developed over time. He was a little stand offish when I first brought him home. After a few weeks of regular riding he would walk off when I went to catch him. Not anymore. He loves his job. This summer marked our second anniversary. While we have had a great working relationship since week two, things really came together this summer. There were, several things I believe that contributed to that connection. With Beau, I am the queen of repetition, from how I greet him, feed him, tack him, load him, ride him and how I communicate with him. When he gets nervous, which he rarely does anymore, I offer him confidence and leadership and allow the time needed for him to realize I've got his back and would never ask him to do anything he was not capable of doing. Occasionally, I will laugh at him when he balks over something silly. When that happens, I help him through it and never get emotional. You can’t fight a mule and win, so there is no sense in getting upset. If he looks at anything that “might” be scary but isn’t, we head towards it and stay focused on it until he relaxes. It is simply a lot of fun. When I spot wildlife I always tell him in a low voice "wow", and he relaxes and stands still so I can capture the moment in pictures. I have never feared spotting wildlife. I go in search of wildlife, and as a result, I believe he has adopted the same attitude. On one occasion, I couldn't spot what he was focused on. He lifted his head, I followed his "point" and spotted the porcupine high up in the tree. Of course, I do not encroach on any wildlife and enjoy them from a respectful distance.
Go camping with your mules! This summer I camped with Beau for 8 days and our relationship truly hit a new level. During that time, he depended on me for everything. I rode each of the 7 days we were there, either alone or with friends, and logged over 160 miles, which included two 40-mile rides.
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