Stubborn as a.... Human!

Shock horror! My human is definitely a mule..... I have long suspected that FH exhibits mule-like tendencies but today confirmed it.

FH has been rather busy preparing for muletide and with a lack of time paired with my beautiful mud pack she decided that riding was out of the question but understood that I needed to do something so got my going out gear on and we set out for a walk.

We got out the gate and I wanted to go left and she wanted to go right..... hmmmm.  Would you believe it muleteers, FH had an almighty 'Mule Moment'.  Oh My Mule was she not impressed when I told her it was my turn to choose where we were going!

FH can be mighty stubborn when she wants to be, try as I did to stomp my petite hooves and swish my tail and urge FH left she planted, glared at me and said we were going her way or no way. I think FH may not actually be stubborn but may be thoughtful and using her 'self preservation' like us mules, hmm maybe she knows something I don't?

Chill FH, no problems, I'm coming.....

Off we set but FH was not happy with just walking today, apparently I was supposed to be training her, well OK I can do that!

It would appear that when walking with my human I should be entirely captivated by their every movement and should mirror FH like we are dancing.  Well that was easy, I followed FH and she couldn't catch me out by stopping suddenly and turning like a mad thing, I even managed not to stand on her toes, bump in to her or make the rope have tension in it - aren't I clever?!

Then FH thought she would be clever and try this mirror game in trot and canter (hah you should've seen how red in the face she was!!), well as before I was perfecto!  I stopped immediately when FH did and trotted when she blew me kisses, really FH is that all you can manage??

Then it was time to do the boring game that I really don't like, this one involves standing still for a really long time (think FH needed the rest after trotting up a steep hill!). Apparently your human should stand still where you place it, there should be no tension in the rope and we should both stand and shoot the breeze without fidgeting.  Well muleteers I was made for relaxing... I can do this chill out thing for ages, no fidgeting, no ants in my pants ;-)  FH did pretty well, I was impressed at her obedience, next time we'll see if she can leave the camera alone, here she is looking very smug!


FH then started the placing my feet game, this is where we use lines on the ground or objects that I have to place my hooves on perfectly, it's up to FH to make sure I am exactly where I should be.  The workmen have been re-surfacing the road so there are lots of new bits of tarmac.... thanks for that!  FH used lots of them as markers on the road for me to step up to and around.








This one was a little more exciting, someone had put this two toned brick in the lane, FH decided I should put one hoof on one colour and the other on the other, simple!  It was a little bit rocky though.... oh well, no match for mule hooves.

After a good long while of playing games with FH I decided it was time to just walk and relax, we even had some snacks on the way, have to say the hedges are getting pretty desperate these days, the leaves are nearly all gone and there are only meagre pickings for such a growing girl as me..

Finally it was time to go home.  And would you believe it..... FH decided that we could go left this time!  See I told you, definitely a mule masquerading as a human!  FH only took me to inspect the neighbourhood trash heap, charmed...  FH did explain that these are actually sandbags masquerading as trash bags, ready for the next flood FH and I are both a little confused about their disguise, it looks a little odd?  Anyway next time I pass I have no excuse for jumping at the trash mound as I know what it is, like I would've done anyway? Think it was FH that needed to check it out but she always likes to blame these things on me.

Gosh Muleteers, I can tell you that training humans is extremely hard work, especially when they are as opinionated as FH, someone once told me that mules choose humans that remind them of themselves, hmmm I must consider this further....