The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread

[HairOfTheDog]

Free Republic has a lot of horse people that have found each other on other threads…. And since we all like to talk horses, how about a thread where it is not off-topic, but is THE topic?

A few of us thought it would be interesting and informative to have a chat thread where we can share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. We may not ~always~ have a lot of activity, but when we do, it will be fun. I will put a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts… look for it there and wake the thread up!

I will also develop a ping list for horse threads that are of interest. As FreeRepublic is a political site, our politics and other issues will probably blend in…. There are many issues for horsemen that touch politics… land use, animal rights/abuse cases that make the news…. Legislation that might affect horse owners.

I am hoping this thread will be a fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.

[HairOfTheDog]

Yeah - my friend Bob has mules.

They are sterile, but without gelding would ~act out~ just like a stallion, so yes, they are gelded.

They do have a different temperament than horses, but most of the training would be about the same. Over all, the attitude difference would be that they learn better from steady persistence than they do force. If horses don't often hold grudges from unfair treatment, mules do. Their diet (protein) requirements are less than a horse of the same weight, they should have a more basic system like that of a donkey or pony that can get a lot of nutrition out of lower power feed, and will get fat easily.

[HairOfTheDog]

I gotta go - we're late.... but I am real curious about why you are askin' about mules, I just love them.

Spent a couple weeks on mules in Arizona when I was a teenager. Best mountain ride ever!

This is me! - 'bout 15 years old...

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Ok, thanks.

We have friends who meets us every Sunday for breakfast before church. This morning she told me that her daughter got a couple of young unbroke mules. The daughter doesn't know anything about even horses. She told her mother that she wants to come out here and "pick Becky's brain" about what to do. LOL. I had no clue if mules could be trained the same. I thought they were all sterile but one of them is a gelding, so that confused me.

I'm going to call Debbie, (the mother), and tell her if she goes out there to see them anytime this week to let me know. I want to see them.

We had a lady who competed on a mule. He was the coolest thing. Samson. The lady who rode him was like 65. They were a pair to see:)

Becky

[Beaker]

Can't wait to see 'em!

[Beaker]

. Some good basic stuff there. My favorite part is the don't give your horse Marijuana, tobacco, or St. John's wort. For the author to have to address this means that someone has tried before, right? :')

ROTFL! Yeah, I guess so!! Hahaha!

[Beaker]

http://www.imh.org/imh/bw/mule.html
Mules 99.9% sterile. Here's a link that answers a couple of your other questions! :-)

[Beaker]

Hmmm... I'd have to say that my first horse book was... oh dear, well.. it had a red cover anyway... it was a kids book, and it was paper back, and it was written from the point of view of the horse. I'll be darned if I can remember the title now.
But of course I read every horse series out there. (Including the Saddle Club!) ;-)I devoured The Black Stallion and Black Beauty within a week! Those are still two of my favorite books.

[CindyDawg]

Yall don't laugh but if mules are sterile how do you get more mules?

[Beaker]

You know, another really good manual is the Horse Industry Handbook. When I was in
4-H, it was indispensable.

[Beaker]

Crossing a donky with a horse gets a mule.

[CindyDawg]

You see the picture of my grandson on 2435? The horse was removed from camp. One of the kids (not mine) gave him coolaide out of a sippy cup. Since his first drink every chance he got he went to the tables to get more. The trainer had to add a new rule. DON'T GIVE THE HORSES COOLAIDE! :')

[CindyDawg]

Thanks. I figured it was some cross breed.

[CindyDawg]

I'm getting quite a collection of reading material. I don't have that one yet.

[Beaker]

One of the kids (not mine) gave him coolaide out of a sippy cup. Since his first drink every chance he got he went to the tables to get more.
Oh lord, that's priceless! Haha! We actually had a mini that LOVED soda. (Flat) And then when he was done, he would stick out his tounge for more.

The trainer had to add a new rule. DON'T GIVE THE HORSES COOLAIDE! :')
I've run horse summer camps, and I must say, I've never had to put a rule up like that!

[Beaker]

I'm getting quite a collection of reading material. I don't have that one yet.
If you run a barn, I highly recommend it. It has everything from different types of bedding to anatomy and physiology, to proper ways to feed, to proper ways to draw up bills of sale. And all in detail too.

[CindyDawg]

Right now I'm stabling. Within the next year or so we should be set up with a place in the country so I've been doing some studying.

[Beaker]

. Within the next year or so we should be set up with a place in the country

Oh, that's fantastic! Good luck!!!

[Beaker]

We love looking at horse pictures:)

Well, *sigh* will a cat picture do for now? ;-)
This is my nutty cat, Tikki.

[HairOfTheDog]

We have friends who meets us every Sunday for breakfast before church. This morning she told me that her daughter got a couple of young unbroke mules. The daughter doesn't know anything about even horses. She told her mother that she wants to come out here and "pick Becky's brain" about what to do. LOL

AHA! I see! Well, she's in the same basic predicament she'd be in with horses not knowing anything.... Are they at her place or in her care now already?

If you end up working with them, I bet you'd enjoy it... Talk to a couple mule people or get a book but they will likely be very quiet and easily trainable if they've been handled well at all.

Jack mules are gelded just for temperament, and for the same reason, sometimes Jenny mules are spayed if they have disruptive heat cycles, because they are just as sterile but they don't know it.

I am back.... gonna upload foal pictures in a minute!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I took a break and went outside landed up doing a lot of cleanine up in the garden then I had to weed eat alittle, then mow a litle then decided it was time to miracle grow everything. Had to come in a cool off. It's still hot out there. Thanks for the link about mules.

I read on another one that mules come from a stud donkey to a mare horse, and "hinnies" come from a stud horse to a mare donkey:). I never heard of a hinnie.?