Audrey Faye Rody's Comments

Hi Audrey,
I saw your question about mule saddles and wanted to give you some info. There is a woman in Alabama who makes very reasonably priced custom saddles. She uses what are called fit forms to measure your horse (or mule) for the proper fitting tree. I recently ordered a saddle from her for my horse and can't wait to get it. Here is a link to her site. http://www.dixielandgaitedsaddles.com/
Good luck in your search. Jacci

I can make a special order for you, but no, we hadn't planned for sweatshirts.

I did a lot of ground work and ponying with the saddle before getting on. The first time was in the round pen with someone holding him. I heard a clinician say to get out of the saddle on the first attempt as soon as you weight settles. The thought is to let the horse know you were not going to stay there permanent. So I got in the saddle and out and back in. . .She may have been uncomfortable with you being above her. You may want to ride a horse next to her and pet her from above. As Meredith shows in her program, it is really helpful and safe to have someone lead her once she is comfortable with a person in the saddle. . . to get use to the weight and movement as she moves. I worried my kids to death to be my stand in when I wasn't comfortable. They are much better riders than I am. (they are also in their 20's LOL)

Hey Audrey, I haven't talked to you in a while. How was your Thanksgiving? Mine was busy. Looking forward to Christmas. How is Pzazz doing? We are still very interested in him. We haven't had any more bites on selling Captain. I told Chubby that looks like we just need to build another stall. We were just thinking about Pzazz and wanted to touch base with you. Hope you have a great Christmas. Kim Phillips.

Audrey, Awww your so lucky! Looks like you all had so much fun! Wish I were there too! Judi

yes this was my first mule. Mules are said to be stubborn but that isn't the case I found. They are just extremely smart. You have to be very patient and take your time with a mule. They just don't move along as fast as a horse and its not because of anything bad just because they have to sit back and let what you show them sink in.
I wasn't as lucky as you. He was 3 when he was brought to me but the gentleman had bought all the Clinton Anderson tapes and had done great ground work with him. Murphy and I had a few rounds of him kicking but he got over that pretty quick and we went through the running from me in the pasture but after 2 times of me having my filly bring him in the round pen ( yes she enjoyed that cause she was saying...man I could have told you not to run from her ) and I ran him till his tongue hung out he decided he might should come to me when called. LOL. You hear all the old guys talking about tieing them up in a tarp and sweating them and all this crazy stuff but this is where the mean mules comes from.. You can not mistreat a mule and get away with it. They will wait patiently until they have you lined up in their cross hairs and then you've had it. LOL. I have a very good friend named Connie Sanders that has show mules and I got alot of direction from her......You just need a firm but kind hand like with any animal. Train them just like a horse but for what takes 30 days with a horse will take 90 with a mule. Make sure you set him up in driving lines and drive him awhile also. If he can turn, back and whoa then you're ready for the next step.
He ended up bonding with me which is big with mules I understand but he's is one headskaking little mule now. Wade decided with a new job he didn't have time to ride so some people from up in Ky bought him and they are going to show him next year. I can't wait to see him. I can say he changed my whole attitude toward mules. Found out that if they are treated right they are a friend for life.

Audrey, I am happy if I have helped in any way. I know how much frustration I have had with my mule over the past 6 years. I have been blessed to have some mule savy people give me advise but he is definitely a work in progress. I am learning from my yearling donkey that building a relationship and trust is imperative with him and my mule. But you are correct in being aware of spoiling a mule. They can be a powerful brat. It is a fine line I haven't mastered completely.

I see from your pictures, you like BSF. It is my favorite place to ride. My mule does well there in that vast wild atmosphere.

Hey Audrey,
I've been making up for taking Sun. to play! I worked on my project till 2 am- BUT it is done!! I just got in from feeding at the barn and was soaked thru. The pics. look great! You didn't waste any time posting them:) Let me what day works for you to go to bedford nest week!
Stay warm and dry!!
Kristen

No, we are from Great Britain, and only live in CG since 06, lived in FL for 6.5yrs prior to that , but we have had property in TN since Nov of 04, so i was not in school with you , but i am 47 so would probably of been in high school at the same time but with a distance of 5000 miles between us LOL !!

I actually did not make it there, i rode in the Leipers Fork Christmas parade on saturday, and really thought about it, the weather was good too, but i had a lot of stuff to do - one was cleaning my trailer out !! we should try and get together in the new yr, i dont know if the TTR are going to do a benefit ride for the 84 rescued horses, that would be good- take care Belinda

I just broke a little gaited mule for a guy back this spring and OH he was so much fun. Such a sweetheart. He cried when the guy took him home.
I'm like you though I'm beginning to feel old and I sure don't bounce like I used to with these young horses. My filly fell with me when we first started going ...typical 2 y/o walking horse....I sware I thought I was dying. I swore no more breaking walking horses. LOL. My trainer friend is in his 60s and he said everyone of them he's worked has fell at some point. They just get their feet tangled up and down they go. He said my fall was just alot worse cause the ground waw rock hard....
The Dickson Bits and Bridles is in July as a general rule. With the new rules for the walking horse shows this year I'll be selective where I go. Anyone that is sanctioning through SHOW is charging a 100 yearly fee per horse. I'm not a pro and I feel this is rediculous. I fear they are shooting their own self in the foot but we will see.

we ride at LBL quite a bit and during the winter I leave my boy over at my trainer friends and we can go out his back door and ride for hours in Erin TN. Lots and lots of gravel roads and I swear they pipe sunshine back there. During the summer I am at a show every single weekend. We will show at Dickson this year I imagine. The gaited horse people think I'm nuts cause I long trot all day but I need the exercise!
You should join us Memorial Day weekend. GOSH the food is good and we have SO much fun. I'll probably bring the QH and Jazz. Heck I ride the QH with the gaited horses cause he likes to GO.

have you thought about getting the implant given to her. My friend has a Paso Fino mare that is heck on wheels minus hers and is an absolute angel otherwise.
Do you guys ever go to Bucksnort and ride? We will be going Memorial Day weekend I imagine if a show doesn't get scheduled. I love riding with Ms. Linda and Tony.

Audrey, Donna has a two horse trailer she had to make four trips to get us all there on time. It was cold, but we all had a good time. Nizhoni freaked out at first - they had some dune buggies behind us that ribbed up their engines...well towards the middle of the parade she did fine. We were all still in the saddles, so we did good. Steven rode Bo and Ben rode in the buggy. Mark walked! LOL

If I went to help I think I would want them all. It's so sad, but I am grateful to those that help those horses.
Love ya,
Judi

thank goodness my girl isn't sassy. She is a typical mare in that it takes a little more patience to train her than it has my geldings. Mares are just different. They figure something out and then the attitude of OK I did it so why do I have to do it again comes out. She doesn't like ring work but I could ride her to New York and she's be rearing to go. She has been so easy though I don't know how to act. I went thorugh all the desenitizing and she just looked at me like I was silly. I saddled her she stood there, I got on and she stepped off like she was 20. Same on the trail LOVED it from day one. Now she was looking at a squirrel the other day and ran off in the creek with me but that was partial my bad cause sometimes I forget she's two and will be talking instead of training. She is so natually talented like Dakota though and it just kills me to think of selling her but I know I can only ride 2 horses and keep them up correctly. Jazz has really came into himself this year and we're even doing well at the rated shows so he needs to be my priority. Lady from NC is coming to see Starlight the 27th and I imagine she will be going home with her.

oh Mark is an idiot and he "says" he didn't have the facilities to take care of a stallion any more. I tried to buy him and he said he would shoot him before I would own him since I was his ex's friend. Now what good cutting a 8 y/o stud is going to do I have no idea. Heck he didn't have a mean bone is his body and my son could ride him. Could ride him out with mares in heat and he would not say a word. Perfect gentleman.
Spotted Allen turns out some nice horses.
Hey don't know if you're looking to buy any horses but Jeff Givens in Shelbyville is moving and he is selling some nice young ones CHEAP. I think most every thing he has is out of that Trigger Treat that he shows in hand.

he is no longer with me. I trained and showed him for several years then my friend and her husband ( who owned him ) split up and he got Dakota. Broke my heart but I do have that filly out of him. He was my trail riding buddy. I knew I could take him out by myself and not worry. Of course this Jazz Man horse has come up through the years since then ( he is coming 7 and I've had him since he was 3 ) and he's my buddy now.
Yes those amber eyes are breath taking and my baby girl has them too.
Sad to say Mark cut him would you believe and he's homozygous dilute. Old walking horse blood with Triple Threat on top and Carbon Copy on the bottom as his grandparents. Every baby was a buckskin of some shade. My girl is out of a black mare. I think he cut him to spite me. LOL. He sure turned out some walky horses too. This little filly of mine has a stride like you can't imagine and a headshake to die for. She has all that mane and tail like her daddy too. Lady the other day that doesn't know walkers asked me how she saw where she was going. LOL.

OMG thank you so much. Yes he is quite a handsome boy and that was an oops shot a friend made and she turned it black and white. There are some pictures of him here. He's the big proud buckskin stallion who thinks he's all that and a bag of chips. LOL.

Hi Audry, I was looking at the new photos. Were the pictures taken at Billy Ray's home? I drove by Yanahli this morning to see if anyone was riding, no one. I just went home and watched the Titans get beaten on TV. Johnny