MULE TALK! PODCAST: Standing Still While Mounting
Standing Still While Mounting –
- It starts with good nutrition and being fed on schedule to reduce anxiety.
- Ground training is essential using a logical approach.
- Begin mounting in the round pen first – using a mounting block.
- Desensitize your mule with gentle strokes to the body to learn his sensitive areas.
- Start with a mounting block to eliminate pulling on the saddle.
- Have an assistant work with you for safety reasons.
- Sit quietly for a minute before walking on after mounting.
- Train your mule to understand the command “WHOA.”
- Train your mule to understand the command “STAND” when you are ready to mount him.
- Use the reward system to let him know he is doing good.
- Balance your weight when stepping up into the saddle and stepping down.
- English riders – remove both feet from stirrups when dismounting.
- Western riders position your foot in the left stirrup to eliminate getting hung up.
- Ride in a saddle that is comfortable for your mule and a proper fit for you the rider. This will eliminate potential hazards.
Learn more on Mule Talk podcast.
Training begins with nutrition and the way your equine is fed. An equine that is fed at a specific time each day is far less stressed than those with inconsistent feeding times and will learn easier. What you feed and how is critical. The equine should ALWAYS be asked to stand still with a verbal WHOA and required to remain back when you open a door, or a gate, until they are asked to WALK ON.
The Lucky Three mules willingly come off the grass pasture at any time of the day when they are beckoned. This is the result of routine management, humane training practices, with a prompt and generous reward system. Not one of our equines is herd-bound as we do not play favorites, we reward everyone for good behavior and we do not ask more than they are physically able to give. We have slowly built deep friendships with them that exceed their relationships with their equine buddies!
We begin training with Leading Exercises in our postural aid we call the Elbow Pull executed in the Hourglass Pattern. The pattern has designated places where they are asked to halt, square up and are given a crimped oats reward. We wait until they finish chewing the oats before we ask for another movement. This will alleviate any anxiety and is their first real introduction to learning how to stand absolutely still upon request. They are grateful for this personal consideration which greatly improves their mental attitude. Each animal is continually assessed throughout training and the approach is modified according to their individual needs. Being fair, respectful, clear and consistent in handling practices with a carefully planned REWARD system –without bribery or indiscriminant treats – will enhance the pleasure and safety that you will experience during interaction with your equine! Anxiety and resistance is always kept to the bare minimum!
The next introduction to standing still will take place during their Ground Driving exercises. At first, they will again be driven through the Hourglass Pattern in the Elbow Pull postural aid with the verbal command to WHOA for all the designated halts and squaring up. You will put the lines across their rump, walk to the front, and give them their crimped oats reward. Then resume your position behind them and stand absolutely still while they chew their oats. Only allow them to go forward when you give the verbal command to WALK ON.
with periodic halts, again squaring them up, rewarding and waiting for them to finish chewing before giving the command to WALK ON. Then, repeat the obstacle lessons with strategic halts in the middle of the obstacles while asking them to stand absolutely still. You will eventually be able to phase out the Elbow Pull postural aid.
Ask your equine to stand quietly while you grasp the saddle at the horn 9Or mane at the withers) and cantle. Put your foot in the stirrup and boost yourself to a standing position at his side. Carefully, lean over his back, talking and petting him until he gets used to your new position. Be sure to reward him from his back on each side.
Slowly get down, go to the other side and repeat the exercise. Initially, you may mount your mule, or donkey, at the work station. First mount horses in the Round Pen where there is no ceiling overhead. Your goal is to get your equine to be at ease with you putting your foot in the stirrup, and lifting yourself over his back. Get him used to weight in the stirrups, the feel of the saddle and some weight on his back.
When he’s calm with this exercise, go to the Round Pen. I prefer to do this preliminary work in an English saddle. It is lighter, easier to handle and less intimidating to the animal.
the Round Pen. The stirrups are larger, it’s more stable and the saddle horn might come in handy. Choose the saddle in which you feel most secure.
Your assistant will stand by for safety only and will give the illusion to your animal that he is still just to be lunged, only now with a rider.
rein so you don’t lose him. Have your assistant allow him slack with the line she (or he) is holding. Quietly, and firmly, ask him to “Whoa,” get organized and try it again.
body. Do this on both sides. Add swinging your leg over his back. Stay low with your upper body, leaning forward on both sides. Make him pay attention to you by offering the oats reward from each side.
Rock your weight from side to side and let him feel how the saddle moves on his back. Continually reassure him during this procedure by firmly, but gently, touching him all over his body (See IMPRINTING BEYOND BIRTH under TRAINING/MULE CROSSING on my website at 
Do only as much of this in any one lesson as he can easily tolerate. Always try to end your lessons on a positive note, and do not get in too much of a hurry—that’s usually where the trouble begins.
In order to keep your equine calm, and for the sake of safety, to avoid getting your foot caught in a stirrup and run the risk of having your mule drag you, each time you dismount always take both of your feet out of the stirrups.
By the time your equine is ready for the open arena or the trail, he will clearly know the meaning of WHOA and will learn to be patient and wait for your command to WALK ON. You will be able to halt him at any time with confidence about his absolute obedience. Too many of us get in a hurry to just get on and go.
Cindy and I talked about the “Good Old Days” when we used to live on a ranch, had horses and could be gone all day riding with our friends! Today, our lives are so easy and require no experience to have the knowledge that you can now hold in your hand! The value of EXPERIENCE is diminished until you get hurt! There were so many things that we learned by having the full responsibility of cleaning pens, feeding, grooming, tacking up our own horses and then riding in so many different situations. One really LEARNED how to make decisions and analyze the knowledge that we gleaned. We soon learned the approaches and things that we could do SAFELY, and that kept our experiences happy and joyful! We KNEW it would cost a minimum of $5000.00/year to maintain and train our equines! Our relationships with our equines were good and they were able to teach us WELL!
If the last resort is putting them in an auction…BEWARE! You might get stopped with your truck and trailer in the parking lot and a dealer that offers to take them off your hands right there! If you are tight for cash and looking for a convenient fix to your problem, you might think this is a great deal, but this is what KILLER BUYERS do!!!
jack, and a female horse, called a mare. Mules can either be male or female, but they are unable to reproduce because of an odd number of chromosomes in their genetic makeup. When training mules, one needs to take into account the donkey half of the mule as well as the horse half. Horses can often be trained without the benefit of a personal relationship, but mules are different. The donkey is inherently a warm, affectionate and loving creature that thrives on close relationships with their humans. When this closeness is absent, the donkey or mule can seem stubborn and uncooperative. Thus, there is the old saying, “Stubborn as a mule!”
enclosure by himself, or just with his dam.
Competition is fun and exciting but can easily become a devastating experience for both of you if the focus is winning against others. Rather, the focus should be to compete against yourself. If you are doing better than the time before, then you are doing well. You don’t need a blue ribbon to mark your improvement. When you go to a show with this attitude, you gain more open communication and friendships with others who have the same interests as you do. You are able to learn from those who are more experienced; judges and officials can help you to improve. This makes the whole showing experience more enjoyable and mutually beneficial to all.
Strangely enough, the gate in the trail class just didn’t appear to his mule to be like the gate at home, and the mule would go nowhere near it! He, too, was humbled and left the class with nothing.
develop patience and consistency in training, neatness in you and your mule’s appearance, and pride in yourself and your mule.
more flies with honey than you can with vinegar.” I used to think in my head, “I don’t really want to catch flies and I don’t even like honey,” but I got her point and she was right. When I got frustrated that my mules were not doing exactly what I wanted them to do, I began to ask myself, “Why not?” I thought I knew everything, until I realized how much I had yet to learn. That is when I stopped trying to force things and became grateful for everything good that happened, every day! People told me that my Longears and my other equines needed a job to be worthy of my respect and support. I thought about it for awhile. Then I realized…my equines never told me they needed a job!
the same way toward others? When I opened my heart and my mind to my animals and others…that was when I really discovered how little I knew and how much I had yet to learn. I realized at that time that this would be an endless endeavor, but a lot of time to share and enjoy life!
what they gave to me…and the gifts they gave just kept coming. They were now true companions, partners, friends and our experiences together were quite literally becoming joyful!
kids was denied. In response to this denial from 4-H Club Leaders, I wrote my book, A GUIDE TO RAISING & SHOWING MULES…for kids and beginners. No longer could the 4-H Leaders use this excuse and mules began cropping up in equine performance throughout the country!
entire career, but with my own stubbornness and conviction, I have been able to show folks a better approach.
Longears have made their way into our society as yet another viable addition for the entertainment of the general population. More people than ever are taking on this challenge and making their mark as Mule Trainers. There is probably nothing as exciting as watching the drivers and their multiple hitches in shows and parades, the least of which is 
not the 20-Mule Team that is now being exhibited all over America. What a thrill to behold! People are now truly enjoying the affection and companionship these amazing equines have to offer! A light has been shown on the mules of the past! Those that thought mules could not be controlled, are now enjoying the companionship of their own leading celebrities of the equine community! So reject criticism, reject negativity and become a member of this new world of Longears and experience the joy that they have to offer! It’s quite simply…awesome!
“Mules separate crude trainers from artistic trainers.” The mule handled by a crude trainer will generally epitomize the traditional belief that mules are stubborn and ornery. The mule handled by an artistic trainer will not.
Horse training trends have evolved from Buck Branaman, Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson, etc. and their Round Pen training techniques using ropes on the equines. Natural Horsemanship rose from these methods, using less restraint on the equine.
This gave way to the new trend of teaching them to lie down. Equines do not lie down easily, so it wasn’t always used as an easy way to mount. It really shouldn’t be used that way because of the added stress put on the equine’s body that can cause arthritis and other problems with the hooves, and joints, as they age.
I saw a horse being exhibited at the WEG that was forced to bow with ropes. I thought it could be beneficial to find out how long it would take for an equine to learn to bow of his accord with his own muscle strength. Lance learned to do it by himself with only slight encouragement from me in 18 months.
If the argument is that amounting block can’t be brought along for trail riding, it makes more sense to simply acquire a shorter animal.
If you find restraints are not sufficient to help with your equine, you may be dealing with an outlaw, in which case it is best to put him out of his misery before he injures someone. Be careful however about blaming the animal for his response to an inhumane trainer. Some can be rehabilitated, some cannot, but you will need to know what you are doing. Kindness alone is not the answer.
Today good mule trainers apply the basic techniques of Behavior Modification (reward system training) in their programs. That is, getting the desired response through positive reinforcement and ignoring, as much as possible, the undesired behavior. Negative reinforcement, or punishment, is used sparingly, is never severe and is only used to set boundaries to behavior.
By Meredith Hodges
Once the heavier coat is eliminated, a weekly grooming will keep his coat nicely maintained. Daily grooming before a show, or every other day, is even better. Each time you groom him before riding, check and clip as needed the muzzle hairs, around the eyes and ears, and around the coronet bands. Leave the hairs inside the ears to prevent irritation from bugs and flies, but trim the outside edges and backs of the ears. An ounce of corn oil in his feed daily will assure a healthy sheen in his coat on show day without the use of artificial highlighters. Trimming, or shoeing, your mule on a regular six-eight week schedule will assure that his feet will not need attending at the last minute. A routine vaccination, deworming, Coggins testing and a permanent brand inspection will make sure he is ready for transport to any show anywhere at any time. Then, all that remains to be done right before the show is minor clipping, bathing, and polishing hooves.
Then, tack up your animal, checking each piece of equipment to make sure that it is in working order. Go ahead and practice the class. Then, as you unpack your mule, set the tack aside from the rest in your tack room for cleaning later. Do this for each animal in each class. Your animals will do better at the show if they get plenty of rest before the show, so it is wise to spend the day before the show cleaning your tack, clothes, and equipment. Before you begin to clean, load all the items into your trailer that are all ready to go without cleaning. Then, as you clean the remaining items, load them directly into the trailer as you finish them.
can be left until morning, or last minute, provided that you put them in a highly visible spot with a list of what is to be put in attached. Do not try to rely on your memory, as it will be clouded by the excitement and anticipation of the show.
If classes are spaced fairly close together and you are using more than one animal, it is wise to tack up the other animals ahead of time so they are ready to go. If you are using only one saddle for more than one animal, the other animals can still be bridled with the halter slipped over it, so they can be tied and waiting. Be sure to tie up the reins so they will not be chewed or stepped on. If you are using the same mule throughout the show, tacking and stripping should not be too time-consuming if your equipment is well organized.
Miniature mules and horses settle into their lunging lessons very well, but miniature donkeys (and donkeys in general) really don’t like to be lunged. They just don’t seem to see much purpose in it unless you make it fun for them. If you have a mini donkey, when teaching him to lunge it is helpful if you employ the aid of another type of equine of comparative size (such as a miniature horse or mule) to help “lead” your mini donkey through the lessons. Before I first began lunging my two mini donkeys, Augie and Spuds, I introduced them to Franklin the mini mule, Francis the mini molly mule and Mirage the mini horse by putting them altogether in the larger indoor arena space, and then I put them all in the round pen together. Before I began giving any of them specific instructions, they were all allowed some time to investigate each other and establish their pecking order. Before long all five were lunging cooperatively together, although Spuds did feel the need to kick at Mirage a few times so Mirage would allow him enough space to perform. (Mirage can be a bully sometimes and needed to be put in his place.)
It is important that your tack and other “mini” equipment fit well. Check the harness to make sure the bridle fits and the bit is placed correctly, and be sure to adjust the blinders on your harness bridle so they don’t rub against your mini’s eyes. Fitting miniature donkeys for harness can sometimes be difficult, but I was fortunate to find Chimacum Tack, a tack and harness manufacturing company that does a fantastic job with miniature donkey, mule and horse harness. I suggest that you make the fitting a lesson in itself—you can even introduce your mini to the cart he will be pulling without actually hitching him up to it. Just as you have with all other obstacles, first let him inspect the tack. Then, once you have put it on him, have him stand quietly in the spot in front of the cart where he will eventually stand. Don’t forget to amply reward him and he should be more than willing to comply.
At this stage of training, lessons over obstacles can now be done with more finesse. You can begin lateral work over small rails placed in front of a fence, backing through the walk-through “L” and doing lateral work in the tractor tire. In advanced tractor tire work, if you judge it to be safe, get down on your knees so you are on your mini’s level. Now ask your mini to put all four feet inside the tractor tire, and to then make a turn on the haunches. Direct his head in the direction you choose to go first and ask him to slowly turn while all of his feet are still inside the tire. Do this by poking him in the shoulder with your index finger (just as you did when repositioning him for the farrier) and asking him to move his front end over and around the inside of the tire. Do this in one direction and then in the other direction. Stay low, maintain eye contact and don’t be too forceful in your movements.
By now you have taught your mini to follow on the lead while you both explore and have all kinds of adventures around your property, inspecting new things and having picnics everywhere imaginable. If your mini is to learn to be driven, he now needs to have the confidence to take the lead. When you begin this process, review (with your mini) leading together from the work station to the round pen. If you are training a team and dealing with two minis, tie their halters together at the side rings with about eighteen inches of 3/8-inch nylon rope with small snaps on each end between them, and use one lead rope snapped to the center of the tie rope between them. Begin by taking your position in the lead while carrying a dressage whip. Slowly work your way in beside them on the near (left) side, tap them each once gently on the hindquarters with the whip to let them know you expect them to continue forward and ahead of you (even though you are moving more slowly than they are on an angle to gradually work your way in behind them). Pretty soon, you should be directly behind them, encouraging them both forward if they do stop with a gentle tap of the dressage whip, but only one tap for each balky step.
In subsequent lessons going forward, the next steps are to attach the drive lines and ground-drive your mini in the round pen. Ground-drive around the rail in each direction at the walk and do smaller circles from the rail and back to the rail around the larger circle. Execute an “S” turn through the middle to change directions and do the same going in the opposite direction. End each lesson with a square halt and a back. If he does not do any of these moves with ease, just be happy with what he offers and stop the lesson there. This will give your mini a lesson in communication through the bit. It is imperative that he learns this. You always have the next lesson to continue forward and you want to avoid any confrontation that will cause resistant behavior. It is easier to prevent the behavior from occurring than to have to correct it later. If you are ground-driving two minis, work each mini alone first and then follow this exact same procedure with your team.
Moving to an open arena changes your mini’s perception of space and he will often feel like playing, so set up the cones of the hourglass pattern for him. Ground-driving through the hourglass pattern will help to maintain his attention and give him a point of focus for his lessons. Ground-drive your mini as you did in the round pen, but now he will be driven through the hourglass pattern with random halts. If you have any balking, just stop, reward for stopping, regroup and try again. Remember to go slowly and use frequent halts and backs in order to reward your mini. This helps him to stay attentive to your hands. Remember to do a full halt yourself—in good posture—before you step forward to reward him. If you pay attention to your own posture and the quality of your walk and halts, he will pay attention to his.
There are classes at various shows (both open horse shows and miniature shows), where minis are not only driven in harness with a variety of carts and small carriages, but they also do trail courses and jumping on the lead line. Miniatures enjoy performing and have personality-plus, which audiences love! How well-trained your mini is will determine his willingness to do a multitude of fun activities, so make training fun and exciting for your mini. Enjoy the small victories along the way, use your creativity, reward lavishly and look forward to your adventures together.
