The land lord has 3 more mules besides Good Ol' Becky Mule. This is where some people may roll their eyes, quit reading, or leave a nasty gram... But whatever...here goes!
I admit that I feed animals that if I had the choice I would either sell or euthanize. And one of these mules tops the list out here. Its just the way it is. Years ago, I worked for a boarding stable and found myself thinking the same thing, "Life is too short to feed some animals." Now before I go any farther; I am not saying torture, slaughter, or in any way abuse said animals...but merely sell them or end their lives humanly. That being said, please note that I care for these animals with as much thought, planning, and work as I do the rest of the animals... I call the vet for them, schedule the farrier for them, doctor them, fly wipe them, and give them as good a life as I am able to provide for them...because its my job and I don't want to see anything suffer. But I don't "love" them, and they probably don't love me...
Tequilla's rump, Chad's mare in background.
The first mule is Tequila. She is 23 and is out of a tabiano draft cross mare and a standard jack. Tequila was born here at the ranch and has never lived anywhere else. Well except for the time that the land lord took her to hunting camp and lost her and his horse. He went back several times during the fall and was unable to find either of them. When he tried one more time the following spring, he found signs of a horse/mule in the area. He followed the signs and found little Tequila without her halter and hobbles (thank God!), with a split in her ear that had already healed, but other than that, in really good shape. He loaded her up and took her home, he assures me this was the first and last time he lost one of his animals. He also told me he never found his horse, saddle, or anything else he had left on him...he is still bummed that he lost his good saddle horse, but is sure that someone found the horse and took it home. The land lord loves happy endings...and well, I will go with it! All of this happened way before my arrival...again Thank God! So little Tequila is used as a saddle mule and a pack mule. The land lord says that they tried to break her to pull, but she would have none of it. Due to her smaller size she wasn't really able to "match up" with any of the other mules that he was using for pulling at the time, and he decided to just bag it and ride/pack her only. Tequila is quite fun to ride and is gaited...I believe they call it single footing, but I don't know for sure. So rather than trotting she will give you her little gait first, and you can really cover some ground in a comfortable way! I just love it. Tequila also really likes to buck. Now its not that stupid little crow hopping with the arched neck, it is a full on putting her head between her ankles and pitching. I was on her one time when she got her head away from me and she can really get into it. Luckily she only got a couple of hops before I got her head up and her back on her way. I have been told that she has tossed many a person and has quite the reputation in our little neighborhood for doing so.
Tequilla heading through the gate, Scarlett bringing up the rear.
Little Tequila has one other not so sweet reputation 'round these parts...the little poop likes to jump the fence. Well at least hop into and crash through the fence. If the sweet little dear feels that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence and she is being neglected...over and through the fence she goes, and once she has "opened" the fence out goes the others! Its lovely when that happens! Not!
Scarlett in front, Missy in rear...a wee bit muddy!
Next we have Scarlett and Missy, in the pasture they are inseparable so I'll start talking about them together. These two mules are full sisters, and no one would ever know it...not that we all look like our siblings, but they are no true similarities in these two, other than their color. These girls share the same sire as Tequila, Duncan the Donkey. (Who was gone way before I got there...given away to someone else who wanted to raise their own mules.) Unlike Tequila's mom these two are out of a register Belgian mare. The land lord wanted to raise a couple of blond mules, but ended up breeding said mare to Duncan several times and getting only brown mules. I don't know how it all washed out that he kept these two girls and got rid of the others, but these two he kept.
Well I suspect he kept Scarlett because she is really big and pretty sweet for the most part....but to me Missy is a mystery. And she is one that I think life is too short too feed in this post... But, I digress. Miss Scarlett is pretty handy. The land lord drives her single, double, four up, and six up. He also rides and packs her. She rides English or Western and loves to jump. He had at one point even started trying some low level dressage with her, but she is now used mostly as a trail mule when he rides. Scarlett had a driving partner that the land lord sold and Missy is now her partner, which suits them both just fine. For the most part Scarlett really doesn't have any real "trouble" areas...if Scarlett wants on the other side of the fence, she jumps, but she can actually clear it...so she doesn't take anyone with her, unless little ol' Tequila sees her and decides its a great idea! Scarlett is two years younger than Missy, but is definitely the leader. Rarely will Missy go over the fence after Scarlett, she usually stays on the original side and paces...but if little Tequilla "opens" the fence, she will go.
Jamison left, Missy on the right. Note her fat rolls.
L to R...Scarlett, Fiona, Jamison, Missy, Horse Girl, Mave, Abbi and Kage.
Missy is big and strong enough, that she would bolt and drag Becky down the road...matter of fact I was behind her in the wagon when she did it the last time and as we were screaming down the road at oncoming traffic with 3 ft snow drifts on the side of the road...it was the first time in my life that I actually thought I was going to die. We couldn't get the wagon stopped, I couldn't jump, and well it didn't seem as though we would be able to get off the road either... Finally Mike was able to drag Missy's head around until the point that she had to turn and plow headlong into the snow bank. It was all I could to cowgirl up and stay in the wagon for the remainder of the ride home. So Missy has almost killed me...and I haven't been in a wagon with her on the hitch since. Since I have been at the farm Missy has drug the land lord through the pond on the stone boat, drug him while he held onto her halter trying to hitch her to the wagon, bolted down the road with Scarlett stopping only when they reached the barn yard, stomped 2 farriers, broke the foot of another, pulled the fence down when tied to a post, pawed down the barn door, and broken my finger. Catching her is no easy task either, grain is not even a guarantee to success....if you re lucky you can get Scarlett caught before Missy gets her running and then take her far enough away that Missy can't touch her and walk around behind her for what seems like hours until she stops and faces you. Then after walking up to her slowly, extending your hand for her to smell slowly, and holding your breath and saying a little prayer, you can slip the halter on her. If said process fails on the first attempt, I start all over again...not fun!! I am pretty sure she is troubled...she will stand quiet, let you think every ones on the same team and then blow. I mean blow like you stabbed her with a sharp stick, then act as though you may do it again. Not allowing you near her for a good 20 minutes or so. Its insane, well she's insane. One day the land lord loves her and the next he doesn't. I don't, never have, never will.
Scarlett and Missy...Kage too.
2 comments:
There's a dog dissorder that is like that. The dog will be fine, and then suddenly attack for no reason. I can't remember what it is called. Hmmm.
I feel bad for her one day, then want to bump her off the next! I wouldn't doubt if it was beyond her control. Poor girl...
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