Can you ride Mules like a horse?

Question

Can you ride Mules like with an english saddle???

Like a horse???

How much different does it feel?

Answer 1

Yes they have them to ride down the grand canyon.

Answer 2

http://www.nasma.us/Versatility/index.ht...

Thats a cool website that helps show you the similarities.

English is just like horses.. however mules are much more flatter moving than horses, so posting can be more difficult because of less propulsion. Its something you have to ride to feel, but that the only difference I have noticed.  Now I'm used to riding mules hunt seat, so it isn't a problem, but in the beginning it was.

I ride a horse and think they are lame, *no offense to horse owners*, but mules are much smoother in gaits.  They don't stumble, they don't clip rocks etc.

PS, im a girl lol

Answer 3

Of course! A lady that boards at the same place as me has 2 mules and she rides them.

Answer 4

i dont recommend it...ppl ride mules,zebras,camels,elephants...just stick with a horse =]]

Answer 5

Of course!!!

Answer 6

Yes you can ride them just like a horse. I have never done it but if you look on youtube you can find a buch of mules jumping.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJFMSrsjs...

Answer 7

Yes, my former neighbor had mules an rode them all the time.  You need to check with a mule owner somewhere as I think you need a special breast collar as they aren't as stout as horses and you need to secure the saddle at more points.  They also have small mouths and different bit needs.  

Answer 8

well i have never ridden a mule but i don't see why they would be very different than a horse. but it is hard to fit a saddle to them.

Answer 9

Yes, you can ride a mule just like a horse with an English saddle.  In fact, mules can do everything that horses do.  Mules have even competed, and won, in grand prix jumping, grand prix dressage, and three day eventing.  Many people prefer mules because they are stronger and more rugged than horses, aren't as susceptible to as many diseases, have a better sense of balance, and mule enthusiasts often claim that they're more intelligent than horses.

Did you know that the first Great American Horse Race was held in celebration of the bicentennial in 1976.  The starting line was in Albany, New York and the finish line was in San Francisco, California.  To everyone's surprise, it was won by a mule!  This is very fitting, given that America's first President, George Washington, was so enamored of mules, that he even imported the best donkeys from overseas to breed the best mules.  He was perhaps the first person in America to heavily endorse the breeding and use of mules over horses.  

Of course, a lot of horse owners are dead set against mules because they have a reputation for being stubborn.  In actuality, it isn't that they're stubborn, it's just that they learn differently from horses, and so different training methods and techniques need to be applied.  Meredith Hodges is the most popular authority on breeding mules in the United States.  She has published several books and a DVD series devoted to training mules (or what she affectionately calls "long ears") for everything that horses can do.  I recommend you look into her training programs if you are serious about riding mules.   You may be able to find them at your local library, or you can watch her television series on RFDTV.

Answer 10

YES!!! So many people out there love them. I am not fond of them but hey to each their own. I know alot of people that have a mules with gaits and they cannot say enough good things about them. Just remember that a mule comes from a Jack *** and the mother is a horse of any breed. Jacks backs are flat and this can be passed on to the mule so not all saddles work. There is a guy on here named Mulereiner that can give you all the advice you need.  

Answer 11

Of course. Why wouldn't you be able to?

This lady events and does dressage with her mules-

http://www.luckythreeranch.com/index.htm...

Answer 12

Hi,

You can ride mules like a horse. I have ridden a mule and its a lot of fun.

One difference is the mules back doesn't slope down like the back of a horse does. Its kind of flat or even arched upwards. So it feels kind of funny, like you're perched upwards.

But you get used to that real quick. The mule I rode had a really nice, smooth trot and a great canter.

You can use any type of saddle you choose. Interestingly, mules have calmer dispositions than horses. That is why they ride them down into the grand canyon. I've also been told that the US Army used them to carry supplies because they were a lot less likely than a horse to freak out. A few years ago, there was a video on You Tube of a mule stomping a cougar to death. What would a horse do if attacked by a cougar? We all know the answer-get scared and run!

They do have mule racing and I believe some people even jump mules. There is a local mule & donkey association I went to the meeting and they talked about that.

I'm a horse person but someday if I get rich I might get myself a mule too.

David

http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.co...

Answer 13

yep

all mules can be ridden like any horse

ppl are actually trying to ban mules from shows cause they perform so well lol

they are really good trail animals

i have only ridden a mule once (ridden a very small donkey also)

they are a bit smarter (aka subborn)

they need to be worked with a lil different than horses only cause they are smarter

Answer 14

Yes.

Mules can be trained to do anything horses can, even jumping. They are harder to fit a saddle to than horses, because their topline is slightly different.

For fun, a couple picture of mules thanks to google

http://www.muletrader.ca/images/Jumping%... - mule jumping

http://www.dressagemules.com/images/smal... - another

http://www.plattecountyfair.com/2006imag... - really impressive jump

Answer 15

you can ride mules but i dont know about riding english you probally could