2nd Annual Trail Riding Guide Hub
Click the link to read the April 2012 Trail Riding Guide Online - Trail Riding Guide
Below, you can find two features from the 2nd annual Trail Riding Issue!
What to Bring On A Trail Ride/Camping Trip
by Anna Arnold, Romoland, Calif.,
fastmule@live.com
photo: Monica Sievert, Anna Arnold, Debbie Humphreys and
Nancy Roberts in Arizona at the Happy Hoofers trail ride
When talking about trail riding it is a good time
to think of what we may need when we go away from camp or home. I
keep a number of things in my saddle and cantle bag. In my cantle
bag I keep a horse first-aid kit, pressure bandage, duct tape, small
rope, bug spray and meat tenderizer, which works great on stings.
Also, for the ladies a napkin works well for a bandage, or can be
used with duct tape to put on a hoof that may have lost a shoe (it
also has other uses).
In my saddle bags I have a light weight parka
(good for rain or wind), flashlight, matches and water. I try to
keep these in my trailer and check my tack for wear on my leathers
on my saddle and bridle. Taking the small rope can be used for many
uses…curb strap, reins or lead.
I keep a sharp knife in my pocket, even at home;
you never know when you will need it. I also carry one in my purse,
along with a small screwdriver. I could win a prize with what I keep
in my purse. When we go out as a group and I know we will be out for
some time I have an emergency asthma machine that runs off a
battery, and it’s always with me, as is my epee pen. If you need
meds, be sure you have some with you, not only in your saddle bag,
but in your pocket.
When hauling, I leave the windows down in the
trailer, they have a guard so the mules can’t get their heads out,
but things can fly in. So, it’s not a bad idea to haul with fly
masks on your animals. I have windows that I can offer them water if
I am hauling a long distance. I will haul straight through if it is
less than six hours. When I have a long haul I stop for the night,
let my mule out and feed and water her outside. She stays out until
I am ready to go to bed and I put her back in the trailer if there
are no corrals. She and I rest much better that way; otherwise, I
check on her during the night. I have not had any long hauls with
Ditto, so this will have to be tried as she does like to move around
in the trailer when hauling. Ciera has over 200,000 miles in the
trailer and thinks it’s her home.
Look for me on the trail or in the show ring; I’m
the Granny wearing a big hat and riding a fine mule.
Trail Riding Tips
by
Max Harsha, Cliff, N.M.
mulemanharsha@starband.net
Author of the Mule Skinner's Bible
The weather is getting nice, and people are
getting ready to head out on the trails. Here are a few things to
take into consideration before you go trail riding:
If your mule has been standing around this winter
now is a good time to get him out and take the edge off him before
you go riding with a group.
If your mule is new to trail riding you should
get him so you can control him.
What do you do if for some reason you get behind
your group? Over the years I have received several calls asking if
my Harsha mule bit would give the control needed when the mule gets
behind the crowd. Getting behind may be because you wanted to stop
and tighten your cinch, or stop to tie your jacket behind the
saddle, or reasons like this. When you get back on the trail you may
find yourself way behind, and your mule may want to run to catch up.
Maybe you aren’t that good of a rider to take this wild ride, as you
don’t have enough control over your mule. Yes, the Harsha bit will
give you more control, but you need to use it before you go out on
the trail so your mule knows you are in control. You also need to
have confidence that the bit will do the job, because if you are not
confident you will have an apprehensive feeling that the mule
recognizes, making him nervous also.
On the other hand, if you have been using the
Harsha bit you know you are in control and don’t think for one
minute that the mule doesn’t recognize this also. So, in a sense it
does you as much good as it does the mule. A positive attitude is a
big thing around mules.
If you have a mule that has a tendency to want to
kick at another mule or horse getting too close behind you, you
might consider tying a red ribbon around the top of your mule’s
tail. This is a warning that your mule doesn’t like something
following too closely.
If you need to stop and get off on the trail for
some reason it is nice to have a friend stop with you, so when you
remount you and your mule will not be alone.
If you are riding alone, or in the front of the
group, you should have a mule that is used to being exposed to
different things, such as a burnt stump, which would be black. For
some reason most mules will think this is a really bad object and
will spook the mule. Again, you need to be in control of your mule.
To get the mule used to something like the stump
I recommend you take a black plastic leaf sack and fill it with
straw and hang it by the water trough. You may also want to take
another black sack and fill it with tin cans, and tie it where the
wind can blow it around in order for your mule to get used to an
object in motion.
I have mentioned things like this before, but we
have new mule people joining us all the time, so all Ole Man Harsha
is trying to do is keep you safe and out of a wreck.
Take care, and don’t overfeed your mule, as you
are only fighting the feed sack if you do.