[J-L]

I tried to post another reply, but it didn’t go through.
What I wanted to say was that we had limited time to get many of those horses broken and back to the sheep outfits. They were definitely roughed out and not finished teams. The remainder of their ‘training’ was on the job. What I do now is different and I take my time. More time sacking, more time ground driving, more time in the round pen.
To get a team finished really takes a lot of time. I don’t see them getting really broke in 30 days, just started good. And a good team is really made in a few seasons in my book. Whether it’s feeding cows all winter or in the hayfield or on a plow. It takes time
I disagree with the manesandtails. It all depends on how you go about it. If you’re a good enough hand and can read your horses, you won’t blow their minds. What I got out of plowboys post was that they train them on the job. It didn’t sound like any real ‘force’ to me. It sure can be done.

[J-L]

There’s nothing wrong with that in my book. I’m sure some will disagree. When I was young my brother, Dad, and I would take in horses to break for riding and harness. Mostly for the big sheep outfits around here. In those days most were still using horses to pull their sheepcamps and commissary wagons.
My Dad would have us tie up a leg and sack them out for a while, then slip the harness on and bridle them. That was on day one, hopefully. Next day we’d do the same, plus tie their head around either way for an hour each side. Next day was ground driving working on ‘Whoa’. If everything was going alright the following day was hooked to bobsled with our old Babe mare, or Duke. Sometimes it was a rodeo, but usually they came around quick. We’d use them feeding cows and hauling hay.
Almost all of these horses were out of a Perch stud and Thorobred mares. By the time they got them up to us they were usually from 5 to 7 years old and had been running on the BLM after they were broke to lead. Getting them sacked out and harnessed was a hair raising ordeal even with a foot tied up sometimes.
I remember one we called Gray Eagle. He was about 17 hands tall and weighed 1400 pounds. He was a good looking horse and after a week of this treatment he turn out well. Made a real good saddle horse for a big horse. I saw him hooked to a sheep camp about 6 or 7 years after he left the place, I had to stop and go see him and visited with the herder about him. He absolutely loved that big old horse.

[J-L]

Thanks Charlie. That’s about what we used to use. I now get some ready made stuff with some probiotics in it, but I’ll bet they’re close to the same.

[J-L]

Neat story OldKat. One of the best horses I ever had, had a little buck every morning. I’d saddle her up outside the horse barn, wrap the reins around the horn and cluck at her. She’d make her victory lap around the big with some big jumps corral and stop. That was it. It would take a month solid for her to quit that routine and she never bucked with me after she was broke. She was out of an old stud who had Wimpy on his papers and a grade mare that we thought had some Hancock or Blue Valentine. Her name was Rosebud, and she was really gentle too.
The ones I hate are those that will break in two at any time, even after a long day on the way back to the trailer or barn.
My neighbor bought a truckload of Brahma cross cows once. They were a real wakeup for a kid raised on Hereford cattle! I went to help him doctor scours and when you had a calf on the end of the rope they would come after you or your horse just about every time.

[J-L]

I can’t believe that crap! Those guys need to come out west and see thousands of cattle living outside all the time. I have 250 head of them that live out on the prairie in the winter. The temperatures have gotten as low as -52 without the windchill. Every year they face temps well below 0 with winds over 40 mph at times and do this living on grass hay with some protein supplement occasionally.
My horses do the same and sometimes just live on winter pasture. If they have enough feed in their bellies they can live through most anything and thrive while doing it.
Those selectmen need to keep their mind on real issues and leave you alone, and that well meaning citizen needs to be taken out behind the barn and given some basic life lessons.

[J-L]

I run into some now and again. I’ll let you know.

[J-L]

Robert, I broke two mules out of BLM mares. Of these one turned out pretty good although they were wild as march hares when I got them. The other was not trustworthy and went down the road.
Both of these were fairly small, like around 800 lb. I think if the other had turned out decent they’d have made a very useful team. The little mare mule I had was tough and smart. Once she decided she could trust me she was game for anything.
These were out of a standard jack ass and were only about 13 hands.
Tom S is right on the button. You gotta have good mares. I think its more important with mules than it is with horses. If you can get a good proven mare that you know the temperament you are better off. If not, then its a crap shoot.

[J-L]

Let them roll in the snow. I’ve never owned a horse blanket.

[J-L]

Your George mule is a dead ringer for my LaFonda mule! If I lived closer I’d try and deal you out of him. I posted a picture of her and her team mate but she’s on the off side of the camera.
It was kind of funny, but my 11 year old boy saw your pictures over my shoulder and thought is was her at a glance.

[J-L]

I’ve not heard of him. I can tell you I’ve had to deal with mules like you’re describing though. If a mule is afraid of you you’re going to have to get him over that first.
I’d heard that you couldn’t do much with an aged mule but have found that not to be true. I took an 8 yr old maremule who was only broke to lead and had her pulling a feed wagon (she’s hooked to it now) in not too much time. She was tame though, and kind of a people lover.
I had another mule that was really wild and it took some time, but she did come around and made a decent pack mule and we rode her some. She was a chore though and I spent LOTS of time sacking her out and getting her to trust me. Once she figured out I wasn’t going to eat her, she was pretty much okay with anything I did with her.
Take the time to get them gentled down, and you can’t possibly sack one out too much.
There is a really fine line between gaining trust, being a pushy pet, and discipline with a horse and I think even moreso with a mule.
If you’ve got lot’s of horse experience you can learn to speak mule too. Like Donn said, take your time.

[J-L]

Great story. You can’t make up stuff that good!

[J-L]

Amanda07, is there any way you could post a picture of that mule? I’ve seen pictures of a few of the Poitou(sp?) donkeys from over there. They were supposed to make the best draft mules in the world. I’ve heard of some jacks in my area that have some of this blood in them, and have seen only one but he doesn’t show the charicteristics too much.
Aren’t they supposed to throw more bone and gentler dispositions? Interesting subject.
Gulo, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like the looks of a well made mule as much as that of a horse. Pretty is as pretty does. Enough cliche’s.

[J-L]

I use them occasionally to keep the mules from eating while harnessed. I’ve yet to meet a mule that wasn’t hungry all the time. I had a few experiences with them tangling lines over the neck yoke, tongue, etc. while they were stretched out trying to eat, so when I need them, the overchecks go on. I really don’t like to adjust them too tight myself. Just enough to keep them from wanting to duck their heads. One set of harness never had them when I got it second hand, so I use the real handy home made type out of either blue, orange, or yellow polypropylene (baler twine). Looks good, and the price is right too.

[J-L]

All of these are good ideas. I’ve seen them made out of the rear end of the wagons also, works great.
My one and only home made cart works alright but…I put the hitch point too far behind the axle and when I put something heavy on there, like my side delivery rake, it’ll pick the tongue up in the air too far and make it whip easily. Thats one mistake you don’t want to make. Make sure it’ll balance like the Pioneer carts. Other than that, theres not much to them.

[J-L]

Sounds like you’re set up real well. As far as the cattle are concerned you have plenty of horsepower. You may want to put a few of your pack animals in harness during haying.
You mention the hydrafork so I assume you are wanting to put your hay up loose. For 40 cows I think you could do it. You will need a push rake unless you’re going to push it to the stack with your loader. Mowing and raking won’t be a problem for you.
These calf prices won’t stay down forever (I hope), but it sounds like you aren’t to dependant on them anyway. You at least have some diversity with grain. Lambs many times are up when beef is down also.
Not having much experience with the grain farming I won’t give any advice there.
Yes you can do it, just make the commitment to it. If you sell off that equipment you won’t have a choice! Go for it, I say.

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