[HeeHawHaven]

Love the team! We’re just down the road a piece near Boise. We drive a donk, a team of Fjord mules and a fjord horse. You can check out my pics at gallery.me.com/heehawhaven

We’ll have to get together!

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Are you thinking a unicorn hitch? I plan on putting my young mule team on the wheels and fjord horse gelding up front. I will do it with more experienced teamsters first. I understand the front animal needs to be really excellent!

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Welcome to the forum. Im kind of new, but learning all the time! I drive a single fjord horse gelding and also have a team of fjord mule sisters. I love big teams, but i like he compactness of my little team. They are probably 900 lbs. Each, but are very strong and hearty. Im planning on having them work 3 abreast and doing a unicorn hitch as well.

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Check out my fjord mule team. 1000 pounds each. Just a little over 14 hands and strong as heck. They also pack and have been ridden some and will get ridden much more this summer. They’re very hardy.

I would think you can find a good mule team somewhere down south. Check out dream horse.com or google mule teams for sale.

Muleville.com might have some.

My mules and fjord horse can be seen at gallery.me.com/heehawhaven … They’re not for sale, just offering choices.

I also agree that you can turn a driving horse into riding horse. You’re better off getting a seasoned team if your green driver. Green + green = black

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Never abuse your mule. It’ll never forget. Take your time, let it think, always end training on a good note. If its barn sour and runs back hoe, spur, whip, circle at the bar then ride it farther. Away and then relax when it’s away from the barn. Make the barn the not happy place. The mule forum is a pretty good place to share and. Learn too.

http://muleskinners.bb3host.com/index.php

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Looks awesome! I’m working on my first team. We’re just in the beginning stages – driving single first.

Bring them out to Winnemucca and show them!

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Guess I don’t know specifics. I haven’t been doing this too long. More of passing on info from folks that know. Also, looking at the stuff on ebay. If they can’t size it to your order, I’d stay away. I just know that I now have 4 harnesses from St. Paul Saddlery and I think they’re all worth the money I paid. Thanks to Robert Moonshadow for asking about them on this forum. That’s how I found them. I like how you talk right to the owner and probably the guy who does all the work! Now, to see how it holds up – which I’m sure it will.

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Thanks Mac. So far so good! The price is definitely good. From shopping around, I believe I paid about the same as a basic team set for 3 harnesses set up for team or with shaft loops, with Stainless hames, an extra set of lines and a collar. I’ll get the others on the girls this week and take pics. Can’t wait to get them back to work! Like you, we were using way worse, but I didn’t want to keep doing that with inexperienced mules. Can’t wait to see the progress occur with them.

We just got our donkey driving too. So many projects, but what fun!

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

You’re starting to sound like Bill Murray and the gopher in Caddyshack! That stinks! We had this happen once. Pretty sure it was foxes or raccoons. Lost the entire flock and all that was left was 1/2 a turkey breast. That was gone the next night! I later shot a raccoon in one of my trees. I’m kind of a new country boy, so I started with the pellet gun – knocked him out of the tree – 20 feet up. Think I got him in one eye. He falls down, looks dazed, and then gets up and starts walking away. Put 6-8 more pellets in him and he keeps walking! Had the 22 pistol on me just in case. Ended up putting 6-8 more before he gave up the ghost! From now on, it’s the 12 gauge. Even got buck shot!

Sorry for your loss!

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Here’s the harness from St. Paul Saddlery. I like it! We got it on him today and did about 6-7 miles. I’ll have to make some little adjustments, but overall the fit was nice! We also bought team harness for the Fjule sisters. Didn’t have a chance to get it on them today before the fog rolled in!

http://gallery.me.com/heehawhaven#100317/P4020013&bgcolor=black

Be sure to click on the right arrow to see 2 more pics.

For the money, this is great harness. I believe it will hold up for what I’m doing. He sizes it according to your measurements. Sure beats pre-made Indonesian junk. Nice guy to work with too!

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Thanks for bringing up the great discussion. We are working towards doing 3 abreast and/or unicorn.

We have a Fjord gelding and 2 Fjord molly mule sisters. The sisters are green broke to drive and we’ll be working them hard single for the next several months. Eventually, we plan on teaming them up with the very experienced fjord horse one at a time to give them exposure in a team. Then, we’ll probably work on 3 abreast and/or unicorn.

We’re actually thinking that we can work the mule/horse relationship to our advantage. I’m even wondering if having the really experience horse out front will be great for the girls. I think they’ll follow him anywhere.

We won’t try any of this all by ourselves. We have a driving mentor who showed a 12 mini mule hitch at Bishop Mule Days last year. (Here’s a link to a video from the show!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVtrps1WV6w

They’re actually large minis or small pony mules! Pretty awesome!

I would think that a really experienced calm lead horse in a unicorn would work great.

Thoughts???

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

We’ve been using the St. Paul saddlery light driving harness for quite a while now. I love it. It’s really well made especially for the price!

We showed Duke at 3 shows this past summer and never got any complaints about the harness.

We have now ordered a show team harness for our Fjord Mules and another show harness for Duke. We should have them in a week or so. We ordered the biothene show work harness with stainless hames for all 3. Total price with shipping is around $1620 – a price that is probably less than most harness makers for a team. The owner of St. Paul Saddlery is very easy to work with. It’s a 3rd generation business and he makes each harness to order. I can’t wait to get the harness.

The fjord mules went to training and our progressing slowly as a team. So, we’re going to spend the winter/spring driving them singly until we think they’re ready to hook back up together as a team. We hope to show them next summer single and as a team. Maybe in ride and drive too!

We’ll let you know what we think of the top of the line harness from St. Paul Saddlery after we get them.

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

That is a problem with the mules. You teach them and they don’t forget. I’ve heard some say that they want to jump everything. I prefer to save my jumping for when it’s really needed! I’ve had some of mine jump over our arena fence – 5′ tall just to get a tumbleweed!

[HeeHawHaven]

Plenty of elbow room at least for Duke. He is very responsive. As far as backing, no problems. I wonder if it snugged up just before the picture? We are only drivers for a year so if you see something, give more details what your concerns are.

Thanks!

Dave

[HeeHawHaven]

Yep, won’t go in the bed of the truck. I’ll have to think about having a horse/mule on each side. That may work. It’ll be easier to play with these ideas when it warms up! I’m just glad to have it. It’s really comfortable with the bus seat!

Can’t wait to get to training my mules on the cart!

Dave

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