[MNMULE]

Hi Rick, I’ve been looking at your pictures for a couple years I go on a lot of wagon trains and enjoy seeing the pictures you have of wagon trains. Its fun to see the different places and people on your website. Maybe I’ll have to load up the mules and wagon and come down on that indiana ride some day.

[MNMULE]

I was always told that they were used in the old days during threshing to keep the chaf from getting underneath the horses collars.

[MNMULE]

so I’ve explored the yuku site ad all I’ve seen so far is rants and raves about how awful every other site is, I for one really like this site and am glad that its moderated to an extent lifes to short to have to listen to people that just want to complain or count their opinions as god

[MNMULE]

As far as shelter goes I would say the previous posts have about covered it, Its been my same experience that basic shelter is ample. Now onto the breed, forget about breed, look for a good broke experienced team of horses/mules. I can tell you from experience that starting out you need something that will let you get away with mistakes, because being new there will be mistakes. There are things that you need to be thinking about when handling draft animals in work situations that you probably don’t even think about yet and won’t till you have the misfortune of having a wreck or learn by having the experiences enough to really get to know the several little things that can turn into big things if you’re not careful. Not trying to scare you away here but with the wrong team something as simple as a bridle falling off or a line coming unhooked could cause a bigger wreck than you ever though possible. Also I think its been mentioned before but finding someone who could be a mentor to you would mean the world. I myself got hooked up with a seventy year old guy when I was twelve who started taking me on wagon trains and teaching me about driving horses and such. Now after listening to him and learning from him for almost twelve years I feel very confident in my ability to handle animals and work them safely. You’ll learn things from guys like this that’ll never show up in a book. Poor old Bob though I don’t think he ever knew he was training what would become a mule guy, he might have reconsidered taking me on.

[MNMULE]

Since when is 5’8″ vertically challenged ? I’m also 5-9 I haven’t run into a horses yet where I couldn’t get a harness onto because of height, I know some people who use benches and buckets when necessary though. On a side note my grandmother was 4-11 so I never feel bad about being 5-9 because it could’ve been a lot worse.

[MNMULE]

I have a bunch of friends down in alabama that raise and work halflinger mules. I would have to say they would be right up there when it comes to super mules. The two teams are both about 14.2 and both are just super pullers and very good temperaments.

[MNMULE]

Yeah I run into a lot of people that like to give me a hard time because I have mules and horses. I stand by my philosophy on that matter. A good broke mule is good broke, a good broke horse is good broke and just as long as we’re dealing with that good broke we’re doing alright.

[MNMULE]

Dangerous subject, I’ve had experience with both, I think they both have there ups and downs but I will say when it comes to working in heat I don’t think your gonna find many draft horses that’ll keep up with a pair of mules. I’ve seen on many wagon trains where the draft teams have been about to die of heat exhaustion and the mules aren’t even sweating except for a little under the collar. Now I do think draft horses can be a lot easier to work with as they are not near as persnickety as a mule is. One thing I’ve noticed with mules too is you rarely have any trouble with them interfereing or forging, no matter how you shoe them they usually adjust their gait to compensate.

[MNMULE]

I’m 23 got started with draft animals when I was twelve. I went with an older neighbor of mine on a wagon train for a week and really enjoyed getting to drive horses. Now I have my own team and saddle horses. I’ve had a team of belgians and team of light horses and now a team of mules. I use my mules mainly for wagon trains and getting firewood.

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