So we always had both horses and mules growing up. I personally kept one of each all my life. We mostly rode the mules hunting at night. In the early 90’s, my grandparents and all their friends decided to get in the “wagon train” biz. So the all went to building wagons, some rubber tire and some old school iron wheel. Then we went to breaking mules to pull. We would break them by hooking up to a heavy heavy plow, in a plowed field, and get after it. Once everything was broke, or in our case, green broke, everyone gathered at the same location and set out across the country. Most of the time us kids were on horses or mules as outriders. Been through many near death experiences on those highways. Scariest times were crossing bridges. They did not like that sound a bridge makes at all. Furthest i ever went was from graham tx to anadarko ok once. If I remember correctly it took a little over a week.
We would usually cover 15 miles a day.
We could take friends with us that had never rode and return them 1/2 azz cowboys after a week of that.

Never have had a mule and never will, but they are neat animals. They have a mule-jumping contest near here every year.

This is a neat book to read about going cross country with mules. They mention mules and bridges.

That’s a really cool experience I bet

I have always been intrigued by the business concept of the rented mule. Perhaps one day I will finally draft the business plan and seek venture funding.

that is worthwhile for sure

I bet that was a great experience.

I was 10 years old before I learned our pair of mules real names.

Up until then I always thought whoa and dammit

Bet y'all seen some crazy stuff...

Very cool story. My Grandad had mules when I was a kid. I learned to ride on them when I was about 5. A buddy and his wife have mules they do a lot of hard core trial riding on in Colorado and New Mexico. I went with them once and took my most broke sure footed Gelding, I learned pretty quick Mules are the way to go in rugged terrain.

^^^^^^^^^^
Probably up around pecos nm in that Santa Fe national forest. Terrero is one of the last towns you go thru.
I’ve ridden up there many times although never on a good broke mule or horse!
I always had to ride the green broke chit that would kill you.

That's funny. Reminds me of my good buddy and one of my Team Roping partners. He is a horse trainer and gives team roping lessons. He was always riding a roping horse he was starting or finishing for a customer. At this Thursday night jackpot his heel horse started bucking right out of the box. The announcer said, " I''ve never seen Ben Caviness ride a broke horse"

My Grand Dad considered himself a "Mule Trader". He always had at least two mules that he would sell or trade with other "Mule Traders". I was young but I remember he traded, sold, or bought many of the same mules over and over. The area he lived in had a small mule trading population, probably no more than three or four old timers that did it just for something to do. It was fun to go with him when he was in negotation for a mule.