Mules Age & The People Involved

by Max Harsha

From the May 2006 issue of Mules and More

I have been asked many times, “What is a good age when I go to buy a mule?” Well, to me it depends a lot on the age of the person involved and how much experience he or she has had, and also how often they ride. If it is an older person who doesn’t ride a lot, I highly recommend an older mule that has been used extensively in many different situations by someone who made the mule do what it was supposed to do.

I have had some of the best mules come off a ranch that were used a lot by a good hand; these mules have generally been used in all types of situations and are well broke. And, even then, I would just as soon have a mule 12 years old or better and not too tall for an older person. A lot of older people have a tendency not to ride as much, and then turn around and overfeed the mule. Young mules do not stand that type of prosperity well.

Now, if it is a younger, experienced person who rides a lot, they can get along with a young mule that is started well and bitted properly. A lot of trainers use my Harsha mule bit when training young mules and recommend that the person use this bit when they take the mule home. The mule is used to the bit and knows he has to respect the bit. Some people think the young mule is trained well enough when they get it home and may use a snaffle bit. Well, that is all well and good as long as you are riding in a controlled situation, such as an enclosed arena, but when you get out in the real world and the mule gets spooked by something and runs through the snaffle, I don’t care how good a hand you are, you may end up in a storm, and possibly wind up on the ground with some broken bones. Even on an older, well broke mule, you need to have it well-bitted, so you can control the situation.

Also, if riding in rough country, I recommend a breast collar, a crupper, or a britchen. Personally, I like a good stout crupper and have the crupper ring or dee attached properly to the saddle to keep the saddle from sliding forward. Don’t let the saddle slide so far forward that it lets the bars ride on the mule’s withers, as it will make it very uncomfortable for the mule on a long ride. Some mules may even try to buck when you cinch the saddle down tight, as it causes them pain with the saddle too far forward.

I try to keep a good older mule on hand to ride for more inexperienced people. Hope this article helps you in selecting the proper mule for you.