not a mule fan for Sure now!! long....

chewie · #1 05/27/12, 07:28 PM

dh brought home a friends mules for a family thing, that didn't happen, so here were these mules, and he was going to drive them back to friends house, 12 miles away. he made some calls, but is bummed, 'no one will go in the wagon with me'. so I said, ok, I'll go with you. (I'm not a big wagon fan)

I got our water, he got them hitched. that in itself was an event. geesh, they would keep facing each other. (these are draft mollies, 7yo, ain't drove since last fall and not much before that anyhow) 45 mins of hard labor, there, ready to go. hmm, says I, I'll walk for a bit first. half mile later I hop in. they are going ok, but a bit fast. a bit high strung. "they'll settle in a bit". so we go on, and a mile or so later, they started to settle. the right one, sally, more so than the lefty, sue.

we're going on this dirt road, winding and hilly. having a dandy time, I'm loving having hubs all to myself and its a perfect day. laughing, joking. had to stop a coupla times as this harness outfit hasn't been used on this team before, so doing some adjustments etc. they do NOT like to stand. AT ALL. sue is also getting a bit more high headed. I'm kinda not feeling great, but he's saying all's fine. going up a big hill, then it leveled out, and then....

they took off at a dead run, full out. ohMY. I screamed and he starts doing some serious mule-driving. a sharp left into the ditch, this 4wheel wagon is tipped so far that I'm hanging onto the side, I am in deep fear, this wagon feels its going over on me. mules are still going full tilt. he's doing all he can, yelling at me to hang on. (like I wasn't???!) after they went what felt like 20 miles (probably less than a mile) they started slowing a tad, but a hairpin curve is coming, nothing but barbed fences around it.

hubs manages to pull them HARD to the left, bending over a corner post as we cornered it. a full circle into the fence, they 'bounced' on it a bit but stopped. the fence squealed as the mules hit it. I jump out faster than lightning, grabbed my water and said no more, no way. he says they'll be fine now, 'something' (on the bridle) was caught. no thanks, see ya at home.

I walked til a neighbor found me and took me home. hubs called and said that next hill (minutes after this mess), they took off again, and were going even faster, downhill now, broke the tugs and other parts, and finally stopped as sue fell to her knees in a deep ditch.

truly, no other way to see this than divine intervention. period. the others he wanted to come along were little or old. my own kids were at friends' houses. no cars were coming over the hill when they were out of control and the wagon didn't flip even when it ran over a tree stump. praise the Lord.

and I will NOT be dealing with mules again.

tinknal · #2 05/27/12, 07:34 PM

Ever notice that when someone gets shot that folks blame the gun?

arabian knight · #3 05/27/12, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

Ever notice that when someone gets shot that folks blame the gun?

Ya really
And I can't think of any animal that after not doing something form 3/4 of a year is going to pick up right where they left off months ago either. Geesh.,

gone-a-milkin · #4 05/27/12, 07:45 PM

Oh, how unfortunate.

That silly husband of yours did numerous things incorrectly there.
Luckily you will both live another day to learn from his errors.

Too bad it has soured you on mules entirely. They can really be a lot of fun.

Thank goodness noone was hurt! Whew.
.

SFM in KY · #5 05/27/12, 07:53 PM

Reminds me of every spring at the ranch. Saddle horses were turned out over the winter so when calving started in the spring, you brought them in and started riding. You expected to get bucked off at least once ... if not more ... but if you were lucky you got half a dozen rides on them and they settled down again for the summer work. Most of these weren't green horses either, they were horses that had several years of spring/summer/fall riding behind them. But after a winter of not working, they really did tend to object.

Our draft team worked all winter, so we didn't have that problem with them, but there aren't a lot of horses or mules either that can be turned out and not worked for 6 months or more and be saddled or harnessed and worked without trouble.

FarmboyBill · #6 05/27/12, 07:57 PM

I guess I got soured at an early age, and the remembernce of it, and really, ive forgotten exactly what all happened, But its imprented on me. NEVER TRUST MULES. They is good ones, no doubt, But the few bad ones spoil it for the rest.

salmonslayer · #7 05/27/12, 07:57 PM

Sounds like great memories were made to me..I usually only remember the exhilarating things!

Cliff · #8 05/27/12, 07:59 PM

Yes hate to say it was the human's fault not the mules

And just think how much worse it could've been with horses.

Glad everyone is ok.

Maura · #9 05/27/12, 09:06 PM

It's a good thing that horses never act this way. Never take off unexpectedly, never refuse to whoa, don't need a brake on the wheel,...

arabian knight · #10 05/27/12, 09:23 PM

Here are professional trained Arabian show horses in a driving class that Absolutely Goes Wrong.~! A huge wreck.

Alice In TX/MO · #11 05/27/12, 09:30 PM

You guys are very very very lucky.

CesumPec · #12 05/27/12, 09:44 PM

Thanks for posting that video. My wife spends a lot of time in a show ring, often with fairly green riders and horses.

The OP's mule experience and the video demonstrate the importance of having a disaster plan in place when ever working with livestock. It doesn't matter how well trained and friendly the beast may be, pig, bull, show horse, mule, goat, things go wrong and they can hurt you.

fatrat · #13 05/27/12, 09:55 PM

Wow! I can't imagine that no cars came along! That sounds like you all are lucky to still be alive. If the traffic on that road had been anything normal you all might not be with us today nor would the drivers or passengers of the automobiles that you might have met that day. Gosh that sounds scary, runaway mules with a wagon on a public road! I love the idea of having draft animals but that sort of thing is just the reason I prefer tractors. Tractors are dangerous to but at least they don't have a mind of their own.

Common Tator · #14 05/27/12, 10:43 PM

I'm so glad that you are both alright! That was terrifying!

chewie · #15 05/27/12, 11:08 PM

it was horrible. and no, not saying horses don't pull this junk either, I am more thinking to not go near THESE mules. they have done tons of stuff, parades, traffic, etc. more than I first knew, which actually made today's ride even worse, they do know better. and we've had plenty of horses that might be a bit jumpy but not pull that much baloney even after a year off. this set of mules was the most pigheaded creatures I've dealt with in a long time.

that video was horrible. that's what it 'felt' like today! I hope that one horse towards the end is ok, he looked like he may have gotten hurt pretty badly.

apparently there also was a serious malfuntion of the bridle, somethign got hooked? I have no idea why that wagon didn't flip.

I will gladly get in the cart with my little black mare, and the other team of mules, but not this team again!

and yeah, in a few months it'll be a grand adventure story, but right now, no, too fresh~!

wogglebug · #16 05/28/12, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinknal

the gun?

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewie

I will NOT be dealing with mules again.

That seems a shame. I'm told they're delicious.

Cliff · #17 05/28/12, 06:31 AM

Your intuition was telling you not to get in that wagon, you should've listened

Women are awesome with the intuition thing, men not so much usually. I don't think intuition should ever be ignored. I am so glad that your kids weren't with you guys.

Minelson · #18 05/28/12, 07:52 AM

Oh my gosh Chewie~! I'm so glad you are ok and nobody got hurt...I have to say though I was giggling through the whole story and still chuckling now. I can just picture it. And your hubby keep saying they will settle now.Jeesh! Your hubby is a brave man.

MO_cows · #19 05/28/12, 08:05 AM

Glad everyone is OK. Your hubs made a bad decision. Mules not worked in months, harness and tack not fitted and working right, etc. Sounds like he has a lot of cowboy in him, times like this you want to strangle them but other times that git er done attitude is invaluable.

tinknal · #20 05/28/12, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MO_cows

Glad everyone is OK. Your hubs made a bad decision. Mules not worked in months, harness and tack not fitted and working right, etc. Sounds like he has a lot of cowboy in him, times like this you want to strangle them but other times that git er done attitude is invaluable.

Been there, did dat! LOL

One time we were working a young draft team. Crappy harness, old hay wagon, seat was an old recliner, not attached (this is important). Bunch of people on board.

We were going down a hill with a curve to a creek crossing. Lots of poplar trees along the trail. One of the hold-backs on the harness broke, the wagon jumped forward, hits the team in the rear, and the feces hit the oscillating device.........

Everyone else was able to bail off, but I was deep in the dang Lazy Boy flying down hill. Hit the trees in pile of broken timber, harness, 8 flailing hooves, double tree, wagon tongue, and one occupied recliner that was launched in to the mess from the wagon.

Miracle that neither the horses or I were seriously hurt.