I got my boots and my hat. Ready to ride !

I have dreamt of cow boy boots for years. And I had perfect idea of what I wanted. The natural leather, and the blue of thoses stone I wear often, this blue that matches the sky here perfectly .

Got them this morning ! Soooo happy :-)

And the hat too. For some French people may think that cow boys hats are "folklore"... But after a few days here, walking with my dogs in the wind, the sun, driving with the unbearable light sometimes,  I can tell you that cow boy hat is not "just for the fun". It s really useful to protect your face here. 

My eyes and my brain are proudly westerner now !

So, I just have to find my ride then. Feel a bit lonely without a good four leg companion sometimes. And yes, I do dream of a strong, faithful, tender horse like my horse I loved so much in Switzerland when I was a teenager there.

But I have another dream too. One that would make most European horse people laugh shortsightedsly (does this word even slightly exist ? Not sure, but you probably see what I mean)

I want a Mule.

A big, clever, sure footed Mamooth Mule that would take me everywhere without a flinch of heart and would be my best friend for the next 40 years at least, in the south where I am heading.

How did I come to this idea of a Mule ?

In Fort Worth, two weeks ago , during the Saint Patrick's day parade, 

I spotted a huge dark mule, proudly taking the lead of the march,

and I fell immediately and profoundly in love with that animal.

I had never heard of "mammoth mule" before, but I immediately felt I had just found my perfect ride.

Mules are proud and clever animals, often mistaken as "difficult", when in fact they just have ... a  brain, nearly as good as ours, but wired differently, and more difficult to figure than horse's which is pretty basic in fact.

Don't get mistaken. 

I love horses. 

I can stop my breathing of emotion when I see a wonderful horse. I have that physical attraction that makes me slow on the road when I drive, just to catch a glimpse of a horse I feel "interesting" in a field.

and yes, God, a horse nearly killed me four years ago, and condemned me to a whole year in a bed with the threat of never be able to walk again normally... 

But even in my painful bed then, I still dreamt often I was again on the back of a horse, riding in the prairie,

This love is intact.

And here, I dream every day to be back on the saddle ...

But I want a Mule.

Do you know why ?

It s a because of the brain. And the behavior consequent to this difference of brain.

I love horses, and I know them well. And I know what all riders know, even with just a few hours of horseride experience : horse's first reflex, always, is the FLIGHT. 

Horses have been prey in the wild for so long, 

And their survival has depended so strictly from their ability to run away 

that "flee" is hard wired in their brain very deeply.

And even with the best education, and the best level of trust you can develop with your ride, 

a horse will always have this tendency to run away, or at least suddenly step back, when it gets frightened - and fright is easy in a horse, even if "heavy" and "cold blood" breed of horses have been developed to try to counter this deeply ingrained attitude.

And right now, with my fragile back, I simply cannot trust a horse that could make a brutal movement at any moment for anything, without any warning...

I want to ride, but I need to ride safely.

So, I want a mule.

Mules are different, thanks to their donkey ascendance.

You may know that donkeys come from desertic areas, often montainous, always dangerous to run through. So their brain has, since a long time, been wired very differently from the horse's, 

for in that environment, "run freely to save your life" would just end in accident and death.

So donkeys have, for a long time, learned to "think" before letting emotion take the control of their behavior suddenly. They "assess the situation" , and then decide on the best attitude to take in the situation they are facing. That s what make many donkey owners say their donkey is "more clever " than their horses. And that s also why, when you have horses and donkeys in a field, and they suddenly take a fright, you see the horses depart long before the donkey decide to take the same way.

A horse is "emotional" ( and it's part of the fascination we have for this wonderful animal. A good rider, a good horseman, is someone able to calm this emotional temperament - and a good horse, a beautiful ride, is a horse who has learned to master his emotion and trust his rider with a "I trust you because you know better than me" thought most of the time)

A donkey is "rational" (and they learn quickly and never forget, for this has been part of their survival. Ask a donkey owner of the torture it is to get a donkey in a trailer once he has set his mind to the idea it s dangerous and he does not want to step inside. Even twenty years after a bad experience, a donkey will nearly break the will of every human if he decide NOT to do something)

He takes that glimpse of a moment to think things, and choose the right attitude . Fear and flight is not their first reflex. And that make them much easier rides (see in the poor countries where everyone in the family rides the donkey, including the kids, but none would even set themselves on a horse back for they know they are not "riders")

And a mule , partly horse and partly donkey, generally has, when you take a good one, this ability of the donkey to "think before he or she reacts"

A mule won't suddenly step away in a fury because a poor plastic tube on the floor (horse brain : Snake ! Run !) or a large stone on the side of the trail (horse brain : Moving Shadow ! Predator ! Run !). 

A mule will have that first "thought" " okay, don t run, it s dangerous to run out of fear. Think. What is it ? look, understand. now act. And remember !)

That s also why donkeys and mulse are often good guardians, able to protect sheeps or poultry from predators - they don t have a "prey brain" prominent in their behavior, and they can go to protectiv behavior easily, when very seldom horses do.

Ever seen on Internet these image of a mule attacking a mountain lion that was threatening his owner ? It s impressive, for you can really see the mule goes voluntarily into the fight. And in France donkeys have been used for a long time to work with sheeps and help the shepherd know when something was threatening.

So, knowing all that,

Still loving the horses deeply to the bottom of my heart,

I want a Mule.

A big hearted, clever, funny Mule (yep, funny. Donkeys and mules have a huge sense of humor, if they have the chance to have around them humans who like to develop this ability in their behavior  !) 

with big bones, sure feet, and this soft nose that looks for your shoulder with confidence to breathe soft smells of hay in your neck with tenderness...

Now ? Well, not really, for my trailer is sure large, but would probably not fit the mule of my dreams for my road trip. 

Later. In a few months, when I will have settled on my land.

But if you have in your environment this mule, and happen to know she or he is looking for it's next owner.... Let me know ! I know he or she is waiting for me so where, just have to find him or her now...