Still at boot camp. Butch and I did test ride yesterday. About 20 miles from the barn to Saragosa. A beautiful morning after the first rain here in years. The first 7 or so miles on a well-traveled oil rig road, huge garbage-truck-like monsters rumbling noisily by over the washboard semi-paved road just a few feet away as I struggled to control a terrified mule. We made it (thanks in part to the very considerate drivers), including riding through foot-deep water pouring over a culvert. The rest of the way Butch was pretty much fine with the highway traffic; he doesn't mind most trucks whizzing by at 70 miles an hour. But the shoulder was another matter. Deep, sucking mud for miles and miles. We rode along any tiny strip of dry ground we could find. It was exhausting. I was so proud of Butchmule by the end!
We're still working on some issues. The respect issue is the biggest one. I'm small, he's big, and unfortunately now he knows it and uses it. I trust my ability to ride him but have lost confidence in both of us on the ground, so he's great for me under saddle but hard to saddle, pack and mount, ill-mannered and pushy on the ground. So much so that I am debating whether we are a good match to continue this ride together. Yet when he's good, he's so good!
It's late, tonight is my last night with access for a while. Next post will tell what I decided to do. Would have written more and posted pics but we had a freak hailstorm with a flooding rain here this afternoon - hail piled up like snow!
We're still working on some issues. The respect issue is the biggest one. I'm small, he's big, and unfortunately now he knows it and uses it. I trust my ability to ride him but have lost confidence in both of us on the ground, so he's great for me under saddle but hard to saddle, pack and mount, ill-mannered and pushy on the ground. So much so that I am debating whether we are a good match to continue this ride together. Yet when he's good, he's so good!
It's late, tonight is my last night with access for a while. Next post will tell what I decided to do. Would have written more and posted pics but we had a freak hailstorm with a flooding rain here this afternoon - hail piled up like snow!
And I left my tent out with the flap open from last night! (Had Butch here hobbled to a railroad tie by one foot and camped out in the yard to keep an eye on him.) Needless to say we all spent hours cleaning up... sure glad our test ride was yesterday!
G'nite all.
G'nite all.
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