horse question

[HORSELOGGER]

Well, from what I've seen of em around here, aint no amount of sweet talkin, nor cussin and whippin that can make them get on a load once they they think it aint gonna come. I like a good honest pair of horses, they leave it all out for ya 8)

[Woodcarver]

My grandfather had a draft mare, a Belgian, that had that attitude.  He said she would give it all she had on the first try.  If whatever she was hooked to didn't move, no amount of persausion would get her to try a second time. 

[Ernie_Edwards]

However, if you want to race a mule against a horse, just let me know if you think a mule can do anything a horse can...

For a while in Arizona I was into endurance racing.  50 miles of running thru the mountains with only 3 stops for vet checks. Usually an Arab would win the 1st place across the finish line. However the most prestegious award was the best conditioned animal. This was determined by a vote of all the vets and their rating of many things including recovery of resperation and pulse rates. Hydration and overall condition played a big part.

It was not uncommon for a mule to get that award. Sure did agravate the owners of those $30,000.00 arabs, especially in a sport that they thought was for them alone.

My second mule was a nice 16-2 hand mule that won the first and many following mule races at Riudoso Downs in New Mexico. When I had him I could beat everything I was up against till an Apendix mare owned by a friend just barely beat us. I bought that mare to raise a mule out of but she would never settle.

Also spent a lot of time helping a neighboring rancher  work the cattle on his Forset Service lease of 21,000 acres of some pretty tough country. He would show up every day on a new horse so yesterdays horse could recuperate.  I just brought the same mule day after day.

If you give a mule the same advantage of breeding, the same mother horse of a certian breed, you will find that the mule will do pretty good for you. A draft mule of the same weight as a draft horse will outperform the horse.
But you have to be smart enough not to ask it to do something that will hurt it as a mule is smart enough to not hurt itself.

Most dyed in the wool horse owners have a hard time either with an animal as unbecomming as a mule, or in some cases can't stand a critter that is smarter than they are.

Only horse I ever had that I was pleased with was a big mare mustang I adopted from the BLM. She wore a #4 shoe, for those who know what that means. Well, I got her to raise mules out of and got 2 wonderful mules from her. Smartest horse I ever rode in the mountains as that is where she grew up. But I could always tell that there was a possibility that she would do something stupid, and I never felt that on a mule.

Had my friend kiss one mule, Nancy, for a picture. He did and asked why. Well, I told him, I always wanted a picture of you kissing my          .(fill in the blank yourself)
He's still getting me back for that.

[Frickman]

A mule is a horse with brains.

I've made alot of money over the years selling hay, corn, and oats to horse owners. Many of them had more horse than pasture and fed year round. I just smile all the way to the bank.   

[UNCLEBUCK]

If anyone wants to see a good selection of equestrian shows check out the tv schedule on www.rfdtv.com  its quite interesting and the shows are on everyday .  I had always let horses run with the beef cows and they only got what the herefords didnt want . It didnt cost me anything .  I hope to have horses once again as soon as I am 100% positive I will be home for good to do chores . My old truckin boss had 6 semi trucks and it was  horseshoes from minnesota to california every week to little ma and pa shoeing and tack shops . Whenever I arrived people would be waiting for a certain size horseshoe box , all the women were dressed up like tammy wynette and the men like george strait and sometimes it was like walking onto the front porch of the hee-haw tv set , the smell of leather and money , it was awesome and I can see where one could get carried away and want to get the latest gear . I even would stop at the roy rogers museum up in victorville ,ca and see old trigger . Everybody remembers trigger . Oh you have to get a horse deeredude ,

[MULE_MAN]

OK !!! Here's my 2 cents,  on cost I always like to have more pasture then stock
And only have to feed Hay when there's snow on the ground . And I bale more
Hay off the place then the stock can eat during the winter, so that's not a problem


As far as grain. If they're not being used  daily . They don't get any. just enough
to keep them coming up to the barn & keep them gentle & come when there called.
I have raised Reg. Quarter Horse & Reg. Belgian, But for the last 12 years have
pretty well settled on Mules. We raised them out of good Quarter Horse Mare's
They have the Quarter Horse conformation , plus the speed .

Today Mules are not like the old raw bone's Mule of the past , If you use a good mare
with brains you'll get a Mule the same way. When my son was still in school he would
put them in competition against Barrel racing horse & has beat them in speed event's
I knew it blew people minds when he would ride his Mule in the ring & probably some people laugh
But they weren't laughing when they announced the time & his Mule Lucky out ran there Horse !!!

I know that one show we when to several years ago when we were coming home, My son
ask me what I thought those people thought of there Horse now !!! I laughed and told him
you'll probably hear gun shots going off all over the country. There going home & shoot there
Horse. I was just kidding him, We got a good laugh out of it any how !!

We pretty well quit rasing them now, But still have 4 Mules out in pasture that we just trail ride & go to
Colorado Elk hunting when time permits. I just feel that a well train Mule is allot tougher then a
horse & allot more sure footed then a Horse. And when properly trained will really but it over
most Horse's . Just my 2 cents !

[johncinquo]

They moved the Roy Rogers museum from Victorville out to Branson.  With all the tourists going there already it was a $ decison, whos gonna go out to Victorville volountarily!    My pap and I dug out Roy and Dales swimmin pool years ago. What a couple of nice folks. 

I've ridden pleasure, amatuer competition, and worked cattle.   I still love to ride on occasion and own part of a 4h show horse.  She takes care of it all the time, I ride a couple times a year.  When she sells it off I get most of my money back.   My best advice- Buy a quad!   at the end of the day you turn the key off, and your done.   Now if I didnt have 2 kids, a mortgage, and expensive habits and hobbies, i'd be living in the front end of a trailer with a couple goods mounts and not much else. 

[Ernie_Edwards]

AS good as a Mule is, he/she can't make another mule. 

Tom,

That is why they have a long face. :'(

[beenthere]

Horselogger
How is the horse logging going this winter?  Are the woods a bit on the muddy side? 
Thinking of a side trip down for a short visit if we can pick a good time on your end in the next couple weeks.

[beenthere]

When??
Kinda waitin' to hear from you on 'when' would be a good time....

Any good days the next couple weeks - 'cept Fridays?

PM me a phone number and when would be a good time to give you a call.
Thanks.

[eagles nest]

my horse is like a big dog thats what i call her most time she eats 3-4 big round bailes in winter (i trade milling logs for the hay} & pasture rest of the time i feed 1/2 of a 3 lb coffie can of cattle cubes a day cost about
$ 10. a month havent had a vet bill in years in 15 years the vet has been out 3 times so my cost is about $10 or 12 $ a month tack is left over from show cercit in 1977
i dont see what all the fuss is about my wife spends more on 12 chickens than i do on my wood lot cruser{horse} draw back is mine gets lonely
if i get busy
she plays with our chickens& dogs

[Tonys other half]

Here is something to think about.  Horses are like kids.  If you have to have a vet come out more then once a year for shots you need help.  To get your horses shod up here is $45 and trimming is $20 in iowa anyway.  A normal horse only eats about $5 a week, unless you feed them grain.  All horses need is hay (alfafa and grass mixture).  I only spend about $200 in the summer to have the vet come and give them their shots (3 horses: Red, Sassy, and Howdy.)  Remember ladies a sawmill cost more then a horse ever will.  Just think of the eletric or gas they will use.  A horse all you have to do is to treat them like a kid and you get to go riding.  That is the funnest part all it all.  With a horse it is a one time cost, brushes, hoof pick, saddle, and bridle if you take care the items.  With a sawmill things wear out!  It is hard to ask a question about horses because your a horse lover or your not there is no in between.