Has anyone done join-up with a mule? The rescue centre I'm helping at have two partially-handled (but happy to be touched all over & led) mules that they want some help with. Does anyone know if it's any different to horses? I know donkeys freeze before flight or fight whereas for horses it's flight (or fight in a tight corner) and then think. Wondering if anyone has any experience with mules.
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Hi Tessahoran!
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I did never do Join-Up with a mule before, but I think it will be difficult. I would say: Just try it, but stay safe!
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Have a nice day,
Jasmin from Hamburg, Germany
Hi Tessahoran,
Neither have I any experience with mules, but I remember Dr.Robert M.Miller's website, where he shows some videos and writes about his work with mules. He's the one that does the imprint training of newborn foals, he raises and rides mules and can describe the differences between the two species. Sound exciting, working with a mule...
Good luck,
Miriam
I cant see why it would be much different than working with a horse. Mules are smart, you just have to be smarter. When I was a kid, I, (believe it or not) drove a stagecoach hauling kids around for a guy, he had 5 teams of Clydesdales and one team of mules. The clydes were friendly, the mules were not, but they were easy to drive, as long as they werent too fresh. I have also raised donkeys, and trained them the same as I did my horses, except I never rode them, too small. I would say go for it, they ARE half horse, after all. I have been around several mules, and most were friendly, it was just the ones that guy had that werent, but he didnt treat them very well. Rather mean, actually. You say these like to be touched, so half your battle is won. I believe you can make it happen Just remember, they do have a mind of their own, and if you get them aggravated, they wont move no matter what.
I just watched Kelly Marks and Monty do join up with a Mammoth Mule on the Horse and Country Channel. It's was under the horsemanship essentials area and I can't remember which episode it was but as I recall it was around #13 or 14. Kelly did a thing on donkey's and join up and load up with a mule it was very interesting. Mules don't have the flight response that horses do but she was able to do join up with it, so check it out.
In case anyone was interested to see how it went!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvJO6jvAtuU
Bear in mind I'm far from perfect at join-up.
I just started experiencing with join ups. My first day I had 2 horses and 2 mules. My very short experience was that while the horses did the expected routine, the mules seemed eager to negotiate fast. I mean, they started on smaller circles very fast and wanted to stop and face me with that "question mark" face. Both came up to join up the moment I dropped my eyes and hand and turned 45 degrees. Did follow up and one of them even followed me all the way from the pen to the corrals, about 100 m. In open space. So I am curious about this topic since I'm so new at it and not sure if it was just bad procedure.
I'd say you had a very good procedure & the mule has certainly joined up with you!!!
Be happy & move on to the next stage of training. Sounds a lot like my companion pony, she'll come to you straight away haa haa haa.
The mind of their own sounds like my 5/8 Arab mare!
tessahoran - i watched your video with interest; the mule was very responsive to you, i just wondered why you didn't accept the offers of join up it was presenting to you, when it came onto the smaller circles & had it's ear locked on you, you sent it out & away again, if you watch it again, you'll see that this happened several times.
Practice makes perfect & you did well, perhaps be ready to take the pressure off sooner next time. Try not to want the procedure to be absolutely text book, but take note of the mule's body language more, remember, it's about creating a trusting language between you. not about you being in charge.
Try again & have fun.