I got my draft mule Tristan when he was six months old.  He was a gift from friends of the family who
thought he would make a great replacement for my old Tennessee walking horse that died soon after
Tristan was born.  Tristan had not had any handling in those critical months after he was born but
before I got him, and so he was shy of people and fearful of new situations.  He had a bad problem of
panicking and bolting whenever anything scared him (which was often), and so I ended up getting
dragged around quite a bit.

I realized early on that I did not have the ability to manage his fearful behavior myself, but attempts
over the years to find someone to work with us were fruitless.  Some horse trainers I called wanted
nothing to do with a mule at all.  I got a couple of good leads through friends in the mule community,
but word would reach those trainers (from the same friends, no doubt) about how bad Tristan’s
behavior was before I had even called, and so they were unwilling to take on his issues either.  We
talked about shipping him to a mule trainer in Arizona or Colorado , but I was not sure how he would
do in a strange place, not to mention the cost of transporting him (and us on a monthly basis for
lessons) would be high.  

As the years went by, my husband and I did the best we could and got him to a point where he could
at least be groomed and wormed regularly and handled by the vet and farrier within the confines of
the barn, but we had pretty much given up on the idea of ever being able to ride him or do anything
outside of his “comfort zone”.  We did not mind keeping him as a pasture pet, but I always felt like a
failure for not doing more with him and I felt terrible that he had such a boring life and so much
untapped potential.  

When I came across TJ’s ad on Craigslist, and saw the specific mention of mules, I thought “what
have I got to lose” and gave him a call.  TJ was happy to come out and was not put off, like many
trainers were, at the idea of an 11 year old untrained draft mule with some serious behavioral
issues.  

TJ has been working with Tristan for about four weeks now, three times a week, and his
transformation has been nothing short of a miracle.   When we started, Tristan would not go near new
things, such as a saddle, without having a dangerous anxiety attack.  He now stands calmly while he
is saddled and bridled.  Where once Tristan was fearful and liable to panic and hurt someone, he is
now calm and more self assured.  He has learned to be braver and investigate new things instead of
getting scared and bolting.  TJ has been riding him indoors to teach him his cues, and soon he will
graduate to the outdoor paddock.   

Not only did he work with Tristan directly, but TJ has also helped my husband and me to improve our
skills so that we can work with Tristan, and our other equines, safely ourselves.  I feel confident to
tack Tristan up and lead him across my property now, whereas before I would never have attempted
to lead him outside the barn.  Unlike some trainers that hand you back an animal that behaves fine
for them, but still does not respect or listen to you, TJ will work with you as well until you can get the
same response that he does.  Best of all, he comes to us, so we don’t need to take time off work or
trailer our mule anywhere.  That means less stress for all of us.  

I had thought that Tristan would remain a lawn ornament for the rest of his life, but now I see a future
where my husband and I can go trail riding together instead of taking turns riding our one well-broke
horse around in circles at home.  And Tristan will enjoy getting out and exploring the world with us,
instead of being stuck in the barn while everyone else has fun.  We are all looking forward to it.  

-Natalie Baird
Howell, MI