Discipline? Do mules hold a grudge?

Today I was talking to a friend of mine and we were discussing her donkeys.  She was concerned that if she disciplines them, are they smart enough to hold a grudge?  Well....   Of course I have to add my two cents as I have a lot of opinions on this matter.  I feel that it is like anything else... what are your credentials?  If I were to tell you that you are running your business the wrong way and proceeded to give you advice, your first questions should be "what are your credentials?"  Why should you think anything I say is good advice, unless I am an expert on running businesses.  Well, equines are the same way.  This is even more so with mules and donkeys.  When you discipline, you are essentially giving your mule advice on how to act.  Discipline is absolutely necessary in training and developing a relationship with your mule.  There are many forms of discipline and we can touch on that later, however, discipline is essential to creating a trusting relationship. 

When you are catching your mule and you put your halter on your mule... that is when you need to expect that your mule behave properly and lead to the location of your choice.  This is done through discipline and it the first step in your training day.  When you lead your mule, he should follow you out.   If he chooses to stop and eat, or pull away from you, you need to discipline.  If he wants to eat on the way to work, it is your responsiblity to make him stop eating and continue on your way.   If you allow him to stop and eat on the way to work, you are allowing the mule to be the alpha and in charge of decisions.  This may not seem like a big deal, however, it is the BASIS of everything you choose to do with your mule.  When you allow him to make the choices, your telling him that the advice on how to act is his choice, not yours!  This responsibility on how to act is a big deal to your mule.  This puts a lot of stress on your mule because he realizes he is the one who is in charge of not only when he can choose to graze, but staying safe and alive suddenly becomes his responsibility too.  Remember, we need to instill confidence in our animals so that they don't spook, run off, or become herd bound.  This confidence comes from our discipline in telling our mules that we are in charge... and will protect them.  This needs to be consistent in building a trusting relationship.  They may want to graze right then, but by stopping them and moving on, you are telling your mule that you are in charge of the choices and we are not eating right now, we are going to work.  It is a very simple concept that is the primary most important factor in training and creating trust between you and your mule, donkey or horse. Give your equine good advice and back it up with everything you do with them... and they will thank you for it...

Ride like the wind, my friends!!  Julie