Anyone have any Mule training DVD's, etc>?

[aggieland]

I'm new to the Equine world and have dove in head first Buying 3 saddle broke Mules. They need some work before heading into the backcountry. Just wondering if anyone has and DVD's they would want to sell or any that they recommend, I notice their are several folks online selling DVD's but unsure which would be the best buy.. Thanks for any advice/info!

 

[missjordan]

I would recommend if you are completely brand new to being around horses/mules that you seek out a local professional to help you get started first to help supplement what you learn on a video. The only reason I suggest that is there is so much to learn about horses and mules that I feel videos and natural horsemanship programs can be too "cookie cutter" and some equines don't fit into that exact mold the trainer is trying to teach you to perform. So a lot of beginners end up either teaching their animals bad habits trying to do it themselves which can possibly lead to someone getting hurt. It takes a lot of time to learn how to correctly read a horse/mule and if you had a good mentor it would save you a big headache months down the road. I've seen some nice horses that are well trained for a good horsemen unravel within time when a novice purchases them and doesn't keep the animal in check. By all means never stop learning about them as mules/horses are a wonderful animal and a great hobby to get into and there's a lot of great videos, clinics, and horsemen to learn from. Just be smart about how you personally approach training your stock compared to your experience level


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[aggieland]

Thank you Miss Jordan for the advice. I am going to start a search for someone with real training experience.. I took a serious kick to the Chest Wednesday night while exiting the saddle, don't want those and other issues happening ever gain..

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

Mules vs horses are 2 completely different games. I know guys that run mules only others horses only and not a whole lot of people mix both. I'm in the mix both category here's a difference between a horse a mule, a horse will run off a cliff if you tell it to, a mule will stop short and send you over the edge and watch as you go over. Another is a mule will walk across a cattle guard and not miss a step, a horse will fit all 4 legs between the rungs and be stuck. They are a complete different game so make sure you find a mule person and not a horse person, some horse people won't go near a mule.


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[aggieland]

Sounds good, I know of a guy a town over from me that only deals with Mules. Going to get in touch with him and see if he can come by and start helping me get things rolling. Ferrier is coming This coming week to trim their hooves etc. Going to be a wild ride but So far I really have enjoyed it... Well besides getting the %%%% knocked out of me.

 

[PNWGATOR]

You need a mentor! Hopefully someone on here is in your area and can help. If not, get online and find a forum or Facebook organization devoted to mules and see if anyone is in your area. Mules of New Mexico for example. Any local mule clubs/organizations? We joined the North Idaho Saddle Mule Club just over a year ago and its been a fantastic learning experience with a bunch of very experienced mule owners. Lots of mule people out there that are more than willing to help.

 

[wyosteve]

I've owned longears for 25+ yrs. My number one tip would be that if you end up with a mule that has bad habits you can't live with, get rid of it before it hurts you. Your comment about getting kicked when exiting the saddle raises a red flag for me. Just my .02.

 

[AdamW]

Glad you weren't seriously hurt man. When I first saw this thread I thought "Seek out a pro." People, myself included, have hard enough time training dogs if they aren't easy dogs, I can't imagine jumping in to 3 mules.

 

[aggieland]

All good advice, I have also got Elkhunter71 to bug about any questions I might have arise. I may actually go and look at a Molly Mule Sunday morning that might replace the one that Kicked me Wednesday. Going to go give her a test run anyway and just see, I will probably continue to work with the ones I have now and I think a little saddle time will help a lot. Two of the three we have now are doing well and the Big SOB that kicked me is probably going to be a good mule but Something spooked him bad when he kicked. Either I did something or my dog scared him, not sure it was dark but either way it should not lead to a hoof shot to the chest.

 

[aknorddr]

Get a membership to giddyupflix.com They have Brad Cameron, Steve Edwards, Jerry Tindell and Meridth Hodges mule training series. About $12 a month. Clinics are your friend - horsemanship ones, mounted patrol officer despooking, cow working, etc. You will learn something from every one. Good luck. My 10 yr old mule is still a work in progress.

 

[Mike 338]

Get a membership to giddyupflix.com They have Brad Cameron, Steve Edwards, Jerry Tindell and Meridth Hodges mule training series. About $12 a month. Clinics are your friend - horsemanship ones, mounted patrol officer despooking, cow working, etc. You will learn something from every one. Good luck. My 10 yr old mule is still a work in progress.

This is good advice. I got put into the hospital once from a horse. After the down time and the expense, the cost of buying a series from John Lyons was a drop in the bucket and frankly, a necessity. Clinton Anderson or any of those guys are a good place to start. You can't out-tuff a horse or mule. They're a thousand pounds and we're a couple hundred. The math is simple.