Here at Funny Farm Mustangs, while wild horses and burros are our main priority, we do have other animals that permanently reside with Rio and George and we always try to have fun with the animals. Nothing can be more fun than watching, petting and riding big Bertha, our 17.2 hand Missouri red mule. She is 17 years old. She is an incredible animal and probably the smartest of all equine at the Funny Farm! Mules have such a superior intelligence that many people mistaken this for stubbornness or being “stupid” when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Their level of self-preservation/protection is so high that they will walk well out of their way to find the safest path down a mountain slope or through rough terrain. This we have seen and rode first hand.
A great example can be seen if you ever take a trip to the Grand Canyon and make the journey down to the bottom of the canyon. It takes about 7 hours and it is done on Mules, not horses. The reason for this is that about half way down, the wranglers stop everyone and have lunch. They instruct the folks to turn their mules’ head facing over the cliff of the canyon! The reason…their self protection is such that regardless of what is behind them happening, they will never move forward, unlike a horse that if not properly desensitized and trained, could very easily spook and leap forward.
Bertha’s Gallery:
