Progressive Mule Training

Progressive Mule Training Program

What is a progressive (stepped) program?
A program is a philosophy. It is a tradition. It is awareness. It is understanding what is a mule? What is naturally going to stimulate them and how are they going to respond?

Then, you’ve got to ask the human, “What is your responsibility here? What are you comfortable doing to help this animal be better?”
Do you have one that’s going to move fast and move away from you, or do you have one that’s going to crowd you? Do you know how to respond to these different conditions?” At my clinics, I get a lot of questions like, “Can you get him to stop doing “that”? But “that’s” not the real problem.

I don’t try to get an animal to stop doing something after they are already doing it. I go back to the foundation; I go back and fix the basic behaviors taught to the animal, because that is were the problem exists!

The basic behaviors in my Six Step Program
Nearly all problems that people have with their horse or mule are rooted in a weakness of one of these 6 basic behaviors:

1) BACK UP

2) SHOULDER YIELD, which result in the horse or mule having to switch from looking at you with one eye to the other.

3) WALK, TROT, LOPE IN A CIRCLE – not just any circle, a correct circle, with focus and attention.

4) YIELD HINDQUARTERS, stepping under the belly, in front of the pivoting leg.

5) STOP. STOP, COME IN, STAND AT YOUR SIDE, DROP HEAD

6. STAND STILL.

A “hole” in any of these steps can indicate a potential problem on the trail or performance ride. Take a few minutes before each ride to make sure each step is soft and fluid. Only when each step can be accomplished softly, fluidly, is your horse or mule ready to ride. Not only will he be ready to ride, he will be ready to excel, to be a pleasure in any situation!.