A Mule. Really?

Steve and I went up to the Lake George area to go on a western trail ride with my mother and one of her friends.  It seems like it has become a tradition of my mother and I to go for a ride when the leaves are changing up in the mountains.  This Sunday is Steve and I's 1st year wedding anniversary so it worked double time to be able to head to the mountains for a nice ride.

Them are big ears!

Once we paid for our ride the four of us headed over to the corral to be assigned our horse.  They usually have one guide leading and then another following, we had a young man in his early twenties, I would guess, leading the ride and another, older cowboy, that would be following up the rear.  We were assigned our horses as the cowboy rattled off the names; I was to ride Bertha.  Uh-oh.  I feared the worst and it was true, I was assigned a mule.  Now I have nothing against mules but I prefer a horse for a horseback trail ride.  The ride began and I realized one of the only charming things about Bertha were her big ears.  She was content to just plod along slowly, backing up the line of horses and ignoring my every effort to entice her into a more moderate pace. 

Mom on a beautiful Haflinger

The day was nice and warm with cool breezes, a bright blue sky accented with dark green piney mountains and golden aspens.  Throughout the whole ride I was kicking and prodding the stubborn mule, to get her to walk faster than a snails pace.  Eventually I resorted to tapping her with the ends of the long reins to get her to move forward, begrudgingly of course and only for a few paces.  Oh what a pain!  I think I've been spoiled with Arabians or at least forward horses in general.  I could never stand to own a horse that doesn't want to move onwards! 

Steve getting set on his mount

The ride was only an hour and I think everyone had fun aside from me being irritated at an unresponsive equine.  We hugged my mother goodbye and headed on to some other mountain fun to celebrate our anniversary.  At least tomorrow I get to ride my sweet Willy!