October  2004

  When people realize I own a mule the question I am most often asked is, “Are they really stubborn?” I usually quip, “They are less stubborn than some people I know” – but the question is a valid one. Mules have long been labeled as obstinate. People who think mules are groundlessly stubborn may be unacquainted with mules, may not admire their intuitive and peculiar qualities, or perhaps they just prefer not to work with this paradoxical hybrid.

  Sometimes, the reason for the stigma of a “stubborn mule” is that mules are compared to and expected to behave exactly like a horse. Mules often have unique motivations and reactions – which is the primary reason muleteers use some training strategies that differ from horsemen. A mule that appears to be acting stubbornly may simply need its trusted handler to gently and firmly insist on obedience. In the mule’s mind, this calm insistence verifies that the activity is safe and necessary. At other times, a mule is thought to be stubborn, when in reality it has not been properly trained or it honestly does not understand its handler’s request. It is foolish and even dangerous to expect a mule to perform
tasks that it has not been thoroughly trained to do.

 Mules are quite analytical about what is going on around them. A mule may be thought to be stubborn when it is faced with either a real or perceived danger. Mules tend to take care of themselves, avoiding hazards that we may have overlooked. Sometimes this self-preserving instinct leads a mule to disobey a request. When faced with a real hazard, such as an icy surface for example, a mule will probably step carefully and with purpose, no matter how much you urge the mule to increase its speed. The mule’s sure-footed attributes are very much part
of its mentality as well as physical ability. If a mule thinks it is in jeopardy
when there is no real danger, or if its handler shows a lack of confidence,
the mule may disobey, “spook”, “blow up”, or dig its heels into
the ground refusing to go forward – the classic stance of the proverbial
stubborn mule. This is where having a mule’s confidence is an asset.
Once the mule has trust in you as a competent friend, then you will be
Mules are quite analytical  more likely to elicit obedience. The mule will obey you based on previous experiences under your command that repeatedly resulted in positive outcomes.

  Perhaps the most dismissed reason a mule is uncooperative, is that it actually knows more than its handler. There are times when a well trained, seasoned mule, will resist the requests of his less perceptive or novice handler for a very good reason. The handler may then discovers his error much later and realizes his mule’s apprehension was warranted. As a muleteer becomes more experienced, he will learn to understand his mule’s communication, react appropriately to a so-called “stubborn mule”, and will achieve results that others find elusive.

Next Month: Wild Kingdom


Sophia Sarember is a trainer, writer, and “muleteer” living in Edgewood, NM. She can be reached at Mulegal@aol.com.