Mules might be stubborn, but that’s doesn’t mean they can’t be excellent teachers.
Shoshone National Forest sent several staff and a few of their mules down to the 114th National Western Stock Show in Denver, as part of the Parks first ever Range Practicum on Mule Packing. Mules and horses are critical tools for the Forest Service to accomplish their tasks in the remote, rigged terrain stretching throughout the country’s first national forest. Now, the aptly nicknamed “Horse Forest” had the chance to share their expertise with others.
The practicum focused on helping participants become familiar with stock, equipment and essential knots, weights and making loads-panniers and manty, saddling, packing basic loads, and other hitches. It seems to have been a tremendous success for a first-time course, with several participants getting hands-on experience with packing some of the Forest’s exceptional patient mules.
The Forest Service congratulated all of their staff who participated – except Shelly the mule. What her transgression was is unknown but she was specifically cited as not “amazingly patient.”
