Buddy sour is normal. Of course, that doesn’t help when your mule’s pawing, or rushing to get back home, or wanting to go with his buddy when he walks by. You want a partner who is patient, content, and willing.

At the center of a buddy sour, barn sour, or herd sour animal is one reality that will never change: you are a predator and your mule or donkey is a prey animal. He wants to go where he feels safe and in his mind you’re not safe. You can’t take away what the Lord put into these animals and you shouldn’t try.

What we can change is how he responds when his instincts kick in.

Understand this: a lot of the response you’re seeing comes because of you. He has the instincts and you created the response. I don’t tell you that you make you feel bad but to tell you the change you want starts with you. What you do after you ride. What you do when he sees his buddies. What do (or don’t do) when he takes his attention away from you.

In this webinar we’re going to cover:

• Why buddy sour, barn sour, and herd sour behavior is normal and what you can do to affect the mule or donkey response

• The correct come-a-long hitch technique for correcting behavior on the ground when the instincts kick in

• How to use the Mule Rider’s Martingale in the saddle to keep control of the head when your mule tries to follow another animal

• The hitching rail habit that teaches your mule to rush home, and the fix you should use right away

• What cinch pressure has to do with trail behavior and how to eliminate the hurry home behavior

• Exactly how to communicate back to your mule or donkey when he is doing something you don’t want, you don’t like, or isn’t safe.

You paid for that mule. His ears, his nose, his back, his legs. You paid for him, and you want to be able to communicate to him what you want when he doesn’t listen. I want to help you do that.

“But Steve, I’m afraid I’ve already ruined my donkey.” Nonsense. It is not too late, and as long as you’re willing to take the responsibility for your communication and you’re willing to make some changes, there is still hope.

“But Steve, I’m not having these problems.” And I don’t want you to develop them. I want to teach you that the same approach to correcting these problems is actually the same approach for preventing many of them before they show themselves.

Folks, it’s simple, but it isn’t quick or easy. It is going to take patience, time, and consistency. But I know you’re willing to do right by your buddy, and I know that you’ll be willing to put in the effort in order to get that willing partner you want.