Why Dogs Do Not Live As Long As

ANVIL Interview with Frank Smith (Frank finished 19th in the 2004 Tevis Cup 100 Mile Endurance Ride on his mule Batman with a time of 18 hours and 10 minutes. In 2003, Batman, ridden by Joannie Smith, finish the Tevis in a time of 21 hours and 40 minutes alongside Frank Smith on another of his mules Elvis.)

Shake It Off and Step Up

A farmer owned an old mule that fell into a well.
After assessing the situation, the farmer reluctantly concluded that neither the mule nor the well was worth saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together an enlisted them to help bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially the old mule was frantic, but as the dirt kept hitting his back, something happened. It dawned on the mule that every time a shovel load landed on his back, he should SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. Shake it off and step up... shake it off and step up. No matter how painful the blows or how distressing the situation, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

Before long, the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly through the mouth of that well. What seemed like it would bury him, actually helped him... all because of how he handled his adversity.

That’s Life! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to the panic, bitterness, or self-pity... the adversities that come along to bury us usually have the potential to benefit and bless us.

A horse is trained by short punishment and small rewards A mule is trained by long patience and great logic

The more one understands people, the more one loves animals The more one understands animals, the more one loves MULES!

Farmer's Mule

A hillbilly farmer had a wife who nagged him unmercifully. From morning til night (and sometimes later); she was always complaining about something. The only time he got any relief was when he was out plowing with his old mule. He tried to plow a lot.

One day, when he was out plowing, his wife brought him lunch in the field. He drove the old mule into the shade, sat down on a stump and began to eat his lunch. Immediately, his wife began harassing him again.

Complain, nag, nag; it just went on and on. All of a sudden, the old mule lashed out with both hind feet; caught her smack in the back of the head and killed her dead on the spot. At the graveside several days later, the minister noticed something rather odd.

When a woman mourner would approach the old farmer, he would listen for a minute, then nod his head in agreement; but when a man mourner approached him, he would listen for a minute, then shake his head in disagreement. This was so consistent, the minister decided to ask the farmer about it.

So after the funeral, the minister spoke to the old farmer and asked him why he nodded his head and agreed with the women, but always shook his head and disagreed with all the men. The old farmer said, "Well, the women would come up and say something about how nice my wife looked, or how pretty her dress was, so I'd nod my head in agreement."

"And what about the men?" the minister asked. "They wanted to know if the mule was for sale."

~author unknown