What breed of horse cross you folks prefer for mountain mule

[Benny G]

For me, I guess it must come down to what you have done and how long you have done it on the back of an animal. I worked cattle in the rocks of Az before I ever was around a mule. I know the abilities of a good rock footed horse. I have a horse right now that has turned into as good a friend as any mule. He also has no bottom, he loves following the dogs, and lives to head off a cow wreck in bad country. I have both- good horses and exelent mules. I still prefere my horse. Perhaps that's why we have choices.

[Mike Leonard]

Most know I am a horse lover but I admire a good mule and a good mule man. I have studied both a good deal and I think some folks just naturally get along better with muled than horses, and probably vise versa.

In the book I spoke of ahile back ( The Natural superiority of Mules) the author says nearly all mule lovers also like horses but not so do all horse lover like mules. He goes into the phsycology behind it and it is most interesting.

A very well known lion hunter called me the other day and he was really wound up. This guy has owned some of the finest mountain horses you can imagine and lots of them he raises quite a few. Several years ago he got on the mule kick and really did some looking and found several caddilac mules. Well he was always calling me man this mule is smooth and I mean I have gained a lot of weight and this thing packs me like no tomorrow and on and on. Well I have hunted with this guy a good bit and he is a top hand with horse or dogs but one thing he is not real long on is patience. LOL! I wondered just how long it would be before he and his new ride ran into some difficulties.

Well it happend: He had been after a really big tom and the cat had given them the slip late in the day so he and the client went in determined they would cut him in the morning. Back they go and ride all over the way they thought he went. Nothing! So next day last day of the hunt the client is crabby this hunters is determined he is going to get that lion. He heads off on his mule the other way. Well he cuts him but it is a little old and the dogs really have to grub but they finally get him up and going and around the mountain they go and up thru a saddle that still had some snow on that side. Well he is going for all he is worth to help them hounds and gets in the rough stuff and the deeper snow and the mule decides , Hey that's enough! He just stops and will not move he goes down on his belly and that is the end of the story, he is in mule language El Fanito!. LOL! Holy Smokes ! This lion hunter was fit to be tied. Well there is no changing a mule's mind in a hurry so he has to go it on foot and it nearly kills him but they did get the tom. Boy now that super mule is a blankety blank quail hearted giving up sob. Why if I had one of my good horses we would have gone up thru there even if it killed them. There you go a mule ain't gonna die for no impatient damn lionhunter. LOL!

[liontracker]

[Powder River Walker]

IMO- I have never owned a mule. But The problem with a horse is it is harder and harder to find people who train horses out side of an arena. In our program when our colts are yearlings we kick them out to learn how to travle out side. they run a ridge, deep draws, tember, and river. I will put my best horse up against any mule out there. But it is how they are raised as colts that make a good out side horse.

I baught a young horse one time that didn't make the "reinning" cut, to turn into a rope horse. took him out side and he tripped over grass and anything that would be taller then an inch. was the worse horse I have ever rode out side but sold him for $20,000 as a rope horse.

As for a mule I want to breed my percheron to get a stout mount to try my luck with.

PRW

[gus]

I worked for a trail ride company in southern utah for 6 years. We had 90 head of animals at one time horses and mules about half and half. We would get 20 new mules every year from tennesee and it was our job as the guides to ride these green broke mules into the dude string. We had mules of every kind, pony's, walkers, draft, qh, you name it we had it riding riding every day on steep trails. All I have to say is there is good and bad in both I started to think mules were beter but the more I was around them and rode them I still had my favorites and there were some of both. But I will say If you get on the wrong side of a mule he will live a hundred years if he has to, to kick you one time. I dont believe mules are any better than horses in the rough, there are good sure footed horses that get through the rough country to. And there are so many advantages to a horse IMO that a mule cant do performance wise. I now ride horses and have no intrest in a mule of any kind. Where I ride even the toughest footed mules have to have shoes and no mule has beat me to any destination. A very wise man told me A DAMN FINE MULE MAKES A DAMN POOR HORSE

Not trying to ruffel feathers but that is just my opinion

[cat and bear]

You guys shared some great thoughts and opinions, I respect all of them, a few things stick in my mind, like mike said, mule or horse fits a man, like walker or plot. Second, a mule isnt going to die for an impatient hunter. I'm know there is many fine horses, in wi, its arena horses. We know if we want a good horse, we have to go west to get it, from folks like you that rode and trained them. The only chance here is amnish broke, and usually their broke down.

I think its the personality of the ridder, and what challenges he likes. My dam mule, will test me, try and outsmart me, and I love it. Keeps me thinking. I will put him in situations for both of us to learn, and have the chess match))). He has tested patience, I never knew I had. At the end of the day, he fits me, I'm amazed by him, and would trust my life any day with him. Besides,anyone can train a horse, try and train one of these dam mules.

[Benny G]

Well' not just anyone can train a horse properly. However, you are completely right about training a mule. The first mule that I bought was spoiled by the first few people that owned her. It was a learning experiance for both of us, but we lived through it. Now she is the kind of mule that if you are going yo have a mule, everyone wants.

[cat and bear]

[Benny G]

Cat and bear- nothing personal taken. My point (without sarcasm) was that a lot of folks think that just anyone can jump up from the sofa, step in the saddle of a bronc colt and make a hand out of the colt. The problem with these threads is that without hearing people's voices we can't always tell when some one is sarcastic, mad, or just ignorant. Life is too short to always be so worked up over trivial things as some folks on here seem to be. Best regards- Benny

[Big Mike]

Mike's L story illustrates the good and bad in mules. The same traits that make others cuss them is what others love in them. Mules are self preservationists and wont let you do something to hurt them. You can ride a horse right off a cliff, a mule will never let you. That trait is what makes them good in the mountains. Thats a really nice trait when your get caught riding new country in the dark

Mules are not the right critter if you want to get somewhere in a hurry. My thorobred cross mule if you start to lope him he thinks something is chasing him. Trying to work cows off of him would be a nigtmare LOL.

I agree with Pegleg its easier to find a good horse than it is a good mule

[Benny G]

You're exactly right Big Mike as far as a mule looking after it's self. I just call it by a different name is all - coward. I'm not bashing mules here, just calling it differently is all. There have been times when I was sure glad that my mule was at home and my horse was under me. I was up high in the Organs once, got bluffed up and didn't want to spend 3 1/2 hours back tracking to get down so I slid my horse down a narrow water chute filled with oak leaves. My mule would have killed me before I could have pulled that stunt off with her! I'm not saying that what I do is always the smartest, but sometimes I want it my way!LOL

[Azlongears]

You can scare a horse into doing what you want it to do, you gotta out smart a mule into doing what you want it to do!!! Ha.

I have a 4 yo mule that was trained in Mo. I thought she'd be a flatlander delux but does great in this rough country. She is gaited and out of a Paso Fino horse, gentle as can be and not spooky a bit. She had zero mountain expereince when I got her and is learning quickly for how young she is. A mule thinks about what they need to do, a horse just reacts, not thinkin about the consequences.

A real expereinced vet told me once that in 40 years he had only sewed up one or two mules, but had stitched on 100's of horses. So for me why would you wanna be on an animal in a rough spot that has no concern for its own well being? To each his own though.

Here's a pic of my 4 year old, she lets this little pygmy goat boss her around.....

[Dan Edwards]

I'm lazy and I dont want to train nothin so I just ride mules. They are usually worthless and wont never do what I want but nobody expects em too so no need to train on em.

[LCK]

[Hagerman]

I use hancock qtr horses bred to my mammoth jack. Great dispositions, bone and attitude. Mine are of the Blue Valentine Hancock line and I avoid Gray Badger crosses.
In your back pocket type mules...yep a little big for me. run 15 to 16 hands. I'm old, broke and short.