*SEI-certified equestrian helmets are highly recommended
for all participants, and required for those under 18 years old. 

Would you like to learn to communicate with your friend the mule?  

Trail Riding with Confidence

The Art of Communication is a two day clinic, Saturday and Sunday, with a Friday Night Symposium that is free and open to everyone.  Steve Edwards will teach you how to communicate with your mule from the saddle and on the ground.  You will learn to communicate with your voice, hands, legs, and your weight. 

Ground skills-- how to catch your mule, how to halter, leading your mule, how to ask the mule to pick up the hooves, move over, back up, go forward, stop.

Getting ready to ride-- grooming, picking up the feet, saddle fit and where to position the saddle, adjusting saddle for leg communication, britchen and breast collar fit, bridling and biting, how to mount and dismount, how to get your mule to stand quiet.

Learn how to communicate-- with your voice, with your hands, with your legs, with your seat in the saddle, asking, telling and demanding.

Using your communication skills to-- back up, side pass, step, walk, trot, lope, stop, turn on forehand, and turn on hindquarters..

Friday Night Symposium:  Free to the public.  Bring your family and friends!  This is an opportunity to visit personally with Steve Edwards.  He will talk with participants so that he can gear the clinic to the needs of the mules and owners. 

Saturday:  Clinic 9:00 A.M. - 12 noon, break for lunch, 1:00 - 5:00 P.M.
In the morning Steve will address the needs and problems participants spoke about at the Friday Evening Symposium.  Later that morning he will talk about ground communication skills.  Lunch time everyone will sit and visit about what training has been covered so far and what will be covered later.  The afternoon session starts with getting ready to ride skills. Steve will demonstrate how to use your voice, hands, legs, and seat to communicate with your mule.  Everyone will then practice these skills in the arena with their mules. 

Sunday:  Cowboy Church at 9:00 A.M.  Everyone welcome! Steve has COWBOY CHURCH at every clinic. If you sing or play an instrument we would like to invite you to be part of the service.  Please contact Steve. Clinic 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. In the morning Steve will go over skills taught on Saturday to refresh everyone's memory and will answer any questions.  After that everyone will practice the communication foundation work in the arena with their mules.  Steve will be working with the group as a whole and individually with each participant providing personal assistance throughout the day.

At the end of the clinic Steve will give each participant a recommended training program to work on with their mule for the next 30 days.

Participants—$100.00 per day.  Spectators—$50.00 2 days . 
Limited to 10 participants per day.

See Clinic Schedule

Our Pet Policy

All of us at Queen Valley Mule Ranch love Mules, donkeys horses, dogs, cats, and other companion animals—and we understand why many people like to take their pets with them when they travel.  Because of the size of Queen Valley Mule Ranch, the presence of mules and donkeys, the magnitude of the training environment and restrictions imposed by our insurance company, dogs and other companion animals cannot be permitted at Queen Valley Mule Ranch.  Attendees will not be permitted to bring dogs or other pets into the ranch.  We strongly encourage you to leave your pet at home and make other arrangements for your pet's care rather than keeping it in your vehicle in the parking lot at the ranch.

Note:  Queen Valley Mule Ranch will comply with federal, state, and local laws pertaining to service dogs and will grant access for these animals in accordance with all applicable laws.

If you want to visit with us about this please contact us at steve@muleranch.com.

This policy may apply to our clinics nationwide please contact each host for more information.