Satisfied Mules and Customers

I'm gonna blame you for something that maybe you've not been blamed for before......married and dealing with mules, that might come as a shock.  I've ordered 2 of your video's very recently and watched them both back to back with my husband Sunday afternoon.  I had some dried beans on cooking at the same time.....got so involved with the first video that I let the beans boil out of water.......managed to salvage them by sorting every bean, rinsing and started over again with more seasoning... sat down, began watching the 2nd video and I'll kiss your foot if I didn't burn them AGAIN.....beyond use the 2nd time!!!!  I rarely ever burn food and can't believe I got so interested in those videos to let that happen! I plan to order others but will watch them when I'm not cooking.  I'm trying to get as educated on these long ears before mine comes home with me!  She's getting some tune up since she'd my first mule at "51".... horses now and all my life but now having this mid-life "mule" crisis! LOL Love my horses but want the mule too.  Thanks for the useful information and great presentation. Sheron Hollis  April 15 2008

Hi Steve,

The saddle has made a world of difference in Dodger (my 6 year old Arab
mule). He was really ugly about being saddled when I got him and with a
lot of training he had gotten better but I could still tell he was not
completely OK with the process. I bought the saddle as a shot in the
dark, just in case that was the problem since I was riding in an
Australian saddle made for a horse. It took about 10 days for him to
believe that being saddled was not going to hurt. The way you show to
cinch with the back cinch tighter really helps to keep the girth where
it should be. The poor guy has wicked permanent bald spots on each side
from girth galls that the previous owner created. I am also comfortable
in the saddle so I think it is a winner all the way around.

The saddle article in Mules and More this month must have brought the
orders flooding in!

March 2008

I just wanted to send you a pic of my husband with his mule Eddie, with the saddle you had made for him. We have had a lot of compliments about it and we are proud to say it was made for him by you.  Thank you.  Crystal and Jamie Sumner

March 2008

Hey, Steve,  I just wanted to let you know I did miss seeing you at EquiFest of Kansas but I did get my saddle and it is the most comfortable saddle for me and my mule that I have ever rode. I only wish I'd bought it 4 or 5 years ago when I first looked at them at EquiFest. I think at that time the stirrups-Tapaderos came with it. Also I'd of had 4 or 5 years more great riding.I can even tell that my mule is more comfortable. 

Thanks for such a great product.Kenneth Rees

March 2008

My name is Pam Darden from N.C. I am a faithful

watcher of RFD TV.

I watched a program on your show Training Mules

with a gentleman Steve Edwards from Az.

Let me tell you my story, Nov. the 25th I was working my

mule and long of short I broke my sholder . I have been

searching for someone that would help me in training

my mule . It is now the 21st. of March after watching your

program I ordered Communicating with Mules from

Steve Edwards, this has been a life saving tool.

My mule no longer bolts to the right and the fear I had

of leading her is no longer there. My mule goes with me

anywhere, I decide to lead her, with no resistances. She

looks happy when I lead her and I know I am.

Please put more of his training techniques on air so

 people won't get hurt like I did.

Steve Edwards ph # 602-999-6853 or steve@muleranch.com

I thank God for your program and thank you for caring

For our good clean programing you give us every day.

Pam Darden Kenly N.C.

March2008

Mr. Edwards.....The saddle arrived today. Thank you for the information you relaid at equifest, here in Kansas.

The saddle is top quality and fits perfect. That made two happy Critters. The mule and I are very pleased with

your quality and reliability. I look forward in doing business with you in the future.

THANKS AGAIN Gary F. Hardesty

Feburary 2008

Here is a picture of Ruby in her new saddle. The saddle came right on
time and just exactally as I ordered it. I am very pleased with it. I
was impressed with the quality of the workmanship and leather.
Especially considering the reasonable price of the saddle. I do
endurance riding with Ruby and can't wait to hit the trails with the new
saddle!

Cindy R. in Maine

 I am a huge believer in the Steve Edwards mule saddle.  My husband bought one several years ago and

he was using his for all the mules.  Finally, after many saddle returns from other makers I purchased the

lighter one for my mule, Abbey. 

She is very particular about her back and she will let you know as soon as you cinch any saddle

up if it fits her or not.

  Steve's saddle was the only one that fit her without any pain  or discomfort what-so-ever. 

Now my husband and I are very confident in stating Steve Edwards Saddle is the only way to go

with all your mules.

But don't just take my word for it,  try it yourself.  You will be amazed at the difference in your

mules attitude and

ability to move better under this new saddle. 

Adriane Meksch
Northern Exposure Ranch
Quality Mules and Boxer's
Rathdrum, Idaho

  I live in Colorado and own 5 mules, all of which you can pack or ride.

 We ride the high country alot packing in and huntingand fishing.

Each mule is built a little different withers, no withers,

tight belly,round belly, long back, short back and the Steve Edwards

saddles fit them all.I own 4 of Steve's saddles, 3 trail riders, and I like the packer

slickfork a lot with bucking rolls for the rougher country. 

Teamed up with Steve's breast collar, britchin and saddle pads 

you have a great system that will let your mule round up it's back

and drive up those mountain trails. Several of our friends ride mules

with Steve's saddles and love them. 

A proper fitting saddle will fix alot problems I see in a lot of mules. 

Sincerely,  James P. Graf DVM  Fountain Colorado 

I have a mammoth jenny—“Windy RidgeVictoria,” from Leslieville Alberta. Victoria is now six and I started riding

her last year as she is a slow growing donkey. Never having had a donkey before, I started her with Steve Edwards

at the Mane Event last year in Red DeerAlberta. Of course I didn’t` t have a saddle suitable for  a donkey, so I bought

one of Steve’s. This saddle fits her (and me) perfectly. It is well made and  beautiful to look at as well. I also bought the

britchin` to go with it, and the taps. As a beginner rider on a jenny who is just getting started under saddle, I must say

that we are both comfortable and secure with this saddle. I chose it because it was designed for a donkey or mule and

I was lucky enough to meet Steve and get the right fit. I notice Steve writes for your publication-I have viewed your

magazine online  and intend to subscribe.

Crys White

P.S. Victoria is also wearing one of Steve` s bridles.

I

Dear Steve,

Thank you so much for helping me through the minefield of choices for
saddling my new mule. I ordered your Trail Rider based on your
recommendation after discussing my options with you. Its rare in business
to have the propietor spend so much time helping me understand the "whys"
and you actually talked me out of a more expensive saddle that you sell
because your Trailrider fit my need better. It conforms very well to my
molly and she seems comfortable under it with the double cinch. Every mule
I own will wear this saddle. The quality is above reproach.

I appreciate the work you are doing that fosters our understanding of these
marvelous animals and I look forward to spending some time in clinic with
you soon.

Hopefully your website visitors will enjoy my commentary on my own mule
project titled "Longears and Sourdough" found at Flyingimules.blogspot.com

Warm regards,

Paul Gooch
web site Longears and Sourdough

DJ- ranch clinic 2007

Hi Steve,

I attended your clinic at Belgrade this past summer.  I am from Cody, Wyoming and brought a taller gray mule.

I have been meaning to contact you to thank you for the clinic.  It was very useful and for me and reinforced many

things that I needed to work on to make my mules and myself better.  I have been riding colts and some mules for

about 45 years and it seems I learn more each year.  The proper use of the double twisted snaffle, your martingale

set up and the importance of using ones hands consistently are a few things that I practice almost daily.  I have had

a double twisted snaffle for about 40 years and had never used it due to a lack of understanding about

how to use it correctly.

  A person can get sloppy with his training and needs a reminder and another’s view point once in a while.

If you should travel in the Cody area, you are welcome to stop here, with or without animals.  If you are interested

in a trail ride or pack trip in this country we can do that too.  We have some of the best wilderness areas left in the

lower 48 states.

It sounds as if you have a busy schedule.  Congratulations on your success and thank you for making people and

their mules get along better.

I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and that 2008 becomes your best year so far.

Marty Morris

2mranch@tctwest.net

Hi Steve, Thought you might enjoy this photo. 

My husband and I rode up into the Gros Ventre wilderness, SE of Jackson Hole, Wy last August. 

We both rode with your saddles and pads and were very happy with them.  Followed grizzly tracks up the

trail and my new mule  did just great.   Hope to catch up with you one of these days.                   

   Ruth Shea

Hi again Steve&Susan,

After I finished the other message to you, I took one of our new mules out for her first trail ride.

For the first week since we got your saddles, we've been just riding in the arena.  We were very happy to find out

that your saddles fit all three of our mules, even though one is a lanky Walker, and 2 are quarter horse types. 

Steve told me they would fit, and I was skeptical, but he was right!

So today we decided to go for our first ride, down our dirt ditch road between the hay fields. My husband came along

on our old reliable horse to help keep things mellow.

All went well for 99% of the ride.  The mule stayed calm and curious at all the new sights, your saddle felt great, and

it was a wonderful start.  Then there was that other 1%....  I was leading the way when suddenly my mules’ front feet

broke through the road bed about 10 inches into some gopher tunnels. As she shifted her weight back her rear feet

broke through too.  Sure that a monster had grabbed her feet, she crow hopped back up on the road and took off at a

dead run.

I remember thinking what a mess!  A runaway on our first ride and neither of us knows what to expect from the other..

  Fortunately I had the opportunity to size up the situation and think of my options only because, much to my amazement,

I was sitting deep and well balanced in my Steve Edwards saddle, riding a galloping mule for the first time in my life!  I had

never before ridden a galloping anything. 

With irrigation ditches on both sides of the road there was no chance to turn a big circle or consider a 1-rein stop. 

And with the snaffle bit I'm training with a quick stop did not appear likely and I certainly did not want to do anything

to cause her to stumble again.  Only because I felt so balanced in my saddle and secure as she ran, I gave her a little

slack, just relaxed my legs and set my weight back a little, and talked her down to a halt with a gentle rein. 

Once I realized in astonishment that I likely was going to stay on, I was able to focus on ending the situation as

calmly as possible. . 

Thanks to your saddle, we avoided a wreck and instead had a good training moment.  My mule seemed to gain confidence

that I would help her when monsters appear.   And I found out that it is a whole lot easier to cope with the unexpected when

you stay secure in the saddle.  It was amazing to have the security to explore my options and not merely struggle to stay

on and survive.

So thanks Steve!  Here's to ya!  We'll be buying that third saddle shortly.

Ruth Shea

We've taken about 5 trail/cross country rides with your heavy duty mule pads   and think they are super.  Also fitted up the saddles with a snug neoprene 

 rear cinch like you suggested and we are trotting up hill and

 down with great saddle fit. 

 Thanks for helping us keep our mules so happy!  

Ruth Shea   July 2007   

I took my little donkeys home from the clinic and turned them out. This morning I decided that since I was

cleaning out the trailer this would be a good time to work on trailer loading. Earl's first thought of the day was

that since we were back home the old rules applied, meaning he didn't have to do anything he didn't want to

including coming out of the stall while the other one stayed there. We had a very short review of the come along

hitch, perhaps 30 seconds and he came right along.  Halfway to the trailer he began braying. That took about 2

minutes before he was convinced. His nose has a few new abrasions. Oh well. At the trailer it took him less than

30 seconds to hop in the first time. He stood nicely inside when I asked him to, but he was not relaxed. He hopped

out when I did, which was a little earlier than I wanted, but he didn't run me down or try to run off. The second time

in it took maybe 5 seconds for him to decide to load. He stood better and was more relaxed. I got a nice wait at the

door so I could get off first and then invite him to exit. We did four more good ones and he looks like an old hand at it.

That would have been hours of work with a horse. The little donkey took about 20 seconds before she loaded the

first time, but by the fifth time she was also a pro.

I'll put Earl in the harness as you suggested and let him loose to figure it out in the pen later today or tomorrow.

Then we'll drive.

Thanks very much for a really practical and fun clinic. I'll keep you posted on progress.

One of my observations:
The mules in the surcingle and breeching accomplished in 30 minutes what dressage trainers take two or three years

and many thousands of $$$ to get done. Those big German horses never struck me as whiz kids. But then there

are the owners.

Judy Dutson
Plain City, OH

Dear Steve

I wanted to say thank you again for all your help with me and Porter.

I went on a week end ride on Porter Friday night we went about 4 miles and Sat we went about 16 miles.

Well I had the saddle in the wrong spot for two years and you show me where to put it. Porter never pin her ears,

trotted than walked over and over again, and no rubbing of the saddle pad on her back. I have a loose cinch too

and the saddle stayed in place. the old girl is letting me touch her ears too. LOL

So thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Joyce & Porter Ripley

Steve, Our first trail ride with 3 year old Rod Stewart(My Donkey)and new gear!

Breast collar,saddle,britchen,martingale. We had a wonderful and safe ride! 

Well, we did it!  31st Annual Cheff Ride-A-Thon, It was a awesome ride. Rod Stewarts first trail

event he was great!

I rode along with my Veterinarian friend-Dr. Shawn Dolan, I told her it was to insure we had a Dr.

 FOR us! It was a

4 hour ride through woods, over bridges, through fields and through the Kellogg forest all in the

Augusta area.

Not sure how many miles we went but my body sure feels every mile, ...It was beautiful.

  The last count I knew of was 168 riders, there could have been more though!

We had a really great day!     Sue Snyder

Happy Mules and owners

Thanks for the reply. Yes, we’ve received the saddle and britchen and breast collar.

We are just waiting for the bucking rolls.  If we receive the bucking rolls in the next

day or two that will be great. We’re hoping to get everything fitted and try it out on

our mule Saturday. We are very pleased with the quality of the products and the

promptness to questions, emails and phone calls.

Thanks very much for your help,

Sincerely,

Debra Powell

McAlester, OK

Hello Steve, remember us, Debra & Dan Powell from McAlester, Ok.?

Here are a couple of pictures of Debra’s mule Maggie and her new

rig. We haven’t put the bucking rolls on the saddle yet and we still need

to get some new stirrups. This was the first time we took Maggie and

the new rig out to a local arena to see how everything was working out.

Debra is very happy with the saddle and britchen and breast collar.

She is looking forward to getting on the trails this fall & winter.

Thanks again for all of your help and for developing this saddle.

Sincerely,

Dan & Debra Powell

McAlester, OK

Well - I was on my mule & the UPS driver stopped me in the road & had me sign for the saddle!

  That was on Friday & I'm really glad he found me.   I've ridden it a few of times & I do believe I like it. 

Remember - I am most comfy in my English saddle. 

I think I have everything put together right.  I'll send pics soon. 

I can actually mount my mule from the ground in your saddle, how handy is that???  

Great response on the mule martingale in about 15 minutes.  

Thanks,

love my Molly,

Brenda

Steve,

I just retured from an elk hunt in eastern Utah.

Attached is a photo of me and

Clayton packin' out a nice 6x6.

Clayton(The Mule)only works

with the great Steve Edwards tack!

Best wishes,

Rollin  

September 2005

Steve,

The saddle fits great,we are using it on 2 different Belgian cross

mules and there is no soring on either one.We are very pleased

with the tooling and detail put on the saddle.Thanks so much

Steve for this great saddle. Carter loves the saddle

and it fits both mules,we have been us in

it quite a lot lately.

Have a great summer.

Jeff Lippert   

Kamsack, Canada  

7-10-07

Steve Good visiting with at your ranch thanks for taking the

time to show

me the difference in the trees ,I can sure see why you needto

see the tree fit seprate for

the saddle .Its amazing how riding all themules you have has

taught you what makes

the mule and rider happy.

I'll be punching cows and doing a lot of hunting and riding .

Happy trails  

  Lark Hubbard    7-9-07

Sue White ,Professional trainer

 Steve Edwards 5 mule stars Apprentise

Winter -Chandler Arizona ,Summer- Iowa .
Hey Steve Your saddle and tack sure does makes

training mules easy.

Two very different mules

one very good fitting saddle

Steve here are my two saddle mules,

I have enjoyed your  Steve Edwards trailrider saddle

(on my left)this past year .

I have purchase my new mule and ordered a Trail Lite saddle

whoooo is it lite .

My Mules love your tack and saddle pads.

Thanks Dr.CAROLYN MCLARTY  D.V.M.   4-3-2007

Josh Adams ridin' Babe on his new Steve Edwards Packer Saddle, packin' outof the Blues in Eastern Arizona. 

We have two different mule and your Packer saddle fits  like it should November 2005

I bought your Trail Rider saddle with headstall, britchen, breast collar

and pad a year ago and have ridden it on ten multi-day trail rides since. 

The equipment is well made and very comfortable for Belle and me. 

In addition, your counseling over the telephone before the purchase was

very helpful.  I have seldom been so satisfied with a product and its seller.

  I strongly recommend your

products to every mule rider in

America!

Heidi and I also had the pleasureto meet you at your

"Trail Riding with Confidence"

clinic in Pueblo, Colorado.  Your skill and teaching

ability is a wonder to behold for both mules and humans. In two short days,

my level of

comfort and communication with Belle increased dramatically thanks to your

patient instruction. 

You are indeed the master. 

We look forward to seeing you

again next year, so that we can move to the next level.

Happy trails!
 John and Heidi McClow

and Belle   June 2005

P.S.  I also attached a snapshot of

Heidi on her walking horse with

two of our pack mules in the West Elk Wilderness.

May, 2004...

Well, Sir, I have to say I really like your videos....it does not matter to me if there is a fancy arena

and a lot of terminology and all of that. You obviously can do what needs doing and don't have to

puff it up by making a big show in all talk. What matters to me is you tell it like it is (most particularly

in the harness video,

and most beginners that go to hook up wind up hospitalized) and also you aren't af raid to

tell people it is ok

to remind your mule to keep focused on you ... on the ground first. Some of what you do is what I have

done with horses and may not call it the same, but it is what gets the results....had not thought of the loading

where you tap em on the loin. I have tapped (or spanked!) on the hind leg... I will be seeing about that!! 

If we ever get to head out your way I am going to call you and we will visit, on mules and people.

I live in Arkansas and there are quite of people
here who use mules and a clinic over here sometime might be something that would pay off for you.

Believe it or not, I am a reasonably well educated individual, indeed, both as a horse person and as a

"regular" person, but do not feel the need to talk down to the less fortunate, and in your videos you are

very kind to keep your presentation at a level where the very ordinary person can absolutely get your meaning.

We look forward to meeting you all sometime!!

Thanks again.....

Nancy Hawthorn

Hi Steve,
Here is a picture of me and my mule,Easy Rider, out in California.

I ride all day in your saddle

and no complaints, from me or my mule.

Got the saddle back In Dec.

Great saddle at a good price, highly recommend it. Sometimes I ride six

to seven hours a day

taking people on trail rides and it just fits my mule and me perfect.

Thanks so much

Keep up the good work.

Thanks a million.

John Ross 2004

Hey Steve, just wanted you to know how much I appreciate getting the

saddle and other equipment from you. I have already gotten one ride in

and I am planning a few more before I have to return to the Middle East.

It not only looks good on Molly, but I certainly had a comfortable ride too.

I look forward to getting back this fall and doing a lot of riding in my new saddle.

Thanks again for all your help and for such excellent service.

SGM Terry R. Harris
Tennessee Army National Guar

2005

Hi Steve,
First - the saddle video was great!  Both my husband and I watched it twice
and took notes.  Yesterday I tried it on Jasper after completing my two
saddle wetting and oiling cycles (the olive oil on the surface leather was a
great tip).  It seems to fit him great.
That is my friend Cheryl holding Jasper in the picture.  He is a great mule
and I will be getting educated through the "Communicating with your Mule"
DVD's so I don't undo any of his good habits.
Question - seeing the saddle on Jasper, wouldn't you consider him short
coupled and thus use the girth ring towards the back of the saddle to cinch
him up?  Also, he must be fat because the 34" girth fits him in the front
and the 36" fits him in the back - I sort of expected the reverse.

Everyone who has seen your saddle admires it.  I am sharing your saddle DVD
with all my friends here in CT who have urged me to "just use your quarter
horse saddle" on my mule and teased me because I am so determined to do the
right thing.  When you have no education on a topic you need to choose a
teacher who makes sense and go with it.  So like it or not, you folks are my
teachers, and I feel very positive about your knowledge and the way you
handle your mules.

And isn't Jasper a fine looking animal?
Nancy

(Click on image for larger view).

Hi Steve,

Attached is a picture of me and my mule... I really like the saddle,

breast collar, and britchen. My mule, Leah, likes them too. She really

performs well with the new saddle, and she looks good too, if I do say so myself.

Now my husband would like a mul e saddle, but he would like to look at the Packer Saddle...

I'm so glad that we found you on the internet, and have enjoyed visiting with you on the phone.

Happy trails,
Cathy McKernan
El Paso, TX 2004

Hey Steve my husband just purchased your Trail rider with barb wire trim . 

NOW ALL OUR MULES ARE HAPPY AND WE ARE TOO.   2005

(Click on image for larger view)

Steve,

Steve, here is Clementine our mammoth donkey with your saddle.

She is a comfortable ride with this saddle. See you at Expo this week.

Angela Sidlo

Here is a photo of one of our jennets with your saddle. We use it on both

donkeys and mules.2003

Steve, I can't thank you too much for our experience with Belle.  We have put in two long days and what an improvement already.

  I spent the first day strictly on ground work, sacking, halter, etc. and everything is so much better.  Today I spent 5 hours in the

round pen and a short trail ride in the Mule Martingale and she is responding so well.  I sure appreciate Trudi reminding me on things that have slipped my mind.  So much information in such a short time. Thanks again for the great job on Belle and Me. We both will reap the benefits for years to come.  I have made the commitment to her and will work so we can be one.

(Click on image for larger view)

"Hi, I'm David McAlister with my 3 year old Mule,Aspen. 

I bought one of your Trail Rider Saddles and it fits Aspen like a glove.

She likes it as much as I do. We live in Oklahoma. We trail ride and hunt in

Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Thanks,
David 2003

 Dear Potential Clients,

"My wife Marcy and I spent three days at the Queen Valley Mule Ranch where we met Steve and Susan Edwards

and picked up our new mule "Donut".  I brought a molly mule that I have owned since weaning along because I w as

having several problems with her and didn’t really know how to correct them.

Steve and Susan were warm and gracious hosts and the Queen Valley Mule Ranch is a great facility with a fantastic

view of the Superstition Mountains.  From what I already knew about Steve from his history at Bishop, I figured that he

knew how to handle mules and that I could pick up some “tricks of the trade” from him.  What I did not expect is that

Steve has a keen sense of human/mule interaction, and quickly sees where the breakdowns are in that communication.

I have been around mules off and on since I was a boy, and I am now 59.  My wife on the other hand never lived near a

mule until I brought my molly mule Cinder home to our farm in Washington a couple of years ago.  Marcy was somewhat

intimidated by Cinder, and the only times she tried to ride her didn’t turn out very well.  So my intention in going to Queen

Valley Mule Ranch was two-fold.  I wanted to buy a solid mule for Marcy and I wanted some help with Cinder, whose main

problem was an unwillingness to go out on the trail alone.  Cinder also strongly challenged me on occasion, although none

of those had ended up too bad for either of us. 

Steve quickly checked out my tack – decided that I was putting my saddle too far forward on Cinder, and that my bit didn’t

match my handling or Cinder’s point in training.  Making the adjustments with the tack improved things a lot but that was

nothing compared to the tips on ground training, general handling, and riding that Steve gave to Marcy and me.

When we left, Cinder and I had progressed more in two solid days of work than we had in the prior year. 

We were working together and had several great trail rides in rough country, even leading the way!

I sure do recommend spending some time with Steve if you can.  No matter how much you think you know about

mules and mule behavior you will learn something new if you are willing to listen and try.   For me, I’m going back to

Queen Valley Mule Ranch, and staying in touch with Steve and Susan.  Steve will make my mule riding a much more

fun and rewarding experience and I sure do appreciate that – along with his friendship and his and Susan’s hospitality."

Mark Drummond – Glendora, California and Waukon, Washington 2003

Steve,
Thanks for the saddle and tack. I thought I'd send you a photo of Jill all

decked out in her new gear. Let me know if everything looks like it is in it's place.

The video was very helpful. I watched it several times to get everything just right.

I hope our paths can cross some day. Keep up the good work."   

Kirby Sidlo, Astoria  OR.2003

Dr. Robert Miller, D.V.M.and his wife Debbie pictured with two of his mules

Fannie upper right,Macho Man lower right outfitted in Steve Edwards Signature

Series Saddles and Tack

2004

September, 2004...from Jim Sayers:

I bought the Trail Rider mule saddle from you a year ago to fit a now 4 yr. old 14.3 hands Tennessee walking mule.

This is the fourth saddle we've tried and the trainer and I can't say enough about how perfectly it fits. Matched with your

Reinsman pad, after hours of riding you have a perfect sweat mark and not a hair out of place on his back. I am a novice

rider and I am amazed how comfortable the sa ddle is. No padding in the seat, just a real old time looking saddle. With me

out of any real riding condition I never have any aches or pains days after a long ride and no bruised tail bone.

It also provides a real secure seat. As you said, nothing like sitting in a shovel. I didn't think I would like the tapaderos,

but now can't think what I would do without them. They are just the right weight, I never lose a stirrup while riding and

they are turned so I have no ankle or knee pain. My mule has the ability to swell up a lot before cinching. After riding for

a while you can cinch in a good 5-7 inches more. One day I forgot the second cinching and another horse spooked,

turning my mule in a fast 180. After recovering we got off to rest. The cinch was hanging a couple of inches below his

belly but the saddle had not budged, even while dismounting. Now that's a good fit. The saddle draws a lot of attention

because of its old fashion good looks and that pad stays clean and dries in minutes.

I was going to buy another one, but the trainer said with proper care it is built to last a life time. No pad to wear out and

no stitching to come out.

Thanks again.

Jim and Max the mule.

"We have run mules for thirty years in Colorado's West Elk and

Ragged Mountain Wilderness areas. Our saddle mules are outfitted with

your Packer rigs and britchen. They make for a very comfortable ride on our long trips."

Best wishes,

Bill Waldron
Flying W Ranch
Hotchkiss, Colorado

NOV 2004

Jerry Heitzler's mule, "Sophia", wearing a Steve Edwards

Trail Rider Saddle and Contoured Mule Pad by Reinsman;

pictured on "Red Mountain" north of Truckee, California,

Labor Day, Sept 6, 2004

March, 2004...(Anita found Queen Valley Mule Ranch on the web.  She ordered a Steve Edwards Signature Series

Trail Rider Saddle to be shipped to her in Switzerland! Following are excerpts from her recent e-mails to Steve)

Hi Steve,

Its nearly an never ending story. We tried various times to take some pictures. But until Wednesday we had still

too much snow here and it was really too cold to make foto sessions. We have taken some pictures today but

I'm not sure if that's (help) suits u really ! It's sometimes very difficult to convince Manolito, that the camera won't kill him.

My question was at first only how firm must be the back cinch. Now its all ok and I'm happy with it.

I hope with you and your mules is all in order ? I wish u in the

  meantime all the best ! We do not have saddle makers here in Switzerland  who unstand mules .I love my trail rider saddle

have a good day

kind regards from Switzerland

 Anita 2004

We love mules and have been learning for about 10 years now. 

The most frustrating part of having these saddle mules is finding

tack that works.  During this unusually wet and unridable winter

in NW New Mexico we decided to clean out the tack shed that has

accumulated a surprizing amount of used tack and saddles that just

didn't work for our mules.  The amount of dollars spent and problems

directly involving saddle fit was unbelievable. We have or have had a wide

variety of mule body types and the Steve Edward's mule bars (including pack saddles)

more mule types than any other saddle we have tried, and that's why we kept it for so long.  

We especially like the "lite" saddle on our smaller mules. Art Perkins,New Mexico

Steve,

I wanted to write to compliment you on your article in Western Mule Magazin e on "Mule Britchen". I am not a big fan of cruppers or britchen on mules but I realize it is a necessity. I have two mules of which my most current and favorite riding mule Aggie is a four year mare mule that I have had about a year an d a half. Both my mules will take a crupper without any problem but Aggie has a profound wither and a dip in her back and is built more like a horse than my other mule. I rode her for about six months without a crupper then as you said I went up into the mountains on some really steep inclines and like you over the top I went. So disappointed I started using the crupper all the time. After many months I noticed that the crupper was wearing the hair off on both side of her tail and was on the verge of getting tender. That was when I decided to think about britchen and timely enough along came your article which I have studied religiously time and again. But what made me do something about it was a few weeks back. Aggie and I was riding in a mountainous area and stopped at a stream to drink. Of course when a mule is stretched out drinking a crupper gets tight. All of a sudden by mule jumps sideways and leaves the stream completely and stops with this look like what in the world is going on. I happened to look back and my crupper had pulled loose from one of the buckles and was hanging loose. That crupper had stretched tight like a slingshot and came loose going under her tail and rear end like a r ocket. No wonder she jumped, I would have too if it was my rear end. Basically the buckle was brass and had stretched out and could not stay buckled. It was all pretty funny to me after I thought about it. I decided to get my crupper fixed and get my mule some britchen. I decided to have my britchen made at my local saddle and harness shop rather than order it by mail in order to get a better fit. My harness maker had made lots of harness britchen but never any saddle mule britchen. So I measured up my mule and took your article with pictures to him. Yesterday, I picked up my britchen and brought it home. I do not have my straps made yet to go from the britchen strap ring to the front cinch ring. I decided to put the britchen on first, measure it, and call him back with the correct length to make the straps. But I want to thank you so much for going into all the details, pro's and con's, and the pictures were excellent better than words. My harness maker said it helped him a bunch too. One of the things that stayed in my mind was what you said about being able to run a looser cinch with britchen. I like that idea a lot. I always cinch mules up slowly as compared to horses. Maybe three to four times before I am finished. Sometimes I put my saddle on, cinch it just snug and load my mule in the trailer if the trip is not too long. Snug it up a little more when I unload her, walk her around, and put everything else on, maybe lead her to the trail, snug it up another notch, and get on. I try to be real easy about it all. There is an old saying that you can't drop a live frog in a pot of boiling water, he will jump out. But if you put him in a pot of luke warm and turn the heat up slowly he will stay right in there and cook to death and never realize it. I have found out that is true with mules, "cook them slow" they will blend right in with you. One more thing about cinches. I have gaulded my mule by having the cinch forward like on a horse. My mule saddle has an in skirt rigging for 3/4, 7/8, and full. I have found that by putting two latigo ties on each side attached to the back flank strap ring, then run them forward through your cinch ring up and through the farthest back location on the skirt rigging that the cinch will stay more in the middle of the chest and back four inches from the elbow perfectly. I do that evenly on both sides of the saddle. It looks much like the center cinch on an Army McCe llan Saddle or at least half of it. It has worked good on all the mules that I have ridden. I am hoping with the britchen that I can run that cinch looser though. Thanks again for the great articles. You and Terry Nichols are always my favorites and and are a wealth of knowledge.

Your brother in Christ.

Terry Brooks
Marshville, N.C. 2004

Alyssa from Wikieup, Arizona on her mule, Festus, outfitted in Steve Edwards Signature Series Saddle and Tack 

"Out of the box and onto my mule, this saddle is really cool!"  2005

Got Mule? 

I did. I surprised myself and got the first mule that I looked at. I  knew I wasn't supposed to do that...but somehow it just happened. I  phoned some guy I didn't know anything about and told him I wanted a mule: green broke, nice, not too big, ready to get ready for endurance trail riding. He said: Okay and called me back in a week and said  "Gottcha a mule" I said OK. Gassed up the truck, hitched up the trailer and went and got her. She was already saddled when I got there and had a suspicious hematoma looking lump on her rump, was a little "sleepy-eyed", but she put her head on my chest and pleaded with me to take her home. So I did. I knew nothing about mules but in the back of my mind I had always been interested in them, a "perhaps someday" sort of thing. But, the way things worked out...I now had a beautiful 4 1/2 year old molly mule out of a Tennessee Walking horse to learn all about. I typed in "MULE" on the internet and found there is a whole world of mule people out there having a ball.  I found a couple of mule clinics being offered in my area and signed up immediately.

In the mean time:  My attempts at riding her were not successful. She was "cinchy", aggressive toward me and my dogs and horse, bucked me off, would refuse to go on a lead line, difficult to saddle, wouldn't steer in any direction, pawed, couldn't pick up her feet, kicked at me several times...and I was beginning to get worried. I'm 60 years old. I don't want to get hurt when I'm supposed to be having fun.  

Then, the Steve Edwards clinic came to Pierce College and the gods smiled at me.  I was fortunate enough to be able to go and see what I was up agai nst. I saw some really spoiled mules!  Mark Drummond had a really wonderful donkey there, in training with Steve. I was so impressed with what Steve did and said about and with mules that I decided to send Chelse to him for some of his "foundation"  work.  She spent 2 months with Steve. I went there twice and spent time on Steve's ranch with Chelse, riding in the arena and out on the trail.  I ordered a new saddle made just for me (light weight) with mule bars! So the next time I went out I had my saddle and I spent a week at the Queen Valley Mule Ranch having the best time and learning so much I didn't even know there was to know.  

The real test was when I got her home...just she and I...to figure things out on our own.  I was very pleased with results so far with her...she had power steering, power brakes, cruise control, and fearless...but could I keep it up without Steve there to help?  I wasn't overly confident. I had an upset stomach.  The first time I put all my new stuff together all by myself was a test of my new mule skills.   

I'm used to a very light weight endurance type saddle and a halter (he just goes where he is supposed to go).  Now I have a 30 lb. Western saddle with 2 cinches, breast collar, britchen, martingale and split reins! I got everything hooked up for my "virgin" ride. Got my boots, leather chaps, helmet, new saddle, martingale...I'm "armed" for anything!   I took her out on the nastiest, rockiest, steepest, single track trail around.   She looked at everything, was interested but not bothered. She did and went where I asked her to go and was "light as a feather."   She stopped and snorted!  I looked through where her ears were aiming and saw the back end of a mountain lion as it crashed thru the chaparral...away from us!  Then we proceeded on down the trail, me calling "Kitty, kitty, kitty,  here we come, you go on and get outta here."  

We have been having successful rides and I am so pleased with her and our progress. I think we could do anything and I owe it to Steve's excellent foundation work with her.  She is light on the bit, sensitive to the leg, attentive on the lead line, easy to shoe, has excellent brakes and steering, stands perfectly still while mounting and for saddling, has not kicked my dogs or me, and is very loving and seems happy to see me. She is a dream to ride. Thank you, Steve. We still have a lot to learn and we are on our way!

Lynda Fenneman

Another Letter from Lynda:
October, 2003

"Hi Steve, I just got back from North Carolina making my first trip to the mountains with my new saddle.  The saddle worked great and rode like a dream, I had a lot of riders ask me where I got the saddle from I told them all the only place to buy a mule saddle is from you. I have been riding in a bear trap rancher for four years and it is well broken in, this saddle rode as well on the first day. I have attached a photo of my mule and saddle as you can see I've still got some adjustments to make but I'm learning. The video is a great help. I hope one day to meet you in person and shake your hand."

 Thanks again, ride safe

 Your Friend in Jesus

 Richard 2003

(Written to several people at L.A. Pierce College in May, 2004)

Dear......,

My name is Cynthia Schlom, and I have taken some of the Mule Trainer classes offered at Pierce College:

1.        Basic Mule Principals                                  7/03

2.        Advanced Mule Training                               7/03        

3.        Mule Driving                                                4/04

4.        Mule Packing                                              4/04

I am compelled to write this letter to you for several reasons.

First, I wish to thank you for offering the program. There are many as myself looking for and needing this type of instruction. Having taken these classes so far, I’m convinced of their value. I predict that with the rising interest in mules, the program can only expand.

Secondly, kudos to Steve Edwards as a fine instructor. A plethora of advice and opinions abound on training equines, especially mules but much of it questionable. I have searched awhile now for answers about my donkey/mule problems and I believe that Steve has them. He is fair to the mule, honest, safety-minded and extremely knowledgeable. I appreciate his character and what I was able glean from him. His teachings help me from making mistakes, especially those that can jeopardize my health or life. In turn, I am able to teach my children thus keeping them safe, as well.

Thirdly, I plan to take as many classes offered in the Mule Program as I can.  It’s difficult as I live about 90 miles south of Pierce College. What is good is that these classes have been offered late in the week and weekend, which makes it more convenient for me to attend.  A Mon. – Fri. schedule would prevent me from attending.  I know I speak for others as well.

Once again, thank you for the Mule Program, for your time and please continue your good work.

Sincerely, Cynthia Schlom