(Click photo for larger view)
There were several others, I just couldn't get them all in the shot.
Taken Sept 07 at the horse lots, just west of the Pampa city limits.
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Originally posted September 12, 2008.
UPDATE: I had forgotten this post and photo; I really need to get back out there to check on "my" mules. I got to "know" these mules fairly well in the half-dozen or so times I was out there then.
The two smaller mules on the left have been photographed and been the subjects of several other posts in this blog. They are a pair of females that pulled a wagon and sometimes could be seen in parades here in town. They always were together and when one moved, so did the other. They weren't as tame as some of the others, but would come up to me and let me feed them unsaleable apples or vegetables I had convinced the produce mgr. of a local grocery to give me. The way they moved and always in the same order convinced me that must be the exact same way they were harnessed to the wagon. I called them "Sally" and "Sadie", seemed appropriate.
The next mule was always a little standoffish and didn't like taking the fruit out of my hand but would eat it if I pitched it over to him. He, like the two mentioned above, didn't like me touching them. I named him "Shiloh". (shortened to "Shy")
The brown mule wasn't affectionate, but he would eat the produce out of my hand. Most mules looked sad, but he especially did. He also had the largest ears of any creature I've ever seen in person. He looked like a "Luke" to me.
The big mule on the right was my favorite; the owners had told me what her name was (which I forgot), but I called her "Molly". I don't know why I named her that, I've only known one Molly in my entire life and she wasn't mule-faced or particularly stubborn. She was a sweet old thing (the mule, not the girl I knew named Molly), enjoyed the treats I'd bring her and liked being patted on the jaw or neck. To be honest, I don't know if she liked the affection or just suffered my pats because of the attention I gave her.
I felt sorry for all of them and for almost all the rest of the animals out there. These mules aren't neglected as were many of the other animals, the other mules, the pigs, goats and horses. These were fed well enough it looked, but I always shuddered at the condition of the pens. The owners did a fair job of keeping the waste shoveled out, but I still thought it not healthy for them to have to stand on damp ground.
I love dogs and would like to have one, especially a large one, but town is no place for a larger breed. They need room to run and I'd think a mule would be the same. I don't know how intelligent a mule is, but I'd think they're smart enough to need some mental stimulation and enough acreage to roam. They definitely need some grass to graze.
I know I've bored people with my dreams of winning the lottery and what I might buy with the money, but if/when I ever did win and got a small ranch, these mules would be the first thing I'd try to buy. I don't know why I got so attached to them, but I do know one of the reasons I quit going out there and "visiting" with them...I felt so sorry for them. Like I said, they're not being mistreated, but they certainly deserve a better life than to be cooped up in a small pen like that.
There were several others, I just couldn't get them all in the shot.
Taken Sept 07 at the horse lots, just west of the Pampa city limits.
--------
Originally posted September 12, 2008.
UPDATE: I had forgotten this post and photo; I really need to get back out there to check on "my" mules. I got to "know" these mules fairly well in the half-dozen or so times I was out there then.
The two smaller mules on the left have been photographed and been the subjects of several other posts in this blog. They are a pair of females that pulled a wagon and sometimes could be seen in parades here in town. They always were together and when one moved, so did the other. They weren't as tame as some of the others, but would come up to me and let me feed them unsaleable apples or vegetables I had convinced the produce mgr. of a local grocery to give me. The way they moved and always in the same order convinced me that must be the exact same way they were harnessed to the wagon. I called them "Sally" and "Sadie", seemed appropriate.
The next mule was always a little standoffish and didn't like taking the fruit out of my hand but would eat it if I pitched it over to him. He, like the two mentioned above, didn't like me touching them. I named him "Shiloh". (shortened to "Shy")
The brown mule wasn't affectionate, but he would eat the produce out of my hand. Most mules looked sad, but he especially did. He also had the largest ears of any creature I've ever seen in person. He looked like a "Luke" to me.
The big mule on the right was my favorite; the owners had told me what her name was (which I forgot), but I called her "Molly". I don't know why I named her that, I've only known one Molly in my entire life and she wasn't mule-faced or particularly stubborn. She was a sweet old thing (the mule, not the girl I knew named Molly), enjoyed the treats I'd bring her and liked being patted on the jaw or neck. To be honest, I don't know if she liked the affection or just suffered my pats because of the attention I gave her.
I felt sorry for all of them and for almost all the rest of the animals out there. These mules aren't neglected as were many of the other animals, the other mules, the pigs, goats and horses. These were fed well enough it looked, but I always shuddered at the condition of the pens. The owners did a fair job of keeping the waste shoveled out, but I still thought it not healthy for them to have to stand on damp ground.
I love dogs and would like to have one, especially a large one, but town is no place for a larger breed. They need room to run and I'd think a mule would be the same. I don't know how intelligent a mule is, but I'd think they're smart enough to need some mental stimulation and enough acreage to roam. They definitely need some grass to graze.
I know I've bored people with my dreams of winning the lottery and what I might buy with the money, but if/when I ever did win and got a small ranch, these mules would be the first thing I'd try to buy. I don't know why I got so attached to them, but I do know one of the reasons I quit going out there and "visiting" with them...I felt so sorry for them. Like I said, they're not being mistreated, but they certainly deserve a better life than to be cooped up in a small pen like that.
