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MY MULE
The Story of General Tobe

Mules in the Grand Canyon

Once upon a time I was 13 years old and had a big adventure. My adoptive parents took me and my best friend Anita Danforth to the Grand Canyon, where we rode mules down the Bright Angel trail to Havasupai. That's me right behind the Marlboro Man wrangler, and Anita right behind me, in the silly matching hats we wore. Ah, youth.

37 years later I had my semi-century birthday, and the inspiration descended upon me that the one thing that I had always yearned for and never gotten was a horse. So I decided to be utterly self-indulgent, in the IF NOT NOW WHEN? mood, and buy myself one! Being a greenhorn with little equine brain, NOT REALISING YET that I was made for a mule, I looked for a draft horse and ended up with an amiable but rather worn out old Amish plowhorse. OttO.

otto and the lascaux horse

Of course anyone can see that he bears a remarkable resemblance to the powerful wild horses depicted in the cave paintings of Lascaux, France, c.15,000 BC. His coloring, his muscular build and powerful stance is much more akin to these primordial beasts than today's spindly racehorses.

But, after a year with OttO I had to face it: he wanted to walk on flat land, and truth be told, he preferred to retire! So I sold him to The Alisal Ranch where he now takes guests for rides on miles of gentle trails.

And I was ready to move on, ready for a real steed, one who could carry me into the forest trails with sure-footed grace and be as ready for adventure as I was..... so of course, by this time I had been wised up by experience, and I GOT A MULE.

And not just ANY mule, I bought General Tobe.
General Tobe

There are a million reasons why a mule is vastly superior to a mere horse, and over time I will expand on this favorite topic in more pages. But for now, let this page serve as a brief introduction to my marvelous creature.

I decided I needed help making sure I got a good mule, so I enlisted the assistance of the very knowledgeable Jenn Swope and together we flew to Murray, Kentucky, to the Jody Kelso Select Mule Sale. There were going to be a dozen gaited mules offered at the auction, among more than 120 mules of all sizes and shapes. I knew I wanted a gaited mule, so that narrowed the choices. Bill Barnett came late to the show, so it wasn't until we'd looked at a lot of other mules that I saw The One. There he was, in a stall at the sale, and it was love at first glimpse. I didn't even see until AFTER I had purchased him that his brand is the Christian fish symbol. How meant to be is THAT!


I admit I was smitten by his chocolate dappled color, a heritage from his mother Sandy's Fancy Candy, a registered Rocky Mountain Mare. But he has the brains and stamina of his father, a mammoth jack donkey named Stamper's Tyler, and is the superior possessor of hybrid vigor, the best parts of both.

General Tobe

And he knows it.

He's much smarter than any dog I have known, and in his own unique way he is teaching me how to ride him. Which is to say I tell him where I want us to go and then we either agree or we don't. I often get a sense that he is laughing at me, when he tests me to see if I am paying attention out on the trail. And sometimes I'll successfully manouver us through a trail obstacle and be feeling quite the equestrienne...and he'll throw a glance over his shoulder that reminds me not to take too much credit for the success of our partnership.

Thank heavens I was able to work for the first 18 months with Jenn Swope, an amazingly aware and observant trainer who translated the language of equines for me, and was my escort into the pleasures of this sporting life.

Pat and Jenn on their Mules

Here we are in Elings Park, where we often ride, with a view of the Channel Islands out to sea. Jenn is on the right on Rudy, also bought at the Kelso sale, and I'm on the left on Tobe.

Jenn and Rudy

And THIS is the answer to the question: "What I do when I'm not tattooing?"

MULE UP ! ! !


TATTOO  SANTA  BARBARA
318 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101-2361 USA, 1-805-962-7552
patfish@luckyfish.com
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