One of my customers sent me the following story about her mule. I decided to illustrate her funny tale with a pair of my unique sterling silver mule earrings.
“My husband has always wanted a mule…to ride. Crazy to me but
he just thinks they are great and he goes on trail rides. Mules are very “sure
footed” in mountainous regions and my husband just loves to ride this type of
terrain….
We bought a really nice mare for artificial insemination By nice I do not refer to her temperament but her confirmation. She was a real witch. Due to her nasty disposition and mean heartedness she was kicked by another mare that she tormented relentlessly. Well this sent her to an early life transition because the leg could not be repaired. So Tascosa was left an orphan.
We have a maiden mare named Honey Bell and Tascosa decided that she would be his new mamma. They adore each other and travel in tandum at all times.
My husband began ground work with him and they formed quite a bond which surprised me. When my husband, Clay, goes into the pen to catch him he never has any trouble. In fact, Tascosa is always glad to see him unlike the horses. Tascosa runs up to Clay and put his nose on Clay’s chest to get an ear scratch. It is very cute but Clay is the only one that this happens to. In fact Tascosa got so attached to my husband that every time he left in the truck Tascosa would scream and cry. I don’t mean just any scream (braying) or cry either. Ear splitting and heart wrenching to say the least! It breaks your heart.
Tascosa is on my list of animals that live on the edge…the edge of me not liking them! This is because he has tried on numerous occasions to kill my cats (of which we have 30 or so) and our dog. Some say this is their instinct and why some folks put a mule or donkey with their livestock to chase off the coyotes. Well I watched him one day when he was up in the pasture that surrounds our home. He is a sneaky devil. The cats like to walk on the top of our cedar post fence around the house. Tascosa would sneak up on them from behind. Well the cats just thought he was another horse and did not run off at first because the horses just ignore or maybe snuffle them a bit. The he tried to nab them around the head and then they got the message …this is not just any horse. So he is banned from the front pasture.
We were riding our horses out one day and went into the pasture where Tasocsa was. We had our dog, Grace, with us. Clay was riding Honey Bell. Tascosa came up to be near his new mamma and spied Grace. Grace was pretty surprised when Tascosa tried to grab her and then he started chasing her. He almost got her too. Now Grace stays way clear of him.
Tasocsa has to be kept away from our old horse and our pony for he torments them as well and tries to run them in to the fences.
Almost forgot he can summersault! My husband is an equine dentist and he has a stock he puts the animals in to work on their teeth. Tascosa’s first time was quite enlightening. His head was tied in three place, he was sedated and Clay was getting ready to put a speculum into his mouth when there was a loud noise and suddenly Tascosa was out of the stock and standing beside Clay. He had jumped out the top of the stock and because his head was tied he flipped over and landed on his feet. Amazingly he did not break his neck nor hurt Clay.
Another time he displayed his agility was when we put a saddle on him and tied him to a tree to get him used to the feel of the saddle. We do this with all our horses. Tascosa however did not like this situation and he jumped straight up in the air and landed on his side. He reminded me of a small boy having a tantrum. He was furious.
Clay recently took him to a trainer friend. He stayed 6 months and they never did have enough time for him so Clay brought him home. He pitched such a fit in the trailer stomping and jumping around. Again he was having a tantrum so when Clay got home he parked the trailer under a tree and in the breeze. Tascosa was in “time out” for 24 hours. He was fed and watered in the trailer and he could turn around or lie down or whatever but he needed to calm down before letting him out. Well it worked. Clay stepped into the trailer, put the halter on Tascosa and he backed out of the trailer just like a little gentleman! If nothing else he is SMART! We still have not found the right trainer to finally break him to the saddle but hopefully soon.
He is a handful. I never knew how much trouble they would be. I know some folks that have sold all their horses and bought mules. It seems they would rather have a mule than a horse…but not this cowgirl!”
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