Travel by Mule
Robbins Farmers Day: Wagons, Faces and Feet
A teamster, a parade and a mule. This weekend mule Polly and I hung out with Ronald Hudson at Farmers Day in Robbins, NC. He and I were in the parade and I made some photos I thought you’d enjoy. They’re loosely in the order they happened.
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?
What Mule Cracker Taught me at Leatherwood Mule Days
You can ride a mule 2,300 miles through America and still bomb the trail class.
This weekend, my wife Julia and I attended Leatherwood Mule Days in Ferguson, North Carolina, about half an hour from our farm. It was a reminder of how… 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
Measuring Pie for Hoof Boots (Part 2 of the 3 Part Series on Transitioning to Hoof Boots)
We clipped her nails and pulled her shoes. In my recent post “Off With Her Shoes” I wrote about how my wife Julia and I are transitioning her pony Pie from steel shoes to bare feet. In this update, I’ll show you how we trimmed and measured Pie’s feet for hoof boots. But first, to recap, a few pics of Pie having her shoes removed.
What is the Best Hoof Boot: 3 Boots After 32 Days on the Trail
What is the best hoof boot for your horse or mule? My wife Julia and I spent 6 weeks riding from North Carolina to Virginia and back with three brands of hoof boots. This post is what we learned about these hoof boots after 32 days on the road. The 3 boots reviewed are Cavallo hoof boots, EasyBoot hoof boots… Continue reading
Waiting for the Tumbleweed Connection
“Did you ever hear back from the tumbleweeds you launched?” I get that question a lot, especially from folks that have watched the “Lost Sea Expedition”, the Public TV series about my mule voyage across America (which you can stream here on Amazon).
Okay, let me set this up for you a bit.
The Lost Sea Expedition
The “Lost Sea Expedition”… Continue reading
“On a Mule Bound for Triumph” Article in Eye on Sun Valley (Idaho)
Did I ever tell you about the hundreds of miles of plastic flowers and dead snakes I encountered in my recent mule ramble? Enjoy this Sunday read that came out this week in Eye on the Sun in Sun Valley, Idaho.
BY KAREN BOSSICK
The snow was starting to stack up on the streets of Hailey when Bernie Harberts dismounted… Continue reading
Welcome Home
The headlights on my 1992 diesel Dodge burned away the rain drops to reveal the soaking sign. “Welcome Home! Bernie Brick and Cracker”. My journey from North Carolina to Idaho and back with my mules was complete.
No Fuse Blow Day: Day 3
The news today is there is no news. No blown fuses as the 92 Dodge lumbered from Nebraska to Missouri with mules in tow. No meeting Tom Petty (deceased) at the gas station. No bird balls. Nope. Just the rhythmic hum of the old 12 valve Cummins and the “thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk” as the old steel wheels rolled across Nebraska.
