mulesuk

Nector bee..... Well i have been envying you lot for a longtime with your smugness in having mules...knowing something the rest of us horseowners haven't quite got

She has only been with me for a few weeks and already has proven to be an amazing personality with true courage and boldness which i adore with a passion... having watched 'extreme mules' i am thinking i may have found my very own little one...

I had to move paddocks 3 or so miles away so i did ride and lead again of the spotty.. we had to go past numerous obstacles, not to mention its hay harvesting time... with combines and tractors coming round corners every five minutes and having to jump in the hedge LOL or squeeze on past at a trot... Then across a busy motorway bridge with traffic whizzing buy, dogs barking, tooting, motorbikes zooming, She takes it all in her stride.. behind my spotty by my knee... she is truly amazing for a 2 year old.....she just loves to be out and about...

Well in the new paddock a huge whole has been dug due to flooding.. at first it was dry so she would run in and out while the other horse's stood outside watching... then the huge mudpile on the outside she likes to stand on top of, skid down or actually lay down and roll!!!! i swear it is the funniest thing ever...... Then with all the heavy rain last night the hole filled up with water and guess who has to investigate when all the horses were running away.... yep... nector bee... one foot in, then two and before you know it she is splashing away in this water hole.... and i thought mules weren't water proof??? The spotty was looking horrified... LOL... my friend got some video so i hope she puts it on you tube...

but it got me thinking... do mules swim.... I can't wait til she is old enought to ride she is so bold and curious and ready to do stuff and i can now pick out all of her feet without tying her up and just saying 'up' she is soooooo quick....... I am waiting for the honeymoon to end........

It's Donkeys that aren't waterproof (So the donkey people say,mine don't seem to bother )
They used to swim the rivers fully packed for the Chinditze
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8p8U ... t&resnum=5

best I could find (Can't find the one of the Mule jumping off the high dive board

I don't know about actually swimming, but my little mule always puts both front legs in the water tub and paws furiously. She doesn't mind the water splashing all over her.
I don't have any water containers big enough that she could get completely into, but I suspect she would if she could!

YES THEY SWIM!
2007 I was in Brazil studying the Pega Donkey, Brazil's indigenous donkey is naturally gaited and they breed wonderful saddle mules that are perfect for wrangling steers. All the ranches I visited used only mules! In the last 10 years various ranchers have begun to make annual mule rides together to celebrate the old days when all South America was served by mule trains. They started the ride in Chile, Argentina, Brazil etc! I returned home to Spain with a set of 3 commiserative DVD's of one of the rides. On one of the discs their are scene's of the Peons/Cowboys/Gaucho's riding and driving their 30 odd mules across a river. I cannot say it looked like the mules enjoyed it, or it was well organized, and the filming/editing were not Hollywood, but it is great to be able to see it. Everything is in Portuguese!
The mule breeding ranch I stayed at is www.campeasdagameleira.com.br Their English is not brilliant but you might be able to buy copies of the DVD'd from them if you email in simple English!
The set are called "Os Tropeiros" DVD 2 called A TRAVESSIA, has the water crossing shots in it and the cover show this! it's 110 minutes long! It is hard to read but I think the film makers are at www.globo.com I hope this is useful for you. Good Luck.

Some nice donks Albie.
I also found this on You tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eJ2K7f-x4w

Genial, thanks for sharing the link