for most folks – those in a hurry, those with an agenda, those not seeking partnership and knowledge/wisdom. Have fun while training and learning, allowing your mule time to grasp an idea, and to balance letting her do what she wants to do with what you want her to do. This all carries over into work with horses.

Mules have a very strong sense of self-preservation. This is actually a wonderful safety feature – a mule is not likely run away with you in a spooked panic. Or ,if you are out riding and your mule steps in, say, a pile of barbed wire, they will usually either find their own way out of it, or will stand quietly until you can help them. Ruby once got a foot hung up in the wire mesh at the top of her stall – she calmly figured out that if she lifted her leg and foot, she’d be free. So she freed herself (there was the barn owner in a near panic, standing by with wire cutters, amazed that she got herself out of it) .

I have followed the teacings of my favorite trainers - Mark Rashid, Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt - but it wasn't until I began working with Ruby that the words of these trainers began to make complete sense. Not only is her training going well, but our partnership has strengthened, as has our friendship, our bond.

An amazing experience and ongoing adventure.