This perfectly matched pair of dun mules pulls steady for Ron Montgomery of Three Peaks Outfitters during the Washington Outfitters and Guides Association’s Ride to Rendezvous. In this event, 200 participants ride and drive their mules and horses from Washington’s picturesque Methow Valley to the streets of Winthrop, kicking off its 49er Days’ celebration. Photo by Peter Frischmuth.

If all of my horse clients had owned mules, I would’ve gone broke!" says Robert Isenhart, DVM, with a twinkle in his eye. "They’re hearty and healthy, and when they get into a tight situation, they don’t panic and hurt themselves."

The retired veterinarian from Leavenworth, Washington, has owned mules since the early 1960s. He has six in his pastures today, all broke to ride, pack, and drive. In 1970, he bought Rosie. "As a joke, I named her after a good friend," he says. A testament to mules’ good health and longevity, his mule mare turns 40 this year.

Dr. Isenhart takes issue with the old "stubborn as a mule" cliche.

"Mules are very willing and agreeable — and have a strong sense of self-preservation. If they perceive that what you’re asking is dangerous or not in their best interest, they’ll let you know. And if you’re listening, you may just discover that they’re right!"

As an example, Dr. Isenhart relates his first trip with a new pack mule. "We got about a mile up the trail, and he started to buck with every step. Pretty soon, he’d bucked off his entire load. As I picked it up, I realized that he’d been overloaded. I had supplies for 25 Boy Scouts, and without thinking, I had my mule packing more weight than he should. A horse might’ve toughed it out, but the mule let me know he was unhappy — and he was right."

Since his retirement, Dr. Isenhart has discovered opportunities to drive his mules on wagon trips, even constructing his own wagons for the trail. "It was a new aspect of horsemanship for me and lots of fun," he says. "You can ride trails with a mule on Monday, pack them into the mountains on Tuesday, and hitch them up for a wagon ride on Wednesday. There’s nothing more versatile than a mule!"

Mule aficionados agree that something pretty special is produced when a horse is bred to a donkey. More and more trail riders have fallen under the spell of these "longears," known for their surefooted trail savvy, tremendous endurance, hearty constitutions, and versatility. Read on to learn more about the mule.

Work Smart

When Tony Gillin of Wenatchee, Washington, was a teen, he worked for Dr. Isenhart, cleaning kennels and helping with his large-animal calls. In-between chores, the veterinarian shared his enthusiasm for mules ("I may have been a bad influence," the doctor jokes). Today, Gillin is one of the Northwest’s most talented mule charmers. He rides and trains the animals, heading out of his back door and into the Cascade Mountains. He uses his mules for riding, packing, team roping and cattle work, and pulling wagons.

"They’re very intelligent, and much like little kids, they always ask, ‘why?’" Gillin says. "A mule owner needs patience and a sense of humor, but once you form a mutual trust, things get really good."

Gillin says the training methods of legendary horsemen Ray Hunt and the late Tom Dorrance work particularly well with mules. "I always keep in mind what Tom said, ‘Mules are just like horses, only more so.’ That is, if they’re good, they’re really good, and if they’re bad, well, you’d better rethink what you’re doing.

"In training, I set them up for success, always making what I want them to do the easiest choice for them. They catch on fast, but if a mule balks, the trainer must ask, ‘Am I being clear with my requests? What can I do differently to make this work?’ And not just blame it on the student. You have to work smart.

"Trainers often pressure a balking horse into doing something, but pressuring a mule will only make them dig in, and resist more firmly. Not all horse trainers have the patience or skill. A good mule trainer can make a nice horse, but it doesn’t necessarily go the other way."

Gillin says surefooted mules reign supreme in the mountains, and it’s no coincidence that professional outfitters spend most of their time in the mountains on mules. "Today, because people are breeding quality mares to jacks [donkey stallions], the quality of mules is getting better and better."

Both Gillin and Dr. Isenhart belong to the Washington Outfitters and Guides Association, and take part in its annual Ride to Rendezvous, held every May. More than 200 participants ride and drive their horses and mules for four days through the scenic Methow Valley. The trek ends with a parade down the main street of Winthrop, a 1800s frontier town with wooden sidewalks and old-time saloons. It’s a scene right out of the Old West, and the versatile mule is still the favorite choice of both riders and wagon masters.

Rocky Mountain High

Tim Doud is the current president of the North American Saddle Mule Association. He and his partner, Doris Roesch, own Diamond Creek Ranch and Mules in Cody, Wyoming. Doud started guiding trips into the Rocky Mountains in 1980, but when he worked with his first mule in 1991, he was hooked immediately.

"Mules were more personable than any horse I’d known and a much smoother ride," he says. "The mule doesn’t carry his weight forward like a horse does, which brings to mind an old outfitter saying: ‘A horse has two-wheel drive, while a mule has four-wheel drive!’ "

Today, Doud and Roesch own about 70 mules, which they use in their business, Bliss Creek Outfitters, and sell to clients across the country. They own 25 registered Quarter Horse and Paint Horse broodmares, which they breed to their jack for about 20 babies per year.

"Mares carry a mule offspring approximately two weeks longer than they carry a horse foal," Doud says with a smile. "We tell folks it takes two weeks longer just to grow their ears!" He reports the market for mules is strong, and that 90 percent sell as weanlings and yearlings. Most are purchased by avid trail riders.

"We lead five- and seven-day trips into the mountains, and it’s a 22-mile ride just to get to camp," Doud says. "Mules are reliable. If they get into trouble, they won’t flee, like a horse [might do]. Instead, they stop and think things through. As long as you stay with them, they’ll take good care of you."

In addition to riding into the mountains, Roesch also rides her 17-hand-high mule, Taj Mahal, 10, in dressage competition (mules are allowed to compete in United States Dressage Federation events) and endurance rides. The duo is currently fifth in the nation in the American Endurance Ride Conference featherweight division.

"[Taj Mahal] was ninth in our first endurance ride and won our third," Roesch says. "He just keeps getting better and better! Mules are very strong — we call it their ‘hybrid vigor.’ We have very old mules that still are wonderful in the mountains."

In fact, Roesch still has her 13.3-hand-high mule, JJ, 40, who shares a pasture with another mule, Charlie, 30. Her most unforgettable ride was almost 20 years ago, on JJ. It was one of their first endurance rides, over mountainous, woodsy terrain in Alabama, with lots of water to cross.

"It was a tough course and almost dark when we finally emerged from the woods, near the finish line," Roesch recalls. "Suddenly, dozens of fireflies swarmed around us, many by JJ’s ears and head. They sparkled magically, like in a child’s dream. I was so elated and happy to finish, I cried. Then and there, I promised him that I’d always take good care of him, like he’d taken care of me. Today, the kids braid his mane and tie ribbons in his forelock. Mules are fabulous partners for the trail and for life."

Versatility Personified

Californian Sue Flagg also enjoys competition on the trail with her mules. In 1999, she bought her first, Henri, who’s out of an Appaloosa mare, as a 2-year-old. In 2002, she entered several North American Trail Ride Conference events, placing well. The next year, the duo finished more than half of the hot, grueling Western States One Hundred Miles in One Day Endurance Ride (the Tevis Cup).

"Henri easily got over Cougar Rock, a difficult climb, and his pulse and respiration were excellent the entire time," Flagg reports. "But at 56 miles, he’d just had enough. And I had to listen to him." She notes that historically, mules have done well in the Tevis. In both 1974 and 1998, mules won the coveted Haggin Cup, awarded for the best-conditioned mount of the first 10 horse-and-rider teams to finish.

Flagg and Henri have also participated in an XP Ride, a five-day, 50-mile ride that runs from Nevada to California along the Pony Express Trail.

In 2005, Flagg showed her versatile mule in English pleasure classes at the famed Bishop, California, Mule Days Celebration; this year, Henri is also learning to drive. Today, Flagg owns four mules and says, "There’s nothing they can’t do!"

A Way of Life

The 35-year-old equestrian program at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California, was suffering from lack of interest. That is, until 2002, when a mule program debuted with trainer Steve Edwards. His comprehensive, week-long classes have been an unqualified success, drawing students and mule lovers from all over the country.

"Dr. Mark Drummond, the Chancellor of California Community Colleges, is a mule man and had a great idea," Edwards says. "We cover a lot of territory in the class and have lots of fun. Generally, I find that we need to train the rider, not the mule."

When he’s not teaching classes in California, giving mule clinics around the country, or filming his mule show for RFD-TV, Edwards and his wife, Susan, own Queen Valley Mule Ranch, southeast of Phoenix, Arizona. There, in the Sonoran Desert near the Superstition Mountains, Edwards trains mules exclusively, and has developed a tack line for them.

"There’s nothing more surefooted than a mule," the engaging trainer says. "I’ve packed groceries and freight to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and supplies for trail crews all over Yellowstone. A mule can go a lot longer on a lot less than a horse. I’ve been on the narrow, dizzying trails of the Grand Canyon when they were eight degrees and slick with ice, and when they were breathless and 125 degrees. They don’t use horses at the Grand Canyon — just mules — and they have a perfect record. For me, mules are a way of life."

Get Shopping!

Our mule lovers share some savvy tips for the mule buyer:

• Find a mentor. Seek out someone who’s owned and trained mules for the trail.

• Ride a mule. This is one of the best ways to see if a mule is for you.

• Take lessons. Especially if you’re new to mules, find a local trainer that specializes in "longears," and learn how to work with your mule, both on the ground and in the saddle.

• Evaluate temperament. Mules like people, so find one that’s gentle and people-friendly. You’ll want a mule with a good disposition to be your trail partner.

• Evaluate conformation. Good conformation is essential for longevity, soundness, and function.

• Negotiate a trial period. Most sellers will allow a buyer to take the mule home for a couple of weeks’ trial period. See how that particular animal fits into your life.

• Check tack fit. Whether riding, packing, or driving, make certain that your tack fits the mule without painful rubbing or pinching.

• Be consistent. When you find the mule of your dreams, be consistent, clear, and concise with your cues, and use lots of positive reinforcement. Train and handle your mule like a friend, and you’ll develop a lifelong bond with your special longear!