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Pet a Mule, Watch a Parade: I’m Inviting You to Mule Days at Leatherwood

Published April 29, 2025

I, Bernie Harberts, did not use generative AI to write or illustrate this article. Spell check and grammar check, yes. AI, no.

Mules navigating an obstacle course, mules wearing angel wings, mules striding the parade route, and mules being, well, just mule-ish. Yep, Mule Days at Leatherwood is this weekend, Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. My wife Julia and I will be attending with our mule. Mule Days at Leatherwood is free and open to public and we’d love to see you!

Julia and I (hidden among all the mules) at Ty Evan’s clinic. Ty is standing in the center of the photo.

Mule Days at Leatherwood

512 Meadow Rd, Ferguson, NC 28624
(800) 462-6867

Take a Clinic

Technically, Mule Days takes up most of this week, starting tonight (Tuesday, April 29) with a meet and welcome dinner for clinician Ty Evans. Ty will be giving his Mulemanship clinic on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Get Right With Your Mule, Donkey or Horse

In addition to Ty’s clinic, my wife, Julia Carpenter, founder of the Two Step Way, will be offering individual sessions to folks interested in getting centered and forging a stronger bond with their mule, donkey or horse. If you’re interested in booking a Two Step Way session with Julia, you can contact here.

Learn More About Hoof Boots for Mules

I’ll be giving my Making Hoof Boots Work For Your Mule program on Thursday, May 1, from 6 to 7 pm. The Making Hoof Boots Work For Your Mule program is free and open to the public.

I am also offering individual sessions to anyone interested in learning how to fit their mule, donkey or horse with hoof boots. You can contact me here if you’re interested.

Julia and with mule Polly, Brick and Dusty, the mules we spent 6 weeks riding from our farm in western North Carolina to Grayson Highlands and back.

Mule Days at Leatherwood is free and open to the public. Anyone is welcome, whether you’re a mule person, a horse person, a donkey person, or just a person person.

Thanks

It takes a whole lot of effort and planning to put on Mule Days at Leatherwood. A big-assed (it’s okay to say that about a mule-inspired event even though a mule is only half donkey, aka “ass”) thank you to the following for making this all happen.

Shannon Hoffman – for organizing Mule Days at Leatherwood, from laying out the obstacle course to handing out raffle tickets
Abbie Hanchey and Trevor Whitson of Leatherwood Mountains Resort – for providing such a beautiful venue
The staff and crew of Leatherwood Mountains Resort including, among many others, Wayne, Ashley, Caroline and Susan – for everything from mowing the grass (I’m looking at you, Wayne) to cooking those great burgers at the Saddlewood Grill (I’m still looking at you, Wayne)

Ashley helping me set up the book display for my new book *Two Mules to Triumph,* about riding my mules Brick and Cracker 2,300 miles from western North Carolina to Idaho. You can pick up a copy of *Two Mules to Triumph* Leatherwood Mountains Resort.

Julia and I hope to see you at Mule Days at Leatherwood

For more on Mule Days, check out this article I wrote What Cracker Taught Me at Mule Days at Leatherwood. It’s amazing how far you can ride a mule and still have so much to learn.

More from Julia's and my Horseing Around adventures.

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