Mule saddle

Talk about Horses and Mules.
pegleg
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Re: Mule saddle

Postby pegleg » Sun Mar 26, 2017 10:29 am

I'm not advocating it. But I know a ok boy who rides in as rough a country as there is and only uses a homemade cruper. That mules calloused up enough it doesnt seem to affect it anymore. Its made of odds and ends with a old D ring sticking out of the top and wrapped in inner tube. For all I know it could be barb wire or a chunk of chain. I followed them around for a few months and it was convincing enough I offered him twice the going price for the mule but he kept turning me down. Probably just as well. That mule might of soured real bad if you treated it decent. He is quite the talent at riding in the bed of the pick up though. The old man said he jumped out once and went over the side of a ravine end over end and has never come out of a pick up unless asked again accidental or otherwise. He ropes off of him a good deal but the mule isn't above wrapping himself up in the brush on a bigger animal. It most likely comes from their habit of tying the rank ones to a tree for a few days. It doesn't take much before that mule decided ones rank and starts crabbing towards the nearest piece of wood. For all the side stepping he does then he won't even begin to consider sidepassing to open or close a gate.
lmorgan
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Re: Mule saddle

Postby lmorgan » Wed Mar 29, 2017 11:17 am

I never had a problem with my crupper making my mule sore. The most I've ever ridden him all day was 10 days in a row in some pretty steep and slippery country. He never had a problem with the crupper, but it was a well made crupper and it was adjusted properly. I still agree that a britchin is the best option all around.

Mike your story about the horses tied out behind the bar brings to mind the time back in the early 90s we went TDY to an old missile test site in Oro Grande, NM. We decided to "commandeer" the government truck and sneak off to town. Well, there ain't no town except El Paso, about 80 miles one way and Alamogordo about 50 another or right back through the missile range and that wasn't an option. Luckily, we did find this little dive in the desert that looked like a good place to get shot or stabbed. We saw a little sign in the parking lot with an arrow that indicated the "Oro Grande National Forest", so we decided to park in the woods out back. The National Forest was a single little cotton wood sapling with a picket fence around it and an official looking NFS sign. But we just "hid" the truck anyway and wandered on it. We even managed to get out without a bar fight. The locals were friendly.
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dwalton
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Re: Mule saddle

Postby dwalton » Wed Mar 29, 2017 1:22 pm

'89 to 2005 I packed a group of elk hunters into Frank Church wilderness for elk. I used mostly mules for riding and packing but had a couple of good horses one of the best was a Fox Trotter mare. Mules are a lot harder to fit a saddle on for sure my best saddle was a Fred Hook mule saddle with center fire rigging that dropped down. I rode both breeches and cruppers on all my animals ridding and packing. We had a long down grade going out every fall and watching the mules go down hill they always tucked their hid legs under them to go down steep grades and saddles would slide ahead. I have seen some packers get off to tighten the breeches on long steep grades a good crupper there was no need. I liked fast traveling mules mostly Apps and thoroughbred mules with high weathers and slab sided which may of been a little harder to fit a saddle to. A good mule is hard to beat in the rough country. When you buy a mule you buy a good disposition the others you don't want. Dewey
Mike Leonard
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Re: Mule saddle

Postby Mike Leonard » Thu Mar 30, 2017 12:33 pm

Dewey,

I had a Fred Hook saddle for awhile and really liked it but sold it to a guy who had a mule it fit better. You can't beat them for function and light weight. I am surprised more hunters who ride don't use them. Larry and I have been kicking around skeletonized cavalry type hunting saddles for years. I have even used some Aussie types with horns that were very satisfactory for hunting. Sure I have my heavy Wades and stock saddles for roping and cow work but you just don't need all that weight and bulk for hunting or general back country trail work.
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pegleg
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Re: Mule saddle

Postby pegleg » Sat Apr 01, 2017 3:20 am

I found a light weight saddle I've been using a lot. It isn't anything to brag up or show off. But it fits nearly anything I just carry two different high quality saddle pads of different designs and chose one for the mount and it's worked well on a huge number of mounts. I dont rope anything meaner then a suckling calf or rope broke horse. But between my backside and the miles or horses they don't sore up. I'm sure I'll run into something it doesn't fit eventually but it does make a nice light weight hunting rigg. I upgraded all the cinches and D rings. And you could probably break the tree or horn it would stay strapped on which just leaves you the choice of being in it or not.
funstuff
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Re: Mule saddle

Postby funstuff » Thu Apr 06, 2017 1:09 pm

I've used a Colorado mule saddle that I was comfortable in, but not one mule I used It on. Had 2 Steve Edwards mule saddles that actually fit every mule I tried them on, but they were only ok for my comfort. I use a breechin just cuz of all the steep where I ride.

Been lookin for a new one, and I'll have to check out the Fred hook. Anyone ever try a McCall mule?
Dan Edwards
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Re: Mule saddle

Postby Dan Edwards » Thu Apr 06, 2017 1:12 pm

Them Colorado saddles will not fit a mule. I bought got kilt on several occasions cuz one of them damn things.
pegleg
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Re: Mule saddle

Postby pegleg » Fri Apr 07, 2017 1:55 am

Maybe someone else has some experience. But one thing I've thought about is the Mexican stock saddles. There's several maker's of course. I own a couple but don't use them much for a few reasons such as the extreme bear trap style swells and the small 14" size compounds the clostrophobic feeling. But I did spend two weeks in a specially made 15 1/2 inch one and couldn't fault it beyond personal taste. And they don't put any rock in the bar's. I've taken a heap of them apart for repairs and just general interest. They have several advantages over American saddles and some serious flaws occasionally. They seem to all use the same patterns so new fenders etc. Are sold in many stores that will match very well. The big problems I've seen are probably due to the handmade nature of these saddles and the speed They re produced. Out of square poor rawhiding etc. But it's usually only one thing per saddle and you can't tell with out really looking.
They are fairly light real tough and inexpensive and appear to fit mules or flatbacked horses best. They do sore some types of horse badly but like I said most mules seem not to have this problem.

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