Learning to go through a gate with respect and consideration for the handler is an important lesson for your equine to learn. Your considerate and consistent approach to retrieving him from his stall, pen or pasture can make all the difference in safety and pleasure for you both. This begins from the time you take him from his stall. Do not go into his area, but rather, ask him to come to you. If you have been consistent rewarding your equine from your fanny pack with the same oats he gets fed every evening, this should not pose a problem. The reason for feeding the oats in the evenings is so he is given the motivation to come back in during the spring months when pasture time must be limited. Feeding only grass hay in the morning gives him incentive to come to you to be haltered for lessons, as he knows his efforts will be rewarded with extra oats. Use verbal commands to “come on!” prefaced by his name. This reinforces his response to verbal commands and familiarity with his name. This will come in handy when you need to fetch him from a pen of multiple animals.
Going through a gate seems simple enough, but you can really get into trouble if it is not done correctly. Ask your mule to follow your shoulder to the gate and halt squarely, and then reward him (crimped oats) for standing quietly while you unlatch the gate. When going through the gate, if possible, the gate should always open away from you and your mule. When the gate is hinged on the left, transfer your lead line from your left hand (showmanship position) to your right hand, and open the gate with your left hand. Switch positions if the gate is hinged on the right, but always be sure to keep your body, rather than your mule’s body, closest to the gate. Ask your mule to walk through at your shoulder, to turn and face you on the other side of the gate, and to follow you as you close it. Then reward him again and latch the gate.
After latching the gate, turn back to your mule and reward him yet again for being patient and standing still while you latched the gate. This repetitive behavior through gates will teach him to stay with you and wait patiently instead of charging through, or pulling away from you. This is especially helpful when you are leading several animals at once. This way, you can get through a gate safely with as many animals as you choose to lead through together. Even if the gate is only two mules wide, you could lead as many as four through by simply lengthening the lead lines of the back pair, asking the first pair to come through first then encouraging the second pair to come through directly behind them before you turn back to the gate. When trained this way, your mules will all line up like little soldiers on the other side of the gate to receive their rewards. They will stand quietly while you latch the gate and will only proceed from the gate when you ask.
When you return your mule to a pen with other animals, wave the others away from the gate and return the mule to the pen the same way he was taken out. Lead your mule or mules through the gate, reward them, and then reward the others for staying back.
If you have any problems with kicking, carry a whip with you to keep the problem children at bay while you reward the others first. Do not vary this routine.
The repetition will build good habits. Once the others have learned that they cannot approach when you wave them away, and each mule knows the routine of going through the gate properly, and you want to take one animal from the herd, you can call his name, wave the others away with your hand, open the gate and allow him to come through and turn (receiving his reward, of course) to put on the halter. You never have to get in the middle of their sometimes-dangerous playfulness again, and your animals will all be easy to catch.
“Leverage” equipment refers to any restraining device or substance that is used to get an equine’s attention and obtain compliance, but many leverage practices often have the reverse effect and have the potential to cause distress and pain. This includes harsh bits, chain leads, twitches, hobbles, stocks and even medications. There are times when our equines can really be a handful, so having a little leverage when needed can be a good thing. However, deciding which equipment to use and learning how to use leverage without it becoming abusive can be a bit daunting. There are so many different types of tack, equipment and restraints that it becomes difficult to determine which would be best to use on your equine to correct a particular problem, or if you really need to use anything at all. It may only be a case of needing to be clearer in your approach, in which case, leverage equipment may not be needed. It is important to make an informed decision when using any leverage equipment to be sure that what you are using is helpful and not abusive.
One very common behavioral problem that seems to identify the need for more leverage is the mule that bolts and runs when on the lead rope. This seems like an obvious disobedience to the handler, and the first thing that comes to mind is to use a lead shank with a chain to gain control of the mule. Normal use for a lead shank is during a Showmanship class at a show and it should rarely be used in training unless the equine will be shown at halter and/or showmanship. And then, training with the lead shank should be done only after the animal is following well through all required movements while in his halter and on a lead rope.
Chains are severe and when not used properly, can damage the fragile bones in the underside of the jaw, and the cartilage and bone over the nose of the equine. If the chain is pulled while simply run under the jaw and attached to the ring on the opposite side, a quick jerk can bear down hard into the delicate mandible (jawbone). If the chain is run over the nose, when abrupt pressure is applied it can injure the nasal cartilage or the incisive bones. Because they occur internally, these injuries are often imperceptible to the human eye. The only thing you might see is broken skin, scabs or bumps that arise from repeated use. When properly fitted, the chain on a lead shank goes through the ring of the halter on the left side, threads under the chin and through the ring on the right side of the noseband, and is attached at the throatlatch ring on the right side. This keeps the halter balanced and the action of the chain less severe. When using the lead shank for leverage during training, it can work on some animals but others may decide to fight which can result in injuries such as fractures, causing more severe trauma to these areas. So it is best to avoid use of the lead shank until after completing leading training with the halter and lead rope. Even then, you should learn to use the lead shank properly with the least amount of pressure possible. Avoid using halters that are made with chains. Those types of halters should only be used when showing cattle and can do serious damage to equines.
If, after you’ve employed a kind, considerate and respectful approach along with a food reward, your equine is still being uncooperative, it may be appropriate to use equipment with more leverage such as the “Quick Twist,” but not necessarily chains. Chains do need to be used in some cases, such as with work harness (and most curb bits are now fitted with chains), but when not used correctly, these chains can be abusive. The chains on the pleasure driving harness should clear the legs and heels of the driving equine, and the chin chain on a curb bit should be adjusted so that it is twisted properly and lies flat against the animal’s jaw with an allowance of two fingers between the chain and the jaw, thereby minimizing any chance of injury. If you have a generally compliant equine, it is better to use a leather chin strap on your curb bit rather than a chain.
If, after you’ve employed a kind, considerate and respectful approach along with a food reward, your equine is still being uncooperative, it may be appropriate to use equipment with more leverage such as the “Quick Twist,” but not necessarily chains. Chains do need to be used in some cases, such as with work harness (and most curb bits are now fitted with chains), but when not used correctly, these chains can be abusive. The chains on the pleasure driving harness should clear the legs and heels of the driving equine, and the chin chain on a curb bit should be adjusted so that it is twisted properly and lies flat against the animal’s jaw with an allowance of two fingers between the chain and the jaw, thereby minimizing any chance of injury. If you have a generally compliant equine, it is better to use a leather chin strap on your curb bit rather than a chain.
If you train for leading with a step-by-step program that incorporates a reward system during training, the mule is much less likely to bolt and pull the lead rope from your hands, and horses will not need any more leverage at all. This kind of training invites the equine to remain with you and he is rewarded lavishly when he does. If a horse spooks, you can usually stand still in balance, hang onto the lead rope and quickly regain his attention by staying calm and deliberate yourself.
Normally, mules learn to comply with the reward training. However, if a mule has been spooked, he may not care much about the reward in your fanny pack and you might have the need to use something with more leverage. In this case and in cases where a mule doesn’t always comply willingly, I use a new positioning of the lead rope called a “Quick Twist.”
To employ the “Quick Twist” restraint, just take your lead rope and create a loop and feed it through the noseband of your nylon halter (rope halters are too loose and do not work) from back to front and then over the mule’s nose. When you pull on the rope, it will tighten around the end of the his nose below the incisive bones and over the cartilage, making breathing just a little difficult. Don’t keep pulling—just stand quietly and hold the tension snug. Let the equine come forward to you and slacken the rope himself by coming forward and allowing a free flow of air through his nostrils. Then, if the mule does not follow, just walk a step or two, creating tension on the rope, and then stand still again. When he does come forward, stop long enough to reward him with the oats reward before you proceed forward again. Keep the lead rope short and stand still in a balanced way so he cannot get ahead of you and jerk you off your feet. If you are standing still in a balanced position, it will be difficult for him to jerk the lead rope from your hand and leave.
Old-time twitches were made with a chain that could be twisted around the upper lip and used to distract the equine from shots, tube worming and the like, but the main focal point for the equine then becomes the equipment and not the task and, in the wrong hands, this piece of equipment can do a lot of damage to the equine’s sensitive upper lip. Most often, the equine can be more easily distracted by a simple rap on his forehead using your knuckles. Using a twitch at all can become a source of confrontation for many equines. If a twitch must be used, choose a more humane one that is made from aluminum and has a smooth surface. This will clamp down tight enough to hold, but not so tightly on the upper lip that it causes pain or even injury.
Restraints should not be used as a means to control your animal except for a short period of time with the purpose of showing them a correct behavior. Restraints should be used as a support and not a controlling device. Restraints should be “phased out” as soon as possible.
I call this next restraint method the “Face Tie.” For the sake of safety, tie your mule to a good stout hitch rail. Then use our Face Tie technique (TMD DVD #2), running the lead rope around the hitch rail (or fence) and back through the noseband of the halter (nylon halters work best for this). Then come around a second time and loop it through the throatlatch part of the halter and around the hitch rail once more and tie it off. Take up the slack slowly as he gives and be ready to reward him with oats when he complies, then keep taking up the slack until his face is against the fence or hitch rail.
Do not try to bully him into it or he will just pull back. This should be done while he is standing parallel to the hitch rail so that when you pull the rope tight, it pulls his head tightly sideways to the hitch rail. This will keep him from being able to swing his rear end around to block you. Reward him with oats and let him quiet down in this restraint before approaching with your shot. If he manages to keep you off the clear side, you can always go to the other side of the hitch rail and give him the shot from that side without fear of injury. You can do this along a stout fence provided the rails are sturdy. If you do this correctly, it will simply restrain him in a safe manner and keep you out of the line of fire. Each new time that you give shots, try to do it with the rope a little looser each time to fade out the restraint. They will usually just come to expect and go for their position along the hitch rail or fence and will lean into it like they do when you first gave the shots like this. He will soon learn to quiet down immediately when his face is being tied and at best will seem to be saying, “Dang, do we have to do this again?!” But, he will learn to comply.
This is a humane restraint for mules and donkeys, but do not try this with a horse! This is a good restraint to use (and fade out) for any Longears that is difficult to worm, give shots, take blood, clip bridle paths and to use for those that are difficult to bridle. When using the Face Tie for bridling training (or clipping the bridle path), you will only need to go through the noseband and hitch rail (and not through the throatlatch unless you need to prevent them from turning into you). Just make sure when you put on the bridle that you “protect” their sensitive ears with your hands as it goes on and they will learn to trust you. Put the bridle on over the halter for the lessons until they don’t mind the bridling process.
If they lean away from you, you can just pull on the halter to bring the head back to you to finish bridling. Each time you use the “Face Tie” method,” see if you can leave it looser each time until they just stand for putting on the bridle while it is at its loosest. Then you will no longer have to use it.
Keep your lessons short, only 20-40 minutes (depending on how compliant they are) every other day and never two days in a row. They need a day off to ponder what they have learned and when they are allowed this break between lessons, they will come back the next time and do the tasks more easily. They usually leave because they perceive the lesson to be either too long or too difficult (and they would rather play!).
It is always better to not use the Scotch Hobble if you do not need to do it. If your donkey will pick up his feet for you, just give him the opportunity to “meet” your farrier by having him give him a handful of oats. Then see if he will yield his feet. If not, then you go ahead and pick up his foot with the farrier standing beside you, give him the reward for picking up his foot and then hand it off to the farrier while you back up and continue to feed him small handfuls of oats for compliance. Eventually, you should be able to step away and just have a bucket of oats in front of him to eat while the farrier is working on him (and take it away if he won’t comply). If he has a friend, it is always best to do donkeys in groups. They stay calmer that way. Try this FIRST!
Your Longears will only need the kicking training covered in DVD #2 (Simple touch training with a driving whip) if he is resistant to having his hind legs worked with and even then, you should try picking them up with the scotch hobble rigging first. If he kicks with that, just hold the rope taut until he quits. Then, hold the foot off the ground for a couple of seconds and release it where the foot will touch the ground again. He just needs to know that when you pick up the hind foot, you will return it to him if he is good. During all of this, be sure to reward when he is standing still. If he complies easily about picking up his feet easily after trying to pick them up with the rope, you may not need to use the Scotch Hobble in it’s ultimate constraining position.
To employ the Scotch Hobble in its entirety, tie a Bowline knot loosely around the neck. Depending upon the size of the animal, the rope should be 16’-22’ long. Take the excess rope down to the pastern of the hind foot, loop it around the pastern, then back up through the loop around the neck, then back round the pastern a second time. Last, loop the rope around the ropes going from the pastern to the neck to capture them and tie off with a safety knot at the neck loop.
Only tie the Scotch hobble as tightly as is needed, and it is best to leave the toe touching the floor for balance. In some cases, you may have to tie the hind legs higher to prevent kicking on the off side, but be prepared to loosen the rope when the animal stops struggling with his balance. Remember that they can tire and not be able to continue to stand for long periods of time.
When taking the first wrap on the pastern of the hind leg, take the end of the rope well behind him and encourage him to step over it, keeping yourself out of kicking range. Then bring the rope along his side to the front and slip it through the loop around his neck. If he won’t let you go through the loop around his neck, you can just hold the rope taut around his pastern without putting it through the loop first and just allow him to settle before putting it through the loop. Just be very patient. When you get to this point, many animals will begin to kick. Just stand to the side, out of biting and kicking range, and keep the rope taut. Just hang onto it with both hands and stand quietly until he stops struggling. Allow your hands to follow a pull and release with the motion of his leg. If you allow your hands to move forward and back with the pulling of the rope and keep it taut, it won’t come off the pastern. Don’t try to hold his foot stationary at this point. You can easily step out of his way from this distance and position.
When he stops struggling, keep the rope the same tautness, walk to his head and give him a reward for standing still. Pet him and then proceed to go behind him again and take the second loop. Again, stand to the side if he begins to kick and wait for him to stop, allowing your hands to move back and forth with his kicking leg, maintaining the tautness in the rope. This is a give and release action that should not make him as mad as trying to hold the rope tight. Again, when he stops struggling, he is entitled to a reward.
If you do it this way, slowly and in small steps, you will not aggravate him as much and he will be more likely to comply. If you have been patient and meticulous while doing this procedure, tying the last knot around the neck rope should not be a problem, and you will not run the risk of him escaping from it.
Use a soft cotton twisted rope of the correct length measured to your animal for ease and to avoid chafing for the best results. It need not be traumatic if you proceed this way. Use the Scotch Hobble as needed, but each time, tie it as loosely as you are able and still have him stand still. For example, if you have had to raise the toe, don’t raise the toe and let it touch the floor. Next time, have the toe touch the floor with the ropes loosely tied. Next, take only one loop around the pastern, keep the rope fairly loose and tie to the rope around the neck. Lastly, just take the rope to the hind foot, around the pastern and let it lay on the floor. Next time, you won’t have to use it at all. Your goal is to phase out the restraint entirely.
A lot of activity when trailer loading can cause the equine to become anxious and noncompliant and he becomes overstimulated. When having difficulty loading your equine, things will usually go better if you simply give him time to survey the situation.
Do not allow him to back away from the trailer. One step at a time while offering a food reward (and a food reward waiting inside the trailer), with frequent pauses and encouragement to move forward from behind with a tap of the whip, will usually accomplish the task without confrontation. Most equines will willingly follow you right into the trailer if prior obstacle training has been done properly and successfully. Leverage equipment such as butt ropes only refocus the equine’s attention on the equipment and will result in a confrontation.
Hobbles are another form of leverage equipment and there are many different kinds of hobbles for different purposes. The hobbles that have chains on them should be avoided, as the equine can become entangled and the chains can do damage to their legs. Thin leather hobbles or coarse rope can chafe the hair right off the skin around the pastern and can cause severe abrasions that may never heal. Thick leather hobbles are best, as they will break when under extreme stress, releasing before damage to the equine is done. If so inclined, all mules and some horses can gallop in hobbles, so hobbles really aren’t all that effective for leverage. Tying onto a hyline (a rope suspended high between two trees that acts as a hitching line for overnighting equines in the mountains) is a better choice, and if the horses are tied, then the mules should not have to be tied or hobbled because they will generally stay with the horses. Personally, I only use hobbles in a controlled situation at the work station when body clipping my equine’s legs for show.
Sedation and tranquilizers are another form of leverage that is used all too often and, in some cases, can be very dangerous. Mules and donkeys may receive the correct dose, but they can be unaffected when they get over-stimulated, excited and confrontational. They can actually “pop out” of sedation if they get excited enough to release adrenaline in their bodies. In these cases, administering another dose of drugs can easily become an overdose and could result in death. Sedating an equine that is to be trimmed or shod can be dangerous for both the farrier and the equine because the animal is not able to stabilize his balance and his reactions are, for the most part, uncontrolled. The farrier may not have time to get out of the way and the animal could stumble into trouble.
Power tools can be of help to a veterinarian or an equine dentist when doing teeth. Old-fashioned rasps are safer than power tools, but they are clearly more of an aggravation to the equine. However, if power tools are to be used at all, they must be carefully monitored. When floating teeth, the equine dentist must be skilled in the use of his grinding tool and should do only what is necessary to remove sharp points on the equine’s teeth. Power tools can be a good thing when you are dealing with an equine’s mouth and jaw, as having their mouths held open for long periods of time is very tiring for them, so speed is essential, but accuracy and skill are also essential.
I do not approve of using power tools on the equine’s hooves at all. In order for the equine’s body to be properly balanced in good posture, the hooves must first be properly balanced. Power tools cannot possibly shape the hoof with proper curvature in the sole, alignment of angles and equal balance over the hoof walls with appropriate pressure to the heels and frog.
This demands hands-on custom sculpting, as each foot on each equine will be different and all four feet need to be aligned with each individual’s legs and body in mind. The hooves are the basic foundation for the entire body, so they must be done correctly or everything else will be off. This is especially true with the tiny hooves of mini donkeys and mules. Minis can often be kept calm for trims simply by keeping things at their eye level and rewarding their good behavior with crimped oats.
There are things that may seem to allow for shortcuts through certain tasks, but when you are dealing with living creatures there really are no shortcuts. It is always better to take the necessary time to implement training techniques that allow your equine to learn and grow in a logical, step-by-step process that will not overwhelm him or bombard him with too much stimulus at any stage, so that he can become a comfortable and cooperative individual. If you use the correct methods right from the beginning, the need for excessive retraints (that can cause pain and even more resistance) will be greatly diminished and the long-term results will be undeniably better.
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE, TRAINING DVD #2 andEQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.
Hauling long distances needn’t be a problem with your Longears, if you use a little common sense and consideration. Their natural durability and good sense make them basically easier to haul than horses. When hauling for more than four or five hours, there are a few things to consider. Be sure to have your Health Papers and recent Coggins tests done for the trip. You will need them to cross state lines. If you need to carry firearms with you, be sure to look into the state laws for legal carrying. Make sure to have full insurance coverage on your truck and trailer and on miscellaneous items that you would be carrying like tack, equipment and camping gear. There are separate temporary policies you can get for those kinds of things. Insuring the equines themselves is often very expensive and they don’t tend to pay if something happens. Always carry a First Aid kit and tools to fix simple problems you might have with your truck and trailer, and know how to use them.
First, you should be sure that the trailer in which they are to ride affords safety and comfort and that the plates on both the truck and trailer are up-to-date. Before you leave, you should check over your trailer thoroughly. Make sure the hitch is secure and in good repair, and that there are no weakened welds anywhere. Check your trailer’s tires, bearings, axels and brakes for maximum performance, and make sure all the lights are in working order. Take the trailer mats out and check the floor boards for rot and other weaknesses, and replace all floor boards that are even questionable. It is always good practice to get all new tires for the trip and a new spare.
Using bedding such as shavings or straw in the trailer may afford a little extra comfort, and can encourage urination on the trip, but it isn’t always the best thing to do. The wind can cause the bedding to fly around inside the trailer, causing irritation to your animal’s eyes, ears and respiratory tract, particularly if you use shavings. If you wish to use bedding, straw is the better choice. In addition to the straw bedding, choose thicker trailer mats (rather than those that are thin) for your trailer. Thicker mats allow for more absorption of trailer vibration, as well as dispersing the moisture from urination. The trailer you use should give each animal ample space in which to stand. If your mules and donkeys are crowded in too tightly, they will be tense and anxious throughout the trip and will tire easily. This can result in battles between animals, increasing the potential for injury.
Research your route well ahead of time and make arrangements for overnight stops. Rural fairgrounds and camp sites work best. Avoid going into and stopping in highly populated cities. Do not rely on GPS. Have paper maps of all the states you will be passing through for reference. Having friends’ places at which to stay is always best. Contact everyone ahead of time and make plans for dates and times. Make sure you all have each others’ contact information.
Mules and donkeys, like horses, should be “dressed” for their trip. For their overall comfort during long trips, halters should be fleeced, at least over the noseband, to protect from excessive rubbing that can result from being tied. Shipping wraps for their legs are also advisable to prevent injuries from a loss of balance, misstep or kick from another animal in the trailer. Depending on the weather and the kind of trailer you have (either a stock trailer or enclosed trailer) you can use sheets or blankets to protect the rest of your animal’s body.
Donkeys tend to sit back on whatever is behind them while they ride, so they should always wear an oversized sheet or blanket that drops down behind the rump to prevent chafing. If they are not protected in this way, they can develop terrible raw spots on their tails and hindquarters. Using a tail wrap on mules and donkeys is rarely successful, as these tend to slide off (even if they are taped). If they are put on too tightly, they can cut off the circulation in the tail and cause problems.
When loading your mules and donkeys, pay special attention to each individual’s needs. Animals that lean one way or the other generally do better in a slant load trailer rather than in an in-line trailer, but if you must use an in-line trailer, make sure that the animal that leans has a solid wall or partition on the side to which he leans. You always want to put animals next to each other that get along well, so if you must load a leaner on the wrong side, be sure to put him next to an animal that is able to tolerate his leaning without retaliating if there are no partitions. If you have an open stock trailer, another alternative is to load your animals into the trailer and tie them facing backwards. Many equines actually prefer to ride facing backwards because they find it easier to balance. Note: This alternative is not advisable in a partitioned in-line or slant-load trailer.
Once on the road, try to keep your equines’ routine as close to their “at home” routine as possible. Keeping grass hay in front of them will help to alleviate some of the stress of the trip, and will encourage them to relax and accept the situation. Feeds such as grain and alfalfa hay should be avoided, since these highly mobilize the intestines and can cause contractions that can lead to colic, particularly if your animals are not drinking enough water along the way. They should at least be offered some water (whether they drink it or not) at every stop you make along the way and ideally, once every two to three hours. Note: Water that your mules and donkeys are not used to may smell or taste strange to them and can be flavored with something they like. For instance, my donkey jack, Little Jack Horner, has a preference for iced tea to flavor unappetizing water on the road. Lightly flavoring your equines’ water may encourage them to continue to eat and drink throughout the trip, and will help keep them happy and healthy. The best idea would be to bring jugs of water from home along with you if at all possible.
If your trailer is large and has good suspension, your mules and donkeys can ride for as long as twelve to fourteen hours without too much discomfort, provided that you make frequent fifteen-to-twenty-minute stops every two to three hours along the journey. This should not interrupt your travel schedule, as you will already be stopping for gas along the way. If your animals are riding in a smaller trailer with more vibration, it is advisable to stop, unload and walk your animals every four to six hours, in order to give them time to stretch, relax and rest their legs. If you have a difficult animal, loading him last is often easiest, since he won’t want to be left behind and will be more likely to follow the other animals into the trailer. This can be inconvenient if you have any animals that are difficult to load because of the extra time involved, but it is always a good opportunity to train them to get in and out of the trailer simply by repetition. By the end of a long trip, they will be loading and unloading much more easily. Just make sure that, if you have equines that are difficult to load, you have allotted yourself enough travel time to include this kind of training.
Long before you actually go anywhere, get your animals used to being handled inside the trailer. When unloading, always make them stand and wait. I usually remove my animals’ shipping wraps before I let them come out of the trailer, but if they are packed in pretty tightly, I just remove the leg wraps I can reach. The removal of leg wraps before unloading will add purpose to your Longears’ waiting time (which they quickly come to understand). Frequently offering water at stops gets your animals used to you moving about the trailer while they are loaded. Most equines realize that all of this is for their benefit and you should find them mostly cooperative and appreciative. Having water from home in plastic jugs makes this easy.
There are times when weather can change drastically and depending on what the weather and temperatures are doing, your animals may need sheets or blankets either put on or removed. When you teach your animals to stand quietly while you climb around inside the trailer ahead of time, putting on leg wraps or taking them off should help them feel more relaxed and accepting of the whole situation.
When loading or unloading your animals, you must always be very careful not to move too quickly or abruptly, which could possibly startle them and even get you trapped. But if you do have an emergency to attend to en-route, and your animals have been trained in the manner described above, you should be able to get to the animal in trouble with minimal problems. It sometimes takes a little more patience to get horses to stand quietly in the trailer. Once they realize that you are truly concerned with their best interests, mules and donkeys (intelligent creatures that they are), will usually be very cooperative and your long hauls can become relaxing and enjoyable road trips.
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.
With the hectic schedule of spring and summer slowly tapering into fall, thoughts of cool, refreshing mountain streams, the sight of a massive bull elk, or the quiet majesty of the rugged mountain peaks on a relaxing trail ride, mountain hunt or pack trip begin to ease their way into our minds. What better time to share with your mule or donkey? What better place for him to show you what he was born to do? A mountain trail ride or pack trip are both perfect ways for you to get to really know your Longears and strengthen the bond between you.
Mules are remarkably strong and durable animals, making them excellent mountain partners. The cupped shape of their hooves allows them to track the rough mountain terrain with much more surefootedness than their counterpart, the horse. A mule’s superior intelligence and strong sense of survival help him to carefully negotiate the placement of his feet, insuring the safest ride possible. This is both important and comforting to know when heading for the mountains. The mule’s strength and endurance are sometimes unbelievable, but always dependable. On a hunting trip, he will take you through rough mountain terrain for days then pack out the “elk of your dreams” with the greatest of ease.
Around the campfire, he is wonderful company on those lonesome mountain nights. His blatant curiosity can make for some fun—and funny— situations, and his loving ways will win your heart. But first and foremost, he is a reliable companion when the going gets tough.
A few years ago, some close muleskinner friends of mine decided to take a hunting trip into the Rocky Mountains. Packing in, the weather was beautiful with warm temperatures, calm breezes, and not a cloud in the sky. After setting up camp and tending to their horses and mules, the hunters set off tracking elk. Hunting was good, but after a few days, the evening brought with it an unpredictable snowstorm of incredible intensity. The hunters crawled from their tents the next morning to discover their camp buried in more than four feet of snow!
With no chance of the storm lifting, the hunters packed up what they could on their horses and mules and quickly got under way. Since time was of the essence, tents and much of their gear had to be left behind. As they left the campsite, the snow deepened and the terrain underneath was steep, rocky and treacherous. They had gone only a short distance when the snow became so deep and the terrain so hazardous that the horses refused to go one step farther. Anxiety was high when the horses could not blaze a trail out. The hunters were worried they wouldn’t make it off the mountain alive.
In the face of this great danger, my friend asked his trusted mule, Goliath, to break trail for the others. With slow, careful, deliberate steps, this well-trained, loyal mule led them all down the mountain to safety. Once there, they freed their trucks and trailers, which were buried in snow, loaded them up, and made their way back to the lowlands to safety. The storms on the mountain worsened and it was spring before the hunters could return for the rest of their gear, but they were eternally grateful to Goliath the mule for leading them safely down the mountain!
There are many stories like this one, where mules and donkeys have emerged as heroes in precarious situations. However, if you prefer not to take risks like my hunter friends, there are other less daunting activities you can enjoy with your donkey or mule.
Why not take your longeared companion along to the mountains for a hike or a picnic? He would thoroughly love just being with you in those beautiful surroundings. While you walk the trails, enjoying the marvels of nature, your donkey or mule can carry the lunch essentials. While you enjoy the wildflowers or try your hand at fishing a mountain stream, you can be confident that your Longears will enjoy the peaceful solitude and be able to stay out of serious trouble at the same time.
If you question taking excursions such as these with your longears because of a lack of training, there are fellow Longears lovers who can help you. All over the United States, excellent mule trainers are available to help beginners. A Longears lover once told me that his love for burros and mules began years ago when he found Dusty, a three-month-old wild burro caught in a blizzard. He took her home and cared for her, and, a year later, he entered her in the National Western Fall Classic Donkey and Mule Show. He and Dusty were awarded the title of Reserve Champion Donkey of the Show! Ever since, he has sought to help others enjoy Longears and horses in any way he can. In addition to breaking and training wild mustangs at his Medicine Bow Stables, he has included free clinics for burro owners to teach them how to handle and care for their animals.
We are fortunate to be able to share our time with such intelligent, tough and durable equines as our beloved mules. But you should also remember to do your part in the relationship. Be patient and willing to take the time to allow your relationship to grow and for training to become solid before you indulge in the challenges that trail riding can present. Plan ahead and scout the locations where you desire to ride. With the growth of urban populations, open areas that welcomed riders in the past are not as numerous as they once were. Many areas now welcome hikers and even bicycles, but not equines. Find the designated trails and camp grounds that will accept equines when planning your treks.
Even a ride that is planned to be short can turn into challenge if the weather changes suddenly, so be sure to plan for the worst case scenario. Tack up your equine in comfortable tack and equipment that fits like a glove. I like to ride with a crupper because it will hold the saddle in the correct placement when adjusted correctly and will allow for full range of movement, particularly behind when climbing uphill. If you use a breast collar, make sure it is loosely fitted so it does not pull your saddle forward and into the shoulder blades. Be sure to pack your saddle bags with the barest necessities for any ride far from home: Compass, water, rain gear, a Swiss Army knife, buck knife, hoof pick, lighter, fence pliers, Granola Bars or Trail Mix, a sleeping bag, a warm coat, Bear Spray and a First Aid Kit (at the very least Gauze, Vet Wrap and Neosporin).
If planning an overnight trip, you will probably need a pack mule, or horse, to carry the extra food and additional necessities you will need like tents, blankets, sleeping bags, more food, extra clothes, High Lines and extra halters, and food for your equines. Lots of places will not allow your equines to graze in the parks, but some do. I do not like using picket lines where the equine is tied low with a halter, or with a rope around a foot. I do not like to use hobbles either (Mules can run off in hobbles with no trouble at all!). It is too easy for equines to get tangled up or injure themselves when they are restricted this way. They can get sprained tendons and ligaments, or severe rope burns that will leave them scarred for life. I prefer to bring their favorite horse “friend” along and tie the horse, and mules that tend to wander, to a High Line. Most of the mules can be allowed to run free and won’t leave your camp with the horse there, but do not leave halters on them. Again, they could become tangled up and injure themselves. If you have spent adequate time during training to build a solid relationship with your mules, they are much less likely to wander off and get lost. They will choose to stay near you.
If you can, choose a place where you can establish a base and park your truck and trailer. You can then tie them on a High Line during the evening and put them back into the trailer for the night. This might be better if you are an area where there are a lot of large predators. Just don’t leave the truck and trailer windows open so a predator can get in. Stock trailers are the best for this purpose since they also have more room in them and are fully enclosed. Any food that could be attractive to predators should be mounted high in a tree, at least 50-100 yards away from your camp and your equines.
Getting the proper in-depth training for your donkey, or mule, can only enhance your relationship with them and in turn, they will enrich your life. This year, why not take the time to really get to know these remarkable animals by letting them share in the fun, be it hiking, hunting, packing, or picnicking. The life you enhance may be your own!
Across the United States and around the world, as mules are given more and more opportunities to perform in many diverse situations, they are exhibiting their exceptional beauty, athletic ability, endurance and intelligence. There are definite physical and psychological reasons for these outstanding abilities. It has been proven that the mule not only inherits the mare’s beauty, but is also more athletic than the mare out of which he came. The mule is an exceptional hybrid not only because he inherits these qualities from his dam, the mare, but he also inherits the best qualities from his sire, the jack who is responsible for his muscle structure, thickness of bone, strength and intelligence.
The muscle structure of a mule is noticeably different than that of a horse. His body is covered with masses of long, smooth muscle whereas the horse has more differentiated bulk muscle masses.
The most apparent example of this difference is seen in the chest of the mule. The horse’s chest has two distinct muscle groups, which creates a very distinctive line of separation in the middle of his chest. However, the mule’s chest is composed of one wide muscle mass that resembles a turkey’s breast, which greatly enhances the mobility of the front quarters. Another example is found in the mule’s hindquarters, where the long, wide and smooth muscles enable the mule to kick forward, backwards and sideways—he can even scratch the top of his head with a hind foot if he wants to! Mules are also quite capable of climbing under, over and through most kinds of fencing. Restraints that are used with horses often do not work with mules because of their astounding ability to free themselves from annoying circumstances with their strong, quick and agile movements. Because the hindquarters of the horse possess bulkier muscle masses, the horse does not have this incredible range of motion. The difference in muscular structure is similar to that of a ballet dancer versus that of a weight lifter—the ballet dancer’s longer, smoother muscles are more conducive to elasticity and agility.
In addition to this physical structure, which allows him more diverse range of movement, the mule also inherits from his sire (the donkey jack) the strength to tolerate prolonged and strenuous use of his muscles. One need only try to budge an unwilling donkey to realize his incredible strength! Donkeys traditionally possess an unbelievable vigor, and this vigor is passed on to the mule, adding to his superiority over the horse in strength and endurance. The donkey jack also contributes to the superior, tough hooves of the mule and a unique resistance to parasites and disease. Throughout their long history, the donkey’s natural ability to survive and thrive in habitats both desolate and unyielding guarantees that donkeys and their mule offspring are more sure-footed than other equines and masters of self-preservation.
Donkeys have long been referred to as “stubborn,” but this is a false and unjust perception. It is not stubbornness that causes an overloaded donkey to stop dead in his tracks to rest his body, but rather common sense and a strong desire for self-preservation. After all, would a sensible human being deliberately pack more than he could comfortably carry, and then continue a hike until he drops from heat and exhaustion? No. Would his refusal to do so be considered as being “stubborn?” Certainly not—it’s just common sense. The same common sense should be applied when understanding a mule or donkey’s behavior—and this holds true in any potentially dangerous situation a donkey may face. For example, when crossing a body of water, the donkey does not possess a human’s acute visual depth perception. Therefore, when he refuses to step into water that seems perfectly safe to us, it is because his depth perception is telling him to use caution and to take his time in evaluating the situation before he proceeds. His behavior is determined by the way he is asked to perform a task and by his concern for his welfare and safety.
As a rule, donkeys are equipped with the innate intelligence to sense that humans are not always concerned with what is really best for them, yet they are still willing to gives us the opportunity to convince them otherwise. Donkeys also have a natural social attraction to humans and, when treated with patience, kindness and understanding, they learn to trust and obey. On the other hand, if they are treated with pain and abuse, they are not likely to comply and can become very dangerous to handle. Mules and donkeys have an honest way of responding to our demands, so if your mule or donkey is not complying with your request, you need to review the clarity of how you are communicating your desire and adjust your approach accordingly. The intelligence of the donkey is no accident.
When a male donkey, with his traits of superior intelligence, strength and muscle structure is bred to a female horse with a calm disposition, good conformation and athletic ability, the result is an exceptional and incredibly beautiful animal—the MULE!
All of us here at Lucky Three Ranch would like to wish longears everywhere and those who love them a very happy Mule Appreciation Day in the fall! October 26th has been popularly designated as National Mule Appreciation Day, but anyone who’s ever been lucky enough to nuzzle a muzzle knows that these magnificent, gentle, bright, honest, upbeat, funny, patient and loyal friends need our appreciation and guardianship not just once a year but every day. Let’s spread the word whenever we can—mules and donkeys are truly amazing!
There are so many equine-related products on the market today that it is difficult to decide which ones you really need and which ones you don’t. For instance, the subject of splint boots and leg wraps can be very confusing. How do you know when to use them? What types of leg wraps or splint boots are best? Do they really help? In what ways do they help? What kind of material should they be made from? And the list of questions goes on.
Splint boots and leg wraps vary as much as their uses. The easiest and most obvious use of a leg wrap comes when traveling with your equine. If you are taking your animal any real distance, it is always advisable to use full cover, padd3ed shipping boots on all four legs. The shipping wraps help prevent your animal from injuring himself due to his own movements, on objects inside the trailer or because of other animals that are traveling with him.
If you have an animal that is fidgety and has difficulty standing still, applying leg wraps is the perfect opportunity to teach him to stand quietly while you handle his legs. You can begin training for leg wraps by putting them on your equine while he is outside of the trailer at your grooming station, and then removing them inside the trailer before unloading him. Make sure he is standing quietly while you put the leg wraps on him. Also, get in the habit of always removing the leg wraps while he is in the trailer. This makes him learn to wait for you before he departs the trailer. If he expects to have his leg wraps removed while he is still in the trailer, he is less likely to become excited or anxious, and possibly bump or step on you while waiting to exit the trailer.
The best shipping boots are the ones that are full leg (over the knees and hocks), quilted on the inside and attached with Velcro straps all the way down. Some materials such as fleece can collect bedding, or debris, and cause discomfort or pressure sores. The best shipping boots are made from a quilted nylon material and most of them cover the entire leg past the knee and over the hooves.
You can also use quilted cotton pads and leg wraps, but their primary use is when they are stalled, in order to prevent cuts and abrasions at shows and events. Polo wraps (a soft pliable cotton wrap with no quilted pads) are also used for support during training. These types of wraps are commonly used during Dressage training and typically only cover the cannon bones and not the fetlocks and pasterns. If you use Polo wraps, or quilted cotton pads and wraps, learn to wrap them correctly to avoid pressure points that could cause circulation problems. Consult with a professional to learn the proper wrapping technique. It is a hands-on lesson!
There is a wide variety of splint boots available on the market and each of them is designed for a particular use. When doing light work in the arena, or for rail riding, you might want to use a “front and back” set that are designed for minimal support, while still providing the legs with greater protection from injury. In beginning training, you might use splint boots only on the front legs, since your animal will not likely be using his hind quarters efficiently enough to cause problems. But once you have begun activities such as balanced stops and lateral work in Dressage, or Reining, rear boots become important.
When making a decision about which type of protection to use, it is important to first assess your equine’s development and the types of activities he will be doing. Boots that are deigned primarily for protection do not always lend much support to muscles and tendons.
They do, however, protect the equine from cuts, bumps and bruises, and are advisable for use during hard work, gymkhana events, trail rides in mountainous areas, and other stressful workouts. If you do use splint boots while trail riding and they get wet, do not leave them on your equine very long or they will lose their ability to be supportive, and can cause sores from rubbing. In order to prevent this from happening, boots should be removed, cleaned and dried out immediately after use.
In the beginning, since the goal is to condition your animal’s muscles and tendons, “light support” splint boots are a good thing to have on hand. At this early stage, if a boot gives too much support, the equine will not necessarily develop correctly, and the area beneath the boot (or wrap) can become weak. Muscles and tendons above and below the boot will gain too much strength and cause possible knotting of the muscles, compromising the function of the entire leg due to uneven conditioning.
After his basic training, when your equine is participating in more stressful activities such as jumping, endurance and racing (or in the case of an injury), it may become necessary to use a more supportive boot to lightly support already conditioned muscles and tendons. Support boots are designed to provide even support over the entire area that they cover. Be careful that they are neither too tight, nor too loose. You don’t want the boots so tight that they cut off the blood supply to the covered area, or not flexible enough to allow the joints to move freely. However, you don’t want them so loose that they ride down the legs.
Although the hooves look tough, they too can be adversely affected, particularly in gymkhana events and jumping. This is why “Bell Boots” may be needed for hoof and coronet band protection. The coronet band is a very sensitive area and can cause severe lameness if damaged, even by a small, seemingly insignificant cut or bump. If a hoof is unusually dry, severe cracks can occur. It is advisable to routinely use a hoof dressing in addition to the “Bell Boots’ to prevent traumatic cracking during repeated concussion.
When trying to decide which splint boots, leg wraps or other devices to use, asses your plan for the day. Leg wraps and splint boots uses can change from time to time, depending on the conditions of the day. Most shows do not allow splint boots, or leg wraps in certain classes. If the equine is in good physical condition, he should not need splint boots, or legs wraps for the short time during the performance unless it becomes extended as can be the case with gymkhana. In this case, your equine should be conditioned well enough to forego the actual support-type boots, and would only need protective boots.
You might be asking yourself, “How can I tell a minimal support boot from a fully-functional medical support boot?” This can be quite confusing considering all the different kinds of leg wraps and splint boots that are out there. Some even look identical, but are not. Off-brand splint boots look a lot like Pro Choice splint boots, but they are made from inferior-quality materials that do not afford the degree of flexibility needed for successful therapy. Although these off-brands are designed for support and do cover the joints, they should be considered as more of a protective boot than a therapeutic boot. Splint boots are strictly for the protection of the cannon bones because they do not cover the joints and offer very little support.
A short work about substituting boots for shoes on your equines’ hooves. I believe that using the boots for medical assistance is fine and can help healing. However, these boots never fit the hoof well enough to preserve the integrity of your equine’s good posture during riding and should not be a substitute for healthy hoof care, correct trimming, or shoeing. Boots that do not fit the animal’s foot, the way that shoes can, will adversely affect his ability to balance his whole body causing compromises and soreness everywhere. When you have a good farrier, nail holes will not compromise the equines’ hooves and will be grown out by the time they are reshod. If there is no need for the shoes, with proper trimming, they can remain barefoot most of the time.
In the case of leg wraps, there are those that stretch and are used for support (as in the Polo wraps that are used for Dressage schooling), and those that do not stretch and are used over padded quilt squares used for traveling and when in the stable. When researching which product will best suit your needs and the needs of your equine, check with equine professionals, check your local tack shop, or feed store, check at shows and expos, and on the internet. These places can all be valuable sources of information.
To learn more about Meredith Hodges and her comprehensive all-breed equine training program, visit LuckyThreeRanch.com or call 1-800-816-7566. Check out her children’s website at JasperTheMule.com. Also, find Meredith on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, MeWe and Twitter.
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com
In order to perform the shoulder-in properly, it is important to understand its purpose. The shoulder-in causes the equine to engage his hindquarters so that they carry the bulk of his weight, giving him more freedom and suppleness in his shoulders and front quarters. A strong base must be established to carry this weight forward while the shoulders remain light and free to proceed forward while tracking laterally.
The shoulder-in is done on a straight line. Normally, an animal traveling in a straight line makes two tracks in the dirt behind him, because the front legs are positioned directly in front of the back legs. In the shoulder-in, the shoulders are positioned so that they cause a three-track pattern behind—the inside front foot makes one track, the outside front foot and the inside hind foot make one track, and the outside hind foot makes one track.
Begin by walking your equine around the perimeter of the arena. When you reach the corner before the long side, make a ten-meter (30-foot) circle. As you close your circle at the start of the long side of the arena, maintain the bend that you had for the circle, using steady pressure on your inside rein. At the same time, nudge your equine with alternate leg pressure in synchronization with his hind legs as they each go forward. Squeeze your outside rein at the same time that you squeeze with your outside leg, and then release the outside rein. Ride the hindquarters straight forward from your seat and legs, as you offset the shoulders with your hands. Be careful that your inside rein is not so tight that your animal bends only his neck to the inside. As you squeeze with the outside aids, feel your equine rock his balance back to the hindquarters, giving you the sensation of pedaling backward on a bicycle. Simultaneously, you should feel the front quarters begin to lighten and become supple.
Take your time and don’t try too hard. Be content at first with two or three steps of shoulder-in and then straighten him down the long side of the arena. After a few accurate steps of shoulder-in, as he straightens his body, you will feel him surge forward with more energy. Collect and slow your equine’s gait through the short side of the arena and then repeat the exercise on the next long side. As your equine begins to understand the concept of rocking his balance to the hindquarters, the surge of energy that you feel when he straightens will become more and more powerful.
Much body strength and coordination is involved in this exercise and at first, you may feel like you are all thumbs. Time, patience and practice will bring about positive results, so stay with it. Over time, do this exercise at the walk, the trot and the canter, and do it the same way in both directions in the arena. Don’t forget to praise your animal for each correct step that he gives you.
The next exercise to enhance hindquarter engagement and lengthen the stride is quite simple, yet still a little tricky because lengthening your mule’s stride means covering more distance yet maintaining the same rhythm and cadence. It does not mean speed up, although that is what most equines will try to do. Track the perimeter of the arena again. This time, collect the trot on the short sides, and then urge your equine to lengthen his trot down the long sides. To add variation, ask him to lengthen across the diagonals (from corner to corner) as well. Your equine’s first impulse will probably be to shift his weight to the forehand and just speed up. For this reason, do not push him too hard too soon. At first, just ask for a little more energy—be aware that your rhythm and cadence will not be lost as his stride increases. He will just be spending more time in suspension. Keep the forehand light and free while you ride the hindquarters. Let your hand open slightly with the foreleg going forward on the same side, and close as the leg comes back. This will help you to determine how far you can let that stride go before the balance begins to shift forward. It will also allow you to check the balance with your hands before it begins to shift. If he has too much difficulty, you should go back and practice lengthening over ground rails again to gain more strength and coordination.
As your equine gains strength in the hindquarters and is better able to carry your weight, his lengthened gaits will continue to improve until, perhaps a year or so later, he will be able to fully extend his stride at the walk, trot and canter. I caution you, however, that if your animal begins to rush, ask for less.
Another exercise that is helpful in lengthening the trot is to canter your equine around the arena, then cross half of your diagonal at the canter. Break to the posting trot and finish the diagonal. After the diagonal, sit the trot through the short side of the arena, pick up the canter on the long side again, and then cross the next available diagonal again and repeat the pattern. The drive that an equine gets from his hindquarters in the canter will carry through into the trot for the few strides on the diagonal and will create the true lengthening. This also holds true when teaching the lengthened walk (add trot work and back to walk) and the lengthened canter (add galloping and back to canter). This is your opportunity to tell your equine, “Yes, yes, this is what I want when I urge you on!”
Learning to ride from back to front (from the hindquarters forward) will greatly improve the harmony between you and your equine. Loss of balance seems to be the single most common cause of disobedience and problems with riding and driving animals. Carrying your weight and his in a properly balanced posture minimizes the chance for a loss of balance, and recovery from such a loss is much easier. Your equine will soon discover that your aids are indeed for his benefit as well as for your own, and he will become more accepting of them over time. As he becomes more balanced, you will find a world of different activities that you and your equine can do!
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE, EQUUS REVISITED and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.
As in any breeding program, when breeding jacks to mares to obtain mules, there are many variables to be taken into consideration that are basic and pertain to both the jack and the mare. However, there are some variables that are particular to each.
The ideal mule should have a head that is slightly longer than that of a horse, but proportionate to the size of the mule’s body. The features should be prominent and give an overall pleasant appearance. The ears should have length and be nicely shaped, and the eyes should be large, soft and kind, reflecting the mule’s health and intelligence. The forehead should be broad, tapering to a small and delicate muzzle, with a shallow mouth and well-aligned teeth, and the nostrils should be wide to allow for adequate respiration while working. Both the mare and the jack are responsible for the shaping of these characteristics, but the jack has primary responsibility where the length of the ear and the mass of bone are concerned. A jack with a longer ear will, more often than not, throw a longer ear to the mule, while the shape of the ear is determined primarily by the mare. The attractive or unattractive head of the jack can emerge in the resulting mule, so be sure to carefully consider the head on the jack to be used for breeding to produce an attractive head on your mule offspring. Standard-sized jacks and Large Standard jacks most often have a more refined head, while the head of a Mammoth jack may be less refined and possess thicker bone, particularly around the eyes and jaw line. In the case of saddle mule production, massive bone on an otherwise attractive head can be very unattractive, so using the smaller jacks would be better for a more refined look in your saddle mule (which is also true for the rest of the mule’s body).
The neck of the mule should have good length and come well back over the shoulders to the withers, with neither an excessive arch nor a u-shape. The withers should be apparent, but will not be as prominent as that of a horse. Many jacks have a characteristically short, thick neck. If it is passed on to the mule, this shortened and thick neck may inhibit the suppleness and agility of the resulting mule. Since donkeys tend to be rather flat over the withers, a mare with good wither development is also recommended to offset the tendency for this trait in the mule. It’s hard to keep a saddle on a mule with little or no withers, despite the use of cruppers and breeching.
The back of the mule should be slightly shorter than that of a horse and nearly straight with only a gentle slope over the top line and with strength over the loins. The croup should be nicely rounded with smooth muscling (indicative of strength and staying power), with the tail set-in neither too high nor too low. Again, the jack/mare combination must be considered in order to obtain a desirable saddle mule. Both the mare and the jack should have good body length to avoid a “boxy” appearance in the mule.
The shoulders of the mule should be at a nearly 45-degree angle, with a broad collar surface. Most mares will have this angle, but donkeys have a tendency toward short, steep shoulders, so, to insure that the mule has good shoulders and hips, consider a jack with good length and a lower angle through the shoulders and hips.
The curved ribs of the mule should be well sprung and separated around the torso, and extended (not flat and narrow), and should range close to the hipbone. The flank should be well set down from the croup and just above the stifle with a nearly flat appearance (not as indented as that of a horse). The hip, stifle, and gaskin should all have a smooth-muscled look, not bulging, as seen in many horses. The more bulky-muscled mare is generally crossed with the smooth-muscled jack to create a more bulky, yet smooth musculature in the mule than that of the jack. The contribution of bulk muscling from the mare provides more stability to the inherent smooth muscles from the jack and will enhance athletic performance in your mule athlete.
The chest of the mule should be deep and prominent, broad and well developed (it should resemble a turkey’s breast), with little or no line of separation (as is seen in a horse’s chest). Since jacks are generally narrower through the chest than are mares, the mare chosen for breeding should exhibit much width and depth through the chest to compensate for the lack of it in the jack.
The legs of the mule (as with horses) should be nearly straight, broad and clean, with adequate bone density for the size of the mule. The legs should be well braced at all four quarters and properly balanced underneath the mule’s body. The knee should be broad, deep and firmly set and the hock should be broad and muscular. Being slightly “cow hocked” in the rear quarters (with the toes pointed slightly outward) is common in mules and is actually preferred for performance (though not when showing at halter), but pay special attention to the straightness of legs in both the jack and the mare because being extremely “cow hocked” is not acceptable and should be minimized through careful breeding practices.
If a stockier mule is desired (as in the case of breeding for pack or draft mules), a stockier mare bred to a Mammoth jack will produce the desired thickness of bone in the legs of the mule. If a more refined Thoroughbred appearance is desired, the mare should be bred to a Standard or Large Standard jack in order to reduce the mass of the bone in the legs of the mule and retain refinement throughout the body. This does not affect the height of the mule, as the mare is primarily responsible for the mule’s height, while the jack is primarily responsible for the mule’s bone thickness. The forearm and stifle in the mule should be well developed and thickly covered with smooth muscle that tapers to the knee and hock in regular, well-defined lines. Again, these muscles should be thick and smooth, but not bulging, as in horses. The mare will compensate for the limited bulk muscling in the donkey jack, and the jack will contribute and maintain the smoothness of that additional bulk muscle in the mule.
The old saying, “No Foot, no mule” is literally true, as it is in any nomadic animal. If the hooves are not trimmed and balanced properly, it will offset the balance of the equine’s entire body and can compromise longevity in the animal, because his entire internal structure will be compromised. The hooves of the mule will be smaller and more upright than that of a horse of equal size, and should be well sprung and supported, not contracted. They should have a smooth appearance and look sleek and oily. No ribbing should be apparent and the frog should be well extended, healthy and make adequate contact with the ground for good circulation to the hooves. When being trimmed, the mule should be left with more heel than the horse to maintain the more upright position that complements the shoulders and hips. The shape and condition of the hooves of the jack and the mare are both equally important when considering foot development in the mule.
The coat and hair of the mule should be soft and shiny, covering pliable skin. The coat should be soft to the touch, denoting good skin health. Length and thickness of the coat are contributed by both jack and mare. Since donkeys have a typically thick coat of hair, a mare with a thinner coat will balance this thick hair coat in the mule, making him look sleeker and more horse-like than his donkey sire.
Although the jack plays a part in the mule’s way of going, the mare plays a larger part in the animation of the mule’s gaits. Mules out of gaited mares will generally exhibit the mare’s way of going and will also be gaited.
Probably the most important trait of the mule is his disposition. This characteristic comes primarily from the mare. Much of the mule’s attitude is formed during his first days with his dam, at which time he will observe and then assume her behavior patterns. Although much of a mule’s attitude development is environmental, there is still an inherent general disposition, so avoid breeding to mares with a negative or sour disposition, as those traits will most likely be passed on to her mule offspring.
Keeping all of these considerations and guidelines in mind when breeding for mules can definitely increase your chances of producing an attractive, usable, and enjoyable equine companion.
The first time I ever saw a horse, I was mesmerized by its beauty and the fluidity of its motion. Watching herds of horses on television as they galloped across the plains was like watching uniquely colored rainbows in motion. Their silky manes and tails floated behind them as they ran, and my heart soared with the promise of acquiring a sense of freedom like theirs. Their long, inviting backs beckoned me to ride!
No doubt, many have experienced the same sensation while watching horses. But how many of us ever believed that we could be trainers of such a wild and unconstrained beast? I thought that only the most macho of men could tame these animals, and their secrets would never be revealed to the common person. After all, these were special people with a special talent that I could never possess…they were the “Horse Whisperers.” So, I began my equine career riding horses that were already broke by someone else. It wasn’t until I was nineteen years old that I attempted to train my first horse. This two-year-old buckskin Arabian/Quarter Horse mare bucked me off before every ride, but she eventually became the dam of five of my very best mules.
I suspect that she bucked me off because I didn’t know what she needed from me to better perform. I avidly watched the horse trainers in action, read everything I could get my hands on, took clinics from trainers and drooled at the thought of ever riding as well as the horsemen of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. I was crushed to discover that the school didn’t accept female riders.
Over the years, I was able to ride my horses in many equine activities, but my real equine education took place when I began to interact with mules and donkeys. They were the teachers that clarified my part in the equine experience. With every “Longears” interaction, I began to realize that I really could become a trainer—it was not some great mystery or talent that I would never possess. Even activities as simple as grooming or leading revealed the more intimate connections I could have with these amazing animals.
Mules have incredible strength due to the donkey influence that often leaves our most popular equine training techniques virtually ineffective when the approach is not to their liking. Their remarkable athletic ability and agility renders us helpless when we are unfairly insistent with them. It didn’t take long after my introduction to Longears before I realized that my approach to training needed to change drastically, but I was really surprised when they taught me that the way to cooperation between us was simply mutual respect, good manners, with a routinely consistent program that addressed their physical development. When this is done properly, it makes them feel good to be with you and they will actually choose to go with you over their stablemates…no herdbound problems anymore! It is a much easier approach in the long run.
Granted, we can get a mule, donkey or horse to “Join Up” in a round pen fairly quickly, but this does not always adequately address their correct physical development in good equine posture and it will still be a long road to finessed performance in any specific events. When we think of conditioning an equine’s muscles, we generally think more about bulk muscle development and not about core muscle development that supports good equine posture, allows more freedom of movement and promotes optimum functionality of internal organs. Equines that are properly physically conditioned, feel better all over and are much better able to perform the things that we ask of them. They do realize that you are the one responsible for their comfort.
True bonding is a lot more than just having them like you. True bonding is a real show of gratitude from your equine for being kind, considerate and thoughtful of his needs. Food rewards are not withheld, corrections for aggressive behaviors are handled quickly and fairly, and the equine should never be separated from his “friends”as a punishment. Isolation is not good for anyone and will only promote hostility. When you are thoughtful and kind in your approach, trust and cooperation are built and true bonding emerges.
Today, as an older and wiser equestrienne, it is my mission to share with others what Longears have taught me so they too can have a safe and satisfying relationship with the equines they love. What amazes me most? That having this kind of relationship with equines is really so simple. It just requires having the right attitude toward training and knowing what to do in an order that makes sense to the equine, an order that always has his best interests at heart. When you do, he will learn to trust and take good care of you in return.
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE, EQUUS REVISITED and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.
Mules and donkeys are wonderful animals. They’re strong, intelligent and what a great sense of humor they have! But training a mule or donkey is different from training a horse. They are more like six-year-old children and require love, patience, understanding and a good reward system to grow into happy, independent, reliable and well-adjusted adults. Negative reinforcement should be used sparingly and only to define behavioral limits. The result is an animal that is relaxed, submissive, obedient, dependable and happy with his work.
Mule and donkey owners find it difficult to find trainers for their Longears because most trainers are unfamiliar with the psychological needs required by Longears to invoke positive responses from them. Trainers that are capable of training Longears are far and few between. It is difficult for inexperienced owners in remote areas to get their Longears trained properly. Also, Longears bond deeply to the people who train them, so it would be ideal if the owner could do the training him self. Many people attempt to train their own animals and they do manage to achieve a certain level of success despite the trials and tribulations of trial and error. However, this can be a long and frustrating road that leaves the Longears with unwanted bad habits.
We are fortunate enough to have a lot of books and videos available about managing and training Longears. However, it wasn’t that long ago that there was virtually nothing published on this subject and what was published was extremely limited and devoid of detail. Those of us who were training needed to rely on educational resources that were designed for horse training and modify those techniques to better suit our Longears. This still left a lot of room for trial and error…and a lot of frustration for both the trainer and the Longears.
Interest in Longears has grown exponentially in the past five decades. With this increased interest has come an increase in the number of Longears that need to be trained each year. The few trainers that are competent with Longears are finding it difficult to keep up.
It is advisable for the owners to be present during training sessions so the training integrity is as close to the same with the animals from trainer to owner. Owners usually need to travel long distances to visit an animal in training, limiting their own ability to learn with their Longears. This can result in problems once the animal returns home. Things will go well for a month, or two, and then the training deteriorates. The owner feels like their money has been misspent when the truth is, living creatures are not like cars that can be tuned up and stay that way only to be tuned up again.
Seminars and clinics can be helpful, but they can never replace the day to day routine helps the Longears learn to trust his owner and his situation with minimal anxiety. This limits his ability to become a safe, obedient and dependable companion. Mules and donkeys bond deeply to those who manage and train them. They develop warmth and affection for them, and a strong desire to please and serve. Without this kind of bond, mules and donkeys will often comply, but without true commitment to their work. Subsequently, when the pressure is on, their response may be to simply “quit.”
Lots of people complain about sending their equine to a trainer for two years or more, only to have the animal return and become a problem within as little as two or three months. I cannot emphasize enough how important this is! The owner MUST take an active part in the management and training of their Longears. Boarding stables are not a good option. Even if your mule or donkey is with a competent trainer, you need to plan on spending at least two days a week with him and the trainer, so your Longears can learn to trust you, too! Being present and interactive with your equine at feeding time, morning and evening, is only a beginning of building the trust between you.
People ask me why I quit taking outside Longears in training here at the Lucky Three Ranch. In all honesty, I had developed a waiting list I could not possible fulfill in a reasonable amount of time for reasonable cost. I would really rather enjoy seeing people enjoying the experience with their animals like I enjoy it with mine. So, I decided it would be better for me to teach people how to train their own animals. Hence, I developed my logical and sequential training series, Training Mules and Donkeys so that anyone would be able to employ it with little or no prior experience at all. Most of the management and training information is offered for free on my website at www,luckythreeranch.com and on my MEREDITH HODGES Facebook page. I can coach quite promptly and effectively by email, phone calls and letters. I do not text!
Time and time again, my training series has proven that this really was a great approach. It enabled me to reach people and help them to attain new levels of communication with their equines. People who never before had the courage, nor the confidence to even try, are discovering the self satisfaction and elation that follows when you attempt to train your own Longears! Most people tell me it is the best part of their day when they can work with their equines, no matter what they are doing together. They are quite surprised to find out how easy it is to establish a routine that fits with their other weekly activities…thanks to the intelligence and forgiveness of these wonderful Longears!
I had been involved with training horses most of my natural life before I began training mules at my mother’s Windy Valley Ranch in Healdsburg, California in the early 70’s. I trained there for six years before I moved to Colorado to start my own mule farm. I knew nothing about mules when I began training at Windy Valley Ranch. I tried all kinds of suggestions from other people and by trail and error, I somehow was able to get a lot of Longears trained, but I knew there had to be a BETTER way! I have to applaud the forgiveness of these wonderful animals in the face of my own impatience and ignorance. They were the ones that let me know when my approach to training was unrealistic and punitive, and did so in an all-knowing and careful way. My lessons with them were proportionate to my mistakes, so I was lucky enough not to experience any severe head injuries, or broken bones. When these kinds of injuries occur, there is something grossly wrong between the animal and the person that has been injured. It could be a lot of reasons, but the one thing of which I can be sure is that the Longears always acted honestly and appropriately. They cannot be any other way. The problems occurred because of my own lack of communication…I wasn’t listening to what they were trying to convey to me!
When we raise our children, we should begin with nurturing, love, affection and play. The way we play outlines certain behavioral limits for our children and helps them to understand boundaries, and to develop and learn to socialize in a positive and healthy manner. As the child grows, family interaction helps him to define his place in the world. Appropriate physical activities help the child’s body to develop in a slow and healthy way. School, in its natural and logical order, helps a child to react appropriately in society and in the world. This helps to develop the self confidence on which self image and self worth is built. Physical activities increase with intensity over long period of time. And yet, we expect our Longears to be trained in a couple of years? How can we even expect them to develop in a healthy way both physically and mentally and to learn so much in so little time?
At first, you might think there isn’t enough time to spend with your Longears to accomplish all this training, But I assure you, you have more time than you think. Just be realistic with your expectations at each stage of growth and training without the pressure of being hurried. We all need to slow down, stop “and smell the roses” to enjoy the little victories along the way with our Longears. Longears can afford you some very special memories if you only let them,. Some days are for learning and others are time for just plain fun and games. One of these days, you find yourself saying, I can’t believe he turned out to be so good! I never really felt like I was training him!
To learn more about Meredith Hodges and her comprehensive all-breed equine training program, visit LuckyThreeRanch.com or call 1-800-816-7566. Check out her children’s website at JasperTheMule.com. Also, find Meredith on Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, MeWe and Twitter.
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE and EQUUS REVISITED at www.luckythreeranchstore.com
It is important to know the differences among rewards, treats, coaxing and bribing in order to correctly employ the reward system of training called Behavior Modification.
Rule Number One: Treats and bribery should never be used during training. However, the appropriate dispensing of rewards and coaxing will produce the correct behaviors.
In order to reward your equine correctly for performing tasks, it is important to know the difference between a reward and a treat, and between coaxing and bribing. Let’s begin with some basic definitions of these terms:
Reward: something desirable given for a completed task
Treat: an unexpected gift given simply because it will be enjoyed
Coax: to gently persuade without dispensing the reward
Bribe: to persuade the animal by indiscriminately dispensing treats
Remember to give your equine a reward only after a specific task you’ve asked for has been performed—or even an assimilation of that task, which means the taking of baby steps toward completing the task. The reward should be given immediately upon completion of the task and then your equine should be allowed time to enjoy his reward before moving on to the next task. If your equine is given a food reward for only good behaviors, he will be more likely to continue to repeat only those behaviors for which he is rewarded and you can begin to “shape” his behavior in a positive way.
Treats, on the other hand, are a food that your equine especially likes, which are given randomly and without purpose. Giving random treats during training can result in crossed signals and confusion in your animal. Treats such as peppermints and even “horse treats” are generally an inappropriate food source for equines and when dispensed too freely, have actually been known to cause equine health problems, so forego treats of any kind during the training process.
Coaxing and bribing can seem like the same thing, but they are not. Bribery suggests the actual dispensing of a reward before the task has been completed. Bribery is the indiscriminate dispensing of treats and is not the way to clearly communicate to your equine which is truly a positive behavior and which is not. Rewards and coaxing are often confused with bribery, but rewards are dispensed for a task only when it has been completed, and coaxing using the promise of a reward can often be used to help your equine to stop balking and attempt to perform the task you have requested. Then the reward is given only when he has completed the task.
As an example of coaxing, you can extend a handful of crimped oats to lure your equine closer to an obstacle, but he should not receive the handful of oats until he completes the required task or travels enough distance toward the obstacle to deserve a reward. If your equine just won’t come all the way to an obstacle, even to get a reward, you can modify the task by asking your equine to just come closer to the obstacle and then halt (but without backing up). Then the reward can be dispensed for the partial approach and halt, because these actions still qualify as an assimilation of the bigger task that is to be completed. If he backs away at all, he should not be rewarded and you will have to go back to the beginning of the task and try again.
A kind word or a pat on the head may be enjoyable for your equine, but it doesn’t necessarily insure that the desired behavior will be repeated. However, a food reward insures that desirable behaviors will be repeated, because food is a solid, tangible reward. The food reward will back up the petting, (the petting is something that you probably do all the time anyway). When you visit your equine, you most likely pat him on the nose or head and say hello, but there are no real demands for any particular task being asked of your equine—you and your equine are simply interacting. You’re getting him used to touch, discovering how he likes to be touched and learning about his responses, which is actually part of imprinting.
The problem with carrots, apples and other foods people use for treats is that they’re not something for which the equine will continue to work and are not healthy choices for your animal in large quantities. After a limited amount of time, equines can easily become satiated on most treats. It’s like a kid with a bunch of candy bars. Once they become full they don’t want any more candy and they’ll stop working for the treat. Many foods used as treats, when given too freely, may also cause your animal to become tense or hyperactive. However, it’s been my experience that an equine will continue to work for crimped oats as long as you dole them out. Crimped oats are healthy for the body and they don’t cause an equine to become tense and difficult to handle.
When you’re using rewards, always start with lavish rewards for all new behaviors. This means that, every time you teach something new, you’re going to give lavish rewards for even the slightest assimilation toward the correct behavior. For instance, if your foal is tied to the fence and upon your approach, he quits pulling, it’s time to try to walk away from the fence with him and see if he will follow you. In this first leading lesson, you’ll untie him and ask him to take a step toward you. If he does, lavishly reward that step toward you, wait for him to finish chewing his oats and then ask him to take another step forward and toward you. If he complies and takes another step forward, lavishly reward that step too. During the first lesson, you will be rewarding every single step he takes toward you. Remember to keep the lesson short (about 15 minutes) and ask for only as many steps as he willingly gives you.
Between lessons, let your equine have a day off in order to rest. When you return for the second lesson, tie him to the fence and review with him your last lesson from the very beginning. He should remember the previous lessons and be willing to follow you right away in order to be rewarded. If he seems willing to follow your lead, untie him and ask him to take a step forward just as he did before, but this time, instead of dispensing the food reward when he takes the first step forward, simply say, “Good boy” and ask him for a second step forward before you reward him with the oats. You will now be progressing from one step forward before you reward to two steps forward before you reward.
If he won’t take the second step forward, then give the reward for the first step, wait for him to finish chewing and ask again for two steps before rewarding him again. If he complies, you can then reward him every two steps during that lesson and quit after fifteen minutes. Give him another day between lessons and then proceed in the same manner, beginning with a review of the previous lesson, then a reward for the first step, and then for every two steps. During this lesson, you can now ask for three steps, and you can continue asking for three or more steps during this lesson, provided that he takes these steps willingly and then stops obediently on his own to receive his reward. You no longer need to count the steps as long as he is offering more steps between rewards each time. If, because of his enthusiasm, he begins to charge ahead, stop him and immediately reward him for halting. This will insure that he keeps his attention on you and the task at hand. This methodical, deliberate process is setting the stage for a positive and healthy working relationship with your equine.
This is how you begin with leading training, and also how you should proceed with all the new things that you will be teaching your equine. In the beginning of leading training, he gets rewarded for even an assimilation of what you’re asking. For example, when you get to negotiating obstacles, your goal may be to cross over a bridge, but when your equine sees the bridge ahead, he may stop or start backing up. At this point, allow him to back until he stops. Go back and repeat the steps you did prior to approaching the obstacle. Then, asking for only one step at a time, proceed as you did during his flatwork leading training toward the bridge, rewarding each step he takes. Tell him verbally how brave he is and continue to reward any steps he takes toward the obstacle before proceeding forward. Remember to stop at any interval where he becomes tense, ask for one more step to be rewarded, and then allow him to settle and refocus before asking any more from him.
Once he goes to the bridge without a problem, you no longer have to reward him all the way up to the bridge. Just reward him when he actually gets to the bridge. Next, step up onto the bridge and ask him to take a step up onto the bridge with his two front feet, which is another new task. If he puts one foot on the bridge or even tries to lift up a foot and put it on the bridge, make sure you reward that behavior. Once he has a foot firmly placed on the bridge, keep tension on the lead rope and ask for his other front foot to come up onto the bridge. If he places his second foot on the bridge, you can then reward him for having both front feet on the bridge. Next, you’re going to continue forward and just walk over the bridge to the other side, pause and reward. Then quit this lesson. In his next lesson, if needed, repeat the approach the same way if he starts to balk. If not, ask him to step both front feet up onto the bridge, stop, make sure he is standing squarely, and reward that behavior.
Now you no longer need to reward for one foot on the bridge. This is called “fading or phasing out” the reward for a previous behavior (one step), while introducing the new behavior of walking to the bridge, halting and then putting two front feet up on the bridge. Wait for a moment for him to chew his reward and then ask him to continue onto the bridge, stop and square up with four feet on the bridge and reward. If he does not comply and won’t stop on the bridge, just go back to the beginning, approach the bridge as described and try again until he stops to be rewarded with all four feet placed squarely on the bridge
Then you ask him, to place his two front feet on the ground while leaving his two back feet on the bridge. Then have him stop and square up to be rewarded. This is a difficult position and if he cannot succeed by the third attempt, you may have to step in front and aid in his balance, then reward him when he settles in this position.
The last step over the bridge is to bring the hind feet off the bridge, stop and square up one more time before he gets rewarded. This does two things. It causes your equine to be attentive to the number of steps you are asking and it puts him in good posture at each stage so that his body will develop properly. In future lessons, the steps in the approach to the bridge no longer need to be rewarded and as he becomes more attentive, he will learn to stop any time you ask and wait for your cue to proceed. After several months of this meticulous attention to these detailed steps, he will not necessarily need to be rewarded with the food reward each time—a pat on the neck and kind words of support should be sufficient. Rewards can then be given for whole “blocks” of steps when he successfully completes them.
Here is a question a lot of people ask: “This is fine while my animal and I are still working from the ground, but what happens when I finally get on to ride? Do I keep rewarding every new behavior when I ride?” The answer to that question is, “No, you don’t.” If you do your ground work correctly, it will address all the things that you’ll be doing while you’re riding before you actually even get on. Your equine has been lavishly rewarded for stopping when you pull on the reins and the drive lines, and he’s been rewarded for turning and backing and everything else he needs to learn before you actually get on him, so the only thing left to get used to would be exposure to your legs on his sides. He will soon learn that your legs push him in the direction of the turn you are indicating with your reins. For this action, he does not need to be rewarded.
In the natural progression of correct training—including during mounting training—your equine should also be getting rewarded when you’re first getting him used to your being on-board. Give him the oats reward for standing still while you attempt to mount (i.e., walking toward him, holding the left rein and reaching for the saddle horn), and then when you hang from each side of his body with a foot in the stirrup (first on one side and then on the other side), and, finally, from each side of his body while you sit on his back. When you ask him to turn his head to take the oats from your hand, you can be sure his attention will be on you because this action will force him to look at you in order to receive his oats. Then reward him again for standing still as you dismount. Consequently, by the time you actually get to the point of riding in an open arena, he’s been rewarded for having you on his back and for behaving well through all the exercises demanded from him during round pen training.
You may first want to lunge your equine when you move into the open arena. Lunge him on the lunge line and reward him during that part of your arena workout. When you are ready to mount in the open arena, have a few oats in your pockets to offer him when you mount on each side the first few times. This will ensure that his attention stays focused on you. Once he is used to being ridden, you will no longer have to reward him in the middle of riding lessons. If he does not keep his attention on his work in the open arena, this signifies that not enough time has been spent on the ground work and you should back up your training regimen to the point that he is maintaining attentiveness and performing correctly, even if it means going back to the round pen or leading work. If, in the ground work stages, you give plenty of food rewards in the correct manner, by the time you groom and tack up, your equine should have been sufficiently rewarded and will not require another reward until after your workout when you return to the work station and un-tack him. This is called delayed gratification. When you un-tack him and do your last minute grooming before putting him away, again be generous with the crimped oats and praise your equine for a job well done. Rewards are dispensed very specifically and pave the road to a solid foundation of trust and friendship.
Imprinting is defined as “rapid learning that occurs during a brief receptive period, typically soon after birth or hatching, and establishes a long-lasting behavioral response to a person or object as attachment to a parent or offspring.” 1 When we speak of “imprinting” in the scientific sense, it is a reference to the way the brain accepts input. The brain compartmentalizes impressions and images, and the animal reacts to the stimulus that the image produces. A collection of “imprints and images” produces memories. Imprinting training with a foal of any breed will give him a jump-start on his life with human beings.
Imprinting is more than getting your foal used to people. He’s going to spend the rest of his life with human beings, so he should get used to your touch, your voice, your smell and, especially, your handling of him. Handling your foal the minute he is born is a wonderful way to bond with him, and you will learn how he likes to be touched in order to produce a positive response. This early imprinting lays a foundation of trust for the training to follow.
Although it is commonly accepted that initial imprinting on the foal’s brain occurs only during a brief receptive period when initial contact is made during the first few days of life, it does provide a foundation on which to expand exposure to a human being through your foal’s five senses of touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight that leave impressions on the equine brain and will affect the way he interacts with a handler beyond what his dam may teach him. If the initial contact with humans leaves a positive impression, a foal will be more likely to be curious about humans than afraid of them. Because of this early contact, continuing imprinting then becomes an ongoing process that builds on the initial imprinting that is introduced at birth.
A calm, well-mannered mother helps produce a well-mannered foal, so if your mare or jennet is not easy to handle, she needs imprint training before the foal is born. Mares, and particularly jennets, can become very aggressive in defense of their offspring, so it is advisable to imprint even a mature mare or jennet so she will be safe to be around when she finally foals.
When imprinting your foal, think about the kind of adult you want him to be. A foal is very similar to a human baby regarding emotional needs—both need attention, love, guidance and praise to become loving, cooperative adults. Start your relationship with a positive attitude and approach your foal with love, patience, kindness and respect. Be sure to set reasonable boundaries for his behavior through the way you touch him and speak to him, the facial expressions you use, and even how you smell when you are around him so he can learn to trust and respect you and be happy at the sight of you.
It doesn’t matter if your equine is a young foal or an older animal—he needs imprint training. It will set the stage for the way he relates to humans for the rest of his life. Imprinting stimulates all of his five senses: touch, hearing, taste, smell and sight. This leaves an indelible impression on your equine’s brain as to how you expect him to behave, which—over time and with repetition—becomes his new natural way of responding.
The most important sensation to which you can expose your equine is touch. If your touch is gentle and considerate, it will feel good to him and he will be interested in your attention. When you run your fingers over his body, being careful not to press too hard on sensitive areas, he will experience pleasure and begin to look forward to your visits. Learning how your equine likes to be touched will also help things go more smoothly when you begin grooming him and tacking him up and during his training lessons, when he must learn to take his cues from your hands, legs and other aids. Even how you mount and sit down in the saddle—for instance, how your seat is placed on his back—denotes your consideration of him through touch. The wrong kind of touch, no matter how slight, can be a trigger for adverse behaviors. However, the right kind of touch—done correctly—produces pleasure in your equine and instills a willingness to perform in a positive way each time you interact with him.
To begin imprinting training, run your hands all over your equine’s body and down his legs, and put your hands in his mouth and in his ears. His reactions will help you learn how he likes to be touched. Getting your equine used to touch in this way eventually evolves into exposing him to grooming and working with tack and equipment. You are continuing to build on the initial imprinting work, but now, when you are grooming, the grooming tools will become extensions of your hands, and when you introduce various tack and equipment like clippers, they will also become an extension of your hands. Allow your equine to use his sense of touch (usually with his nose) when introducing any new object. Work toward getting your equine’s response to your touch as highly sensitive as possible, so that he can use his own body language to communicate with you. NOTE: Many owners pat their equine on the top of the head with the flat of their hand as a sign of affection, without realizing that, as a rule, most equines don’t take kindly to people patting their foreheads or faces. A pat on the forehead works if you want to distract your equine, but save it for that purpose only. It is much better to show affection by stroking your equine (always in the direction in which his hair lies), in a soothing and reassuring manner.
The tone of your voice is another important element of imprinting. If your general tone is soothing and encouraging, he is more likely to comply. Then, when he needs to be disciplined, the change in your tone of voice will convey your disapproval before you even have to touch him to make a correction—giving him the opportunity to straighten up before you actually need to apply the physical backup of negative reinforcement. If, no matter what the situation, you always speak in low tones, he will not be able to differentiate between what’s acceptable and what is not, but if you modulate your voice to clearly express what you want to convey, your equine will be much better able to understand and react appropriately.
Equines have an excellent sense of smell—for instance, they can smell danger from miles away. They can also smell people, and they are much more likely to warm up to a person who smells “good” to them. Smelling good to an equine has nothing to do with soaps or perfumes or deodorants. Oats and hay are smells that all equines immediately recognize and love, so if you dole out oats rewards correctly and you actively participate in the feeding and care of your equine, you will mostly smell like crimped oats throughout lessons, making you VERY attractive to your equine!
The next sense to which you should appeal is your equine’s sense of taste (a no-brainer). When you dispense the oats reward for all of his new positive behaviors, he associates that wonderful taste with you and will follow you to the ends of the earth to get more oats.
When the equine’s five senses are truly pleased, the very sight of you will prompt the memories and impressions on his brain that you have instilled in him during imprinting. The impression you have left with him is positive, encouraging, kind, considerate and respectful, and his reactions to you will also be positive and willing.
As you begin your equine’s imprinting, make sure you include an equal measure of fun. As with children, if you make learning fun, it comes more easily. By encouraging your young foal or older equine’s enthusiasm for learning, you’ll cultivate and enhance your equine’s desire to please and to serve.
Imprinting training is truly an ongoing learning experience. When touching a newborn foal, keep in mind that the foal is coming out of the protected environment of the womb, where he’s had pressure from the amniotic fluid over his entire body. Suddenly, he’s born into an entirely foreign environment and, soon after, a human appears out of nowhere and begins touching him. Initially, this is like being tickled all over, so at this point, imprinting serves as a desensitization technique to human touch. Desensitization doesn’t mean you want your equine to become totally desensitized to you—just that you don’t want him to jump out of his skin every time you touch him. Always strive for a positive interaction between you and your equine.
Pay attention to the way your equine’s hair lays and stroke his coat in that direction only. There is more fatty tissue down the neck and over the back, so you can press a little harder when touching these areas. Going with the hair and using the flat of your hand, learn to gauge how much pressure you can apply to the fatty areas. Then, as you work your way down to where the fatty tissue becomes thinner, be sure to ease up on the pressure over the bony areas.
Always keep an eye on your equine and watch his face—he’ll let you know if he is experiencing pleasure or displeasure. If you observe wrinkling around his mouth, if his ears are laid back flat or if he stomps a foot, he is showing displeasure. A soft eye, a relaxed, contentedly chewing mouth and an absence of tension in his body denotes pleasure. So when you are engaged in training, pay special attention to your equine’s body language and adjust your own touch accordingly.
Work on evolving your own body language as a natural and truly wonderful way to “talk” with your equine. You can also use verbal language, but body language should be your primary form of communication.
Making use of your equine’s five senses to expand the meaning and benefit of imprinting can really work in your favor and will leave an indelible impression on your equine’s brain that will engage his attention and expedite the learning process. The result will be a deep and meaningful relationship with your equine not just now, but for the rest of his life.
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE, EQUUS REVISITED and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.
The old saying, “No foot, no mule” is literally true, as it is in any nomadic animal. If the hooves are not trimmed and balanced properly, it will offset the balance of the equine’s entire body and can compromise longevity in the animal because his entire internal structure will be compromised. Most equines will need to be trimmed or shod every 6-8 weeks whether horse, mule or donkey.
Horse’s hooves in general are proportionately larger, rounder and more angled than that of the donkey or mule. The sole of the foot is flat on the ground promoting good circulation in the foot through the frog.
Regardless of the size of the animal, the hooves of the mule will be smaller and more upright than that of a horse of equal size, and should be well sprung and supported, not contracted. They should have a smooth appearance and look sleek and oily. No ribbing should be apparent and the frog should be well extended, healthy and make adequate contact with the ground for good circulation to the hooves. The shape of the mule or donkey foot is more oval and the bottom of the foot is slightly “cupped” which accounts for the surefootedness in the mule and donkey. When being trimmed, the mule should be left with more heel than the horse to maintain the often more upright position that complements the shoulders and hips. If the mule or donkey has a better slope to the shoulders, he might have an angle that is similar to the horse, but he will still grow more heel than the horse. The shape and condition of the hooves of the jack and the mare are both equally important when considering foot development in the mule.
Because donkey and mule hooves are different from a horse’s hoof in that they are more oblong, cupped in the sole, they need more heel left during a trim than the round, flat sole and low heels on a horse. There are, however, a few exceptions to the rule as there are in most generalizations. Most donkeys are relatively inactive and live on moderate ground, so they do grow out in that time period. Some donkeys, like my own Little Jack Horner, are much more active and will wear their feet down naturally.
Miniature Horse
Miniature Mule
Miniature Donkey
Saddle Horse
Saddle Mule
Saddle Donkey
Draft Horse
Draft Mule
Mammoth Donkey
Of course, those that do not have the benefit of good training and conditioning would still wear unevenly and would still need to be trimmed, however, with the correct training and conditioning, they may wear evenly and may not need to be trimmed more than once a year! The same goes for those who would live in rough terrain. They may wear their feet down, but they would still need to be trimmed for balance. Those who are moving correctly may wear down evenly and would not require trims as often.
Failure to have your mule’s hooves regularly trimmed in order to maintain their balance and shape can result in an imbalance in your mule’s feet, which will then cause an imbalance throughout his entire body, inhibiting his performance. However, if trimming is done consistently, the risk of imbalance, accident or injury will be greatly reduced.
There are a lot of things to consider when trimming and shoeing all equines. If the animal is to have shoes, for instance, then they would need to maintain the flat surface of the sole for the shoes to fit properly. It is important that the equine have relief from shoes when they are not being ridden as much. We usually take any shoes off during the winter which keeps the heels from becoming contracted from wearing shoes and promotes good circulation to the foot as the frog can then make contact with the ground more consistently than it can with shoes. A good understanding of the anatomical differences among horses, mules and donkeys is essential for healthy hoof care.
When your farrier is trimming your equine, he should take into account the angles of the shoulder, the forearm, the knees, the cannon bone, fetlock, pastern and the general angle to the entire body when at rest, not just trimming off the excess. This is an anatomical call and only people who are schooled and skilled in this profession should even attempt it or you could run the risk of injuring your animal.
It is commonly known that, when it comes to horses and mules, light-colored hooves are softer and more likely to break down under stress than are the darker, black hooves. Even though the black hoof is naturally harder than the light-colored hoof, if it does not contain sufficient moisture, it can become brittle and can chip away as destructively as can the lighter hoof. Whichever breed of equine you own and whatever the color of their feet, remember that good hoof care is essential for all domesticated equines.
For better or worse, an equine inherits his hooves through his genes. If your equine has inherited good feet—black, oily-looking, and with good shape—then you are fortunate and hoof care and maintenance should be relatively simple. If he has inherited a softer or misshapen foot, you will need to discuss more specialized care with your farrier. Beware of generalizations as they can often be misleading! Each animal should ultimately be assessed individually.
Many common horse training techniques used today work well on either horses or mules. However, being creative and using less technique with a more logical approach to training works better with donkeys. In the case of the “rein back,” the problems are universal. Some equines seem to “rein back” more easily than others. Similarities exist within the equine species regarding personality types, but there are also differences in environmental behavior during training. Horses that are resistant to backing either shake their heads violently from side to side or rear up and try to throw themselves over backwards. Resistant mules try to walk sideways or forward, and resistant donkeys are either stone statues or terrific “leaners.” All of these tendencies are an expression of discomfort in the equine and can pose serious problems for the trainer.
In order to get the best results, before teaching an equine to “rein back” you must understand the animal’s body mechanics and his mental attitude. The “rein back” is a reverse, two-beat, diagonal gait. When executing a straight “rein back,” the equine is unable to see what is directly behind him, but he can see peripherally on both sides. Because of the way the eyes are set in their head, mules can actually see all four feet when facing straight forward where a horse cannot. The depth perception of an equine is questionable at best, but when an equine must “rein back,” his vision is even more impaired because he can’t see directly behind him. This causes him to become tense because the equine must trust the trainer not to back his precious little rear into anything that might hurt him! If the trainer has been even a little abusive in the past, the equine will not be able to trust and will become resistant. On the other hand, if the animal has been brought along well and is being asked to “rein back” on the long lines, he may simply not want to “back over” the trainer. This could be perceived as disobedience when it is only consideration for the trainer.
In order to execute a straight and smooth “rein back,” the equine must be able to lower his head, round his back and step back and underneath himself easily with the power initiated from his hindquarters. If the rider has not prepared his equine for the “rein back” by allowing the animal to take one step forward first and round under his seat, the animal will be resistant. This is why one step forward before executing a “rein back” is essential. Otherwise, the equine may raise his head and hollow his back, making it very difficult, at best, to perform the “rein back.” If you have trouble visualizing this, get on your hands and knees and try it yourself to see how it feels, first with a hollowed back and then with an arched back.
Before you begin to “rein back,” take that extra couple of seconds to relax and prepare your animal. First, let him take one step forward. Then, alternately, squeeze your reins and ask him to lower his head a little (not too much at first). Keep your legs snugly hugging his barrel, and lift your seat ever so slightly by leaning forward just a little. Check over your shoulder to be sure that he won’t back into anything. Then, with corresponding rein and leg cues, squeeze and release alternately from side to side: first, right rein, right leg; then, left rein, left leg. By pulling first on one side and then the other, you actually allow him to see more directly behind, thus eliminating much of the apprehension that he feels when he cannot see. Pretend that you are pushing him backward with your legs, directly after giving a gentle tug on the corresponding rein. In the beginning, be satisfied with one or two steps, and don’t forget to praise him.
Do this exercise in a two-beat fashion, with the squeeze/release action on the rein coming only a split second sooner than the corresponding leg. This prevents the hindquarters from resisting, and it is here where most resistance in backing originates. If you pull both reins at the same time, the hindquarters are not affected and this may cause considerable resistance. Animals that learn to “rein back” correctly will eventually learn to “rein back” on a mere tug of the reins and a shift of your body weight, but that is not the way to begin. Speed comes much later.
Horses and mules learn to “rein back” more easily than donkeys. As far as donkeys are concerned, why go backward when you can turn around to go forward? Because donkeys have a natural agility, this is not such a far-out way for them to think. However, if a donkey tried to turn around on a narrow trail with a rider aboard, his balance could be severely affected. Chances are, the donkey would make it, but the rider might not. The donkey needs to learn to “rein back” on command, because safety is of the utmost importance.
The simplest way to encourage your donkey to “rein back” is to ride or drive him into a three-sided tie stall, or anywhere that he has no way to escape but backward. Ask him to “rein back” with the cues outlined, and praise him for each step backward. If you are ground driving, just alternate long line pressure while you step backwards in unison with his back legs. Keep your squeeze/release action on the long lines minimal—pulling on your donkey’s mouth too much will only defeat your purpose. If your donkey is hitched to a vehicle, make sure that the weight of the cart or carriage that he has to push is not too heavy for him to manage. Adjust the breeching tightly enough so that your donkey can lean into it with his rear, and be sure that it is not so low that it will inhibit the motion of his upper hind legs.
If you have checked all of these factors and your donkey still will not back out of the stall, ask someone to act as your assistant, and have them wave a fearful object (such as a brightly colored scarf or plastic bag) low and in front of your donkey. He should dip his head to focus on the object (arching his back) and begin to “rein back,” apply the proper squeeze/release cues and after a few steps, reward him. You have set up a situation in which you can predict that his reaction will be the correct one. Once he has done this a few times, he should begin to make the connection between your cues and his action. Always keep your cues gentle, but clear. Be prepared to immediately praise those first one or two steps, and don’t ask for too many steps too soon. Just as an animal is conditioned to perform any other maneuver, his body must also be conditioned to “rein back.” Doing a “rein back” without conditioning the muscles that will be used can cause injury. Taking it slowly and cautiously diminishes the chance for resistance. Work up your speed in the “rein back” only after your equine is backing straight and easily. When he has had time off, be sure to take the time to recondition those muscles before again asking for speed.
I can’t count the hours that I have spent sitting on-board my donkey, waiting for a foot to move, giving the cue to just one side over and over again. Patience is the key to success with any animal, but with donkeys, it’s a necessity. Be patient and deliberate with your training. Don’t get upset, and don’t try to be forceful. Remember, he has to move sometime. Even donkeys get bored standing in one place for too long!
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE, EQUUS REVISITED and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.
Being asked to judge a show is both an honor and a tremendous responsibility. Just being asked to judge indicates that you have a reputation for being a knowledgeable and respected person in your field of expertise. Accepting the invitation to judge means that you are willing to share this knowledge and expertise with people who may, or may not, accept IT or you! Exhibitors can say that each show reflects only one “man’s” (judge’s) opinion, so not to worry if you don’t do well. As an exhibitor and a judge, this bothers me a little.
If the basics of Horsemanship, or Mulemanship, remain constant, then the consistency among judges should also remain fairly consistent with only a little variation from judge to judge. The variation in placements should be determined by the performance of the exhibitors and not by the personal opinions of the judge. The judge should be a catalyst toward better learning and performance. He or she should try to make their knowledge readily available to inquiring exhibitors and be diplomatic enough about its delivery to inspire and encourage exhibitors to improve their skills. In turn, the exhibitors will be better equipped to exhibit their animals in a favorable light to the public at large and to grow into knowledgeable experts themselves with time and experience.
A good judge serves three major interests: that of his own conscience, that of his exhibitors, and that of the spectators. He must know all the rules and regulations pertaining to the classes to be judged and be willing to select the best animals for the purpose described by the conditions of the classes. He should be objective in his decisions and be able to back them up with reasonable and knowledgeable explanations that will inspire exhibitors to work harder and learn more. He should have a congenial attitude that invites exhibitors to question and learn freely without intimidation.
Judges are human too, and for this reason judges are restricted from judging people and animals that are in some manner closely related to him. This enables the judge to maintain his objectivity and adds more credence to his final decisions. In my opinion, judges should assist in helping exhibitors realize their full potential by helping them to improve their skills through fair, just, and educated decisions. A good judge needs to serve the idea of better learning for the sake of health, wealth, happiness, and above all, safety! A judge can be the catalyst toward learning and self-satisfaction, or he can be the catalyst toward defeat and discouragement. I prefer to be the former, encouraging exhibitors to come to me with their questions and also encouraging them to learn from each other. In our Longears industry, the ideal scenario would be to have exhibitors work at home and with each other perfecting their Mulemanship skills, bring those exhibitions of skills to a show to be judged, then return home with a feeling of accomplishment and more things to work on until the next show and the next judge. To perpetuate the learning process and to continue to learn and improve himself should be a judge’s main objective.
The Mule Skinner’s Classic held June 30-July 1 in Haines, Oregon, was a good example about what I am talking. Never before have I encountered an entire division of youth with such a thirst for knowledge and a desire for good sportsmanship, no doubt inspired by the adults. Application of good Mulemanship skills was prevalent and the mules and donkeys reflected this exceptional conditioning, care and handling. The show itself was obviously handled carefully and with attention to detail, leaving little margin for error or dispute. It is not really too surprising that a group such as this was able to elicit tremendous support from sponsors in their area. Their hard work and hospitality is to be appreciated and congratulated. It said a lot for the kind of people that we have in our industry – that we can all have a good time learning and showing together with our marvelous Longears, amateurs and professionals, exhibitors and judges alike! The whole idea is that each and every one of us has something to offer and something we can learn. To attend a show and to learn something new is to return home renewed and fulfilled, even though you haven’t won. To win without this mutual admiration, goodwill and learning is just another hollow victory!
There were no losers in Haines, only sixth, seventh, and eighth, etc. places! Those who weren’t doing as well as they had expected didn’t make excuses or try to assign undue blame. They realized that everyone has bad days and unforeseen disasters from time to time and it doesn’t mean you’re a lousy rider or trainer, or that you have a lousy Longears. Those who had mishaps or misfortunes were readily comforted by other friends and competitors. The ambiance of the entire weekend show was one of learning and camaraderie. If we can keep this perspective in our industry, perhaps we can avoid the politics that have nearly destroyed the horse industry and continue to enjoy the overwhelming potential of our longeared friends while improving our own skills and allowing ourselves personal growth.
Everyone learned something at the Oregon Mr. Longears Mule Skinner Classic, including the judge! Dick and Debbie Cress and Alan and Elaine Case are to be heartily congratulated for their exceptional efforts in putting on a successful show and for taking wonderful care of this judge! Thank you to all of you who gave your time and efforts to work on the show and make it run as smoothly as it did! Thank you Larry and Fran Howe for coming with me from Colorado to help judge the packing classes and for helping to Ring Steward and to Gary Hodges for his fine photography! My deepest congratulations go to all the exhibitors for a superb effort. Keep up the good work! Thanks to our announcer Roger Harrison. And a very special congratulations to all of our Mule Skinner Classic Champions!
Covered in TRAINING MULES & DONKEY: A LOGICAL APPROACH TO TRAINING, TRAINING WITHOUT RESISTANCE, EQUUS REVISITED and A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES at www.luckythreeranchstore.com.
Roll was a muddy mess when I went to get him today. He had been lying down and decided to roll in the wet dirt and pea gravel. Thank heavens it wasn’t all mud! I did my best to get most of it off of him, but clearly, the vacuum cleaner was not going to work for anything but getting the hair off the floor. I first went over his body with the hairbrush, then the shedding blade and afterwards, the dandy brush. Then I baby-oiled his mane and tail, put on his gear and we were good to go.
Roll seemed happier today than he had been last week. Roll was walking better and appeared to have gained some core strength back.
Instead of being really off behind, he was only slightly off and did not want to bear weight on the right hind in his squaring up…until the last one when he finally weighted the foot entirely.
Roll’s rein back was much better than last week. I had him checked by our resident farrier, LTR Ranch Manager Chad in case he was developing fungus in that foot (after his bout with White Line in his left hind). better to be safe than sorry, but he showed nothing but a packed-up foot, and that very well could have been the culprit since we just had a really good rain and everything was muddy in the arena where we were working.
It is truly amazing how slight, but visible his improvement has been from week to week. His whole body looked much more symmetrical this time. It is awesome to be able to celebrate each of Roll’s “little victories” along the way at 26 years old! However, Roll wasn’t too sure if he wanted to share his rewards with Sir Guy!!!
Roll decided that celebrating with a friend is probably okay and back to the work station we went to untack and then it was time for turnout!