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Snake Bites Mule
A while back, Julia and I rode spent six weeks traveling with two saddle and one pack mule from our farm in western North Carolina to Virginia and back. We posted a lot of stories on this trip but here’s one I never got around to sharing with you.
Julia was riding a mule named Dusty we’d borrowed from our friend Ronald Hudson. I was riding my mule Brick. As… Continue reading
How do you Pony Your Pony?
Let’s say you’re out riding your mule or horse and leading another next to you. What do you do with the end of the lead rope attached to the animal you’re leading? Do you Bunny Ear it, Under the Leg it or do the Loose Around the Horn thing? Or maybe something else?
The Hoof Boot Report: 3 Boots After 32 Days on the Trail
The word “report” brings to mind images of white paper, statistics, lab coats and, yawn, boring facts. This is not that kind of report. Rather, it’s the account of what my wife Julia and I learned after spending 32 days on the road with 3 mules and 3 different kinds of hoof boots. This may be the… Continue reading
The First Draft of the “Trash to Triumph” Book is Complete
About a year and a half ago, I finished riding mules Brick and Cracker from North Carolina to Idaho. This week, I finished the first draft of the book about that voyage. The title of the book is “Trash to Triumph”.
Holy smoke… Continue reading
Hill Top Sunday Morning
Sunday greetings from high above the Shoe Box Canyon. Yesterday, my wife Julia and I rode to the top of the mountain behind our cabin. I thought you’d enjoy some photos of the ride.
Julia rode her pony Pie. I rode my mule Cracker. From the clearing high above the cabin, we just looked out over the Brushy Mountains to our South. We listened to the “chimp pang” call… Continue reading
Off With Her Shoes (Part 1 of the 3 Part Series on Transitioning to Hoof Boots)
This weekend my wife Julia and I pulled the steel horse shoes on her pony Pie’s front feet. From here on out, she’ll go barefoot. For extra protection Pie might need on rocky trails or abrasive surfaces like asphalt, we’ll slap on a pair of hoof boots.
Weekend Plans
Want to attend a Dog Hair Cutting Festival with my wife Julia and me this weekend? How about a Mule Ride. You might get a good one. You may not. Fun like Russian roulette!
You can tell Julia and I have a little too much time on our hands this weekend. She wrote an invitation to our neighbor P to join us for any or none… Continue reading
Buck and Smile
Sometimes, life throws a little buck your way. The best reaction is to stay balanced and grin. The photo above is of Brick sneaking in a little heels-up action at last week’s Ty Evan’s clinic at Leatherwood in Ferguson, NC. She did great and we learned a lot. I guess she’s recovered from her 2,300 mile walk from our farm in western North Carolina to Idaho.
Great big… Continue reading
Queen Valley Mule Ranch Saddle Review
The first one I bought was stolen. The second one I rode 2,200 miles from North Carolina to Idaho. No, I’m not talking about my mule. I’m talking about my Queen Valley Ranch mule saddle.
In this post I’m going to give you an… Continue reading
Adjusting Pie’s Hoof Boots (Part 3 of the 3 Part Series on Transitioning to Hoof Boots)
How do you adjust a pair of new hoof boots?
In today’s post, I’ll show you how I’m adjusting a pair of hoof boots to fit my wife’s pony Pie. To get you up to speed, here are the first two parts in this three part series.
- Off With Her Shoes (Part 1 of 3)
- Measuring Pie for Hoof Boots (Part 2 of 3)