Our Philosophy
"Bill Dorrance saw that subtlety was nearly always a more effective tool than force, but he realized that subtlety was a hard tool to exercise if you believe, as most people do, that you are superior to the horse. There was no dominance in the way Dorrance rode, or in what he taught, only partnership. To the exalted horsemanship of the vaquero -- the Spanish cowboy of 18th-century California -- he brought an exalted humanity, whose highest expression is faith in the willingness of the horse." - The Rural Life by Verlyn Klinkenborg
We love this quote and feel that is explains our philosophy with working with horses and mules. It is extremely important how the mule feels about what we are doing with him; we want the mules to feel good about what we do and have found that by addressing any worry the mule has initially, we find a more calm and relaxed mule, a trusting partner, and floppy eared mule.
Why mules? We choose mules as the #1 trail mount because they have a strong sense of self-preservation, are surefooted in rough terrain, are hardy with their hybrid vigor, and last but not least, their personalities!