This bunch thinks I am nuts for riding a mule...but I am still working on them.  One day, I just know that the whole barn will be filled with mules and smiling faces.  I guess turkeys can fly out of my arm pits too.  Nevertheless good  riding pals will pick you up out of the dirt after a mule wreck.  They will go out and look for your runaway mule that had been frightened and headed out for the high country.  They will ride with you to help you with a new mule or a young mule that needs the confidence and on occasion, they bake goodies for you.  So, here's to the gang.

(left to right, Cat aka Chases Her Roan Horse, Crazy Horse Lar, myself, Giddyup Jann and Tumbleweed Jane.)
Let's ride! ~Cindy K. Roberts

Cash and I rode with a small group of gaited horse riders - they were willing to adopt me for the day.  I confessed that Cash and I are not use to wiping the bugs off our teeth when we ride, but we sure had a great time! Twenty-one miles in 2/12 hours!  Wheeeweeeeeeeeee - we stopped long enough to fix a broken rein and eat a quick sandwich.  Down the trail we went....LICKITY SPLIT!  Trotting through the sandy bottom...Cash shook his head and yes - he bucked a tiny "pleasure" buck to say..."weeeeeeeeeee - this is fun!"  Thanks for the fun ride, Gay, Don and Pacho.  Here's to windblown hair! ~Cindy K. Roberts

Tumbleweed Jane, Stampede Peggy and I joined up with Tom Seay and his crew from Best of America By Horseback at Brushy Creek Lodge.  What a fun group of people!  Tumbleweed works for Revlon, so the three-chicks-in-a-trailer was flowing with lipstick and a .380 or two.  Stampede Peggy stole my mule until I reminded her we
still hang mule thieves!
Tom Seay - Host  (above) with Del Shields co-host.

Cash was not on his best behavior on this ride (sighhhhhh) he's five and he just discovered girls. (!!!!)  Life is an adventure, ~ Cindy K. Roberts

Cat, Cowboy Larry and I rode fence.  Hold onto your hat, Lar galloped his spit fire gelding - Krazy Koda up the hill and there was no holding him back.  Cash was quick to lunge into the trail of dust...we rode like bank robbers in a desperate escape...only to discover I lost my cell phone in one of our tail chasing rides.  One mile of walking and backtracking...and with Larry calling my number, he found the phone face down in the dirt, sounding off to the old country twang of Kittie Wells, "It wasn't God who made honky tonk angels..."  There's never a bad day in the saddle.

You can never have enough saddle pals~Cindy K. Roberts

During the learning process, the mule's attitude and demeanor goes through the "shaping" process.  Shaping is the way that a new response is gradually built up, by rewarding only increasingly accurate responses by the mule. (Answers To Your Mule Questions by Cindy K. Roberts - The Learning Patters of The Mule   For example, to lunge your mule at "liberty", you would first reward for just one correct step in the right direction, then a step or two, then a whole action, until you have "shaped" a complete correct movement. Shaping is a part of our teaching the more advanced movements on cue to the mule - at first we praise any effort in the right direction, but only later reward a perfect response.  Here's to better mule relations~Cindy K. Roberts

Mules are not physically capable in keeping an unnatural head carriage - as  pictured to the left.  Their poll area is thicker and stronger as compared to the horse and their throat latch/jaw area is much heavier - this trait came from the donkey side of the family.  For the mule to physically tuck their head and nose requires light and responsive hands over time gradually.  It is extremely uncomfortable for the mule to carry his head in this manner naturally.  Heavy hands or non-responsive hands encourages the mule to pull against your reins.  The mule's esophagus allows airflow (outlined in blue in pic) that enables the mule's very survival - to breath.  That being said, you should have a better understanding as to why mules can easily develop into runaways when they are being handled/trained by a forceful or unknowledgable rider/trainer with heavy hands.  No matter what bit or hackamore you use on your mule - to be successful in your training, you have to be able to "feel" your mule's response and be able to give back at that moment to enable him to be comfortable in the bridle and not fight against you.  This is direct communication coming from your hands to your mule's mouth/jaw. Establishing a light contact with your mule in the bridle is a realistic and reachable goal. Train your mule to do what he is physically able to do naturally and your working/riding relationship will improve.  ~Cindy K. Roberts