I never had a kid broke mule before but bought a 12 yr old 14.2 gray mare mule yesterday that is dead broke. Yeah, a real kid broke mule. Kind of nice after having a passel of rough ones.

Looks like a dude mule.

Now Will. That is a Mule. You bought him Yesterday. Let us know how the relationship is going after the Honeymoon is over.

When you coming out to MT for a trail ride?

We bought one that looks identical to yours, same size too. He was used by a little girl for 4H until she outgrew the mule, which was replaced for her 8th birthday. We bought him for our 6 yr old granddaughter and he is a sure enough kid broke mule. He is a little older than yours at 28.

I grew up on a ranch and we raised saddle mules and broke them all to sell. Our mules were raised and used in rough high rimrock country..

I learned early on why we sold the young ones and kept the old ones. Most of our using mules were in there 30s or better..Those old mules could pack you longer and under harsher conditions than any young mule because they wouldn't kill themself doing it, they paced themselves. The young mules would get stronger as they tired, they would panic or just plain stress and themselves out and in some cases they would wear you out!! ..

My dad always said a mule wasn't worth killing until he was at least 15 and had learned to take care of himself..

Mules raised and used in easy country may be the opposite, I don't know.

I do know that wet saddle blankets are the secret to all horses and mules.

It's easy to train/raise a mule in Texas but not in Pacific Northwest, a totally different ball game. We don't' take chances on stupid mules on the trail. Much rather have a mature quarter horse. I haven't seen a stupid mule under 3 years of age, perhaps I am lucky or somebody has a agenda against mules? I rather have a mule if I had to a age gap under 5 years of age. I hunt extreme rugged country where I pet the bighorns and mountain goats.

Ah Norsman, it isn't THAT tough to train a mule here in the Northwest. All it takes is access to hundreds of miles of trails, good rain gear and as many trips as you can to Hell's Canyon, 32 point, Homestead or any other of the real training "arenas" here in the state.

Well let me clear up a few things, there are parts of Texas and Arizona much tougher than anything the Pacific NorthWest has to offer..I am basing that on being raised in the Big Bend country of Texas bordering Mexico and some of Southern New Mexico and Arizona...this country is pure rock and has no trails, except a deer or sheep trail at times..and I live in Idaho, probably the steepest part of the Pacific N.W. and its all trails...On trails, I personally prefer a big stout horse...Mules definately have their place, and I like them for hunting and getting aound in slick rock and shale slides, but I personally like horses a lot better, especially if I have work to do like working cattle or whatever. Both have their place in my book, its not a contest, its more like using the right tool for the job at hand. All this mule, horse competition is just nonsence IMO...

I only hunt in granite rock and sliding shale country in the Wallowa also knowned as the Swiss Alps of USA, you know where the bighorns and mountain goats hang out and it is steep sob. I also hunt the Hell's canyon as well as the Snake River. Oregon side of the Snake River is much more rugged and remote than the Idaho side and that's a fact.I know what a horse is good for and I also know what a mule is good for, the mule best fit my hunting style being the fact I hunt off the trail.. I like them both for different purposes.