Mule Saddle vs Horse Saddle

*********UPDATE: As of November 2020, all Steve Edwards signature saddles are built using a wood tree and utilize a state of the art fiberglass coating. While the design material has changed, the fit demonstrated in the video above is still accurate.

"Am I able to use a horse saddle on my mule or donkey?"

It's a fair question and one you should be proud of yourself for asking. You want the best for your mule and you want to enjoy going out and hitting the trail.

The short answer is, "no, horse saddles are not meant to fit a mule or donkey."

When you use a horse saddle on a mule you will hurt your mule. It may show up on scalding and it may be 100% underneath the skin, such as kidney damage.

In this video Steve Edwards of Queen Valley Mule Ranch explains the differences in a mule saddle vs a horse saddle and exactly why you need to buy a saddle that is designed to fit that skeletal structure of the donkey or the mule.

[aztib]

i discovered that many people in europe still do not believe Steve when it comes to mule saddles but i AGREE with Steve.

[polarbear]

This is the best vid I have ever seen about saddling a mule .excellent job sir.This man certainly knows his stuff.

[lukemulejump]

You said if your standards are low enough to ride a horse. I laughed until my eyes watered clear up to the end of your video and then some. Thanks for the great saddle tips

[ae_girl]

This was very informative. I ride a pack mule but we don't have a mule saddle for him. He's the first, and only, mule I've ever been around. He is very sweet and gentle and in. his late 20s or early 30s. I've worked with tons of horses though. I didn't know you should have the back cinch tighter than the front on mules, now I know. I really like this mule and thinking about getting a mule, someday, when my finances are better

[rjwashkow]

back home we don't call the back cinch a "Bucking cinch" we call it a "Safety Cinch" wanna get bucked off on a trail, loosen that back cinch and see what happens. It's not for your butt, it's for his back! you are absolutely right!

[AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

I realised much of what you're saying having worked with donkeys and horses. In 60 Plus years experience, I have never seen or met a mule in the flesh. They're so rare here you just never see them. Also, due to grass sickness in the early 19 hundreds, the part of Scotland I come from, became mechanized before anywhere else as many of our horses died. Horses never came back, we didn't seem to have mules after the war so when the horses died they went straight to tractors, mores the pity. I would love a mule but will have to be content with my Friesian cross and hopefully rescue a Highland pony or cob next year (I would always aim to take a donkey or elderly horse, at the same time, as lots never get home and if you're getting a decent riding horse, the least you can do is take one other to free space for more needy animals.)
Thanks for such an informative video. Although I don't see myself getting a mule anytime soon, I do make scale dioramas and intend to feature some mules or pack ponies in the one I am presently doing. Your description of the tack helps a lot. I don't know anything about quarter horses either. Maybe people have them here now but not my kind of people. I think it's appalling to import horses when the horses we already have (and donkeys) don't have decent homes. You should always rescue first if you are just looking for a pleasure horse and if you have the space you should take one that you can ride and one extra as a companion even if it can't be ridden to ensure they are rehomed. All our horses in the last 3 decades have been rescued or born to rescued mares as an 'added bonus'.

[vindheimar]

Thanks for upploading! Ths was intresting and educating I don´t kno much aboue mule nor donkeys but now I lerand a bit more Thank you

[alberta]

I always wondered why so many people leave the back cinch 6 inches too loose. The front cinch keeps the saddle from rolling sideways and the back cinch keeps it down and prevents rocking up and down. If you get your equines used to having the back cinch tight they get used to it and it’s a better ride for you and the horse. Of course make sure the back cinch is connected to the front cinch so it doesn’t roll back to the groin. That’s when you’d get bucked off.

[derekgargan]

Thanks, I never knew that, I have been thinking about getting a mule as a pack animal for both trekking by foot in the mountains and when on my horse. before this i would have been tempted to try one of my horse saddles

[italianice]

Wow!!
Soooo informative!! Thank you!!!!

[diamondranch]

There are a lot of truths in this video. However the horse saddle tree would fit high and off of the stand like the mule tree if it had a built in ground seat like the mule tree. The mule tree sits up off of the bars of the tree because the ground seat is what making contact keeping the tree up. Steve is correct in the fact that any tree horse or mule should rest on the rock of the tree not the front or rear bar tips otherwise as he stated you end up with kidney damage and scapula damage. He is also spot on about knocking a rib out with an ill fitting tree or rigging. My friend was starting a colt that would buck like hell and you could tell that he was in pain so I recommended an equine chiropractor and one of my saddles. He got the ol boy adjusted and used one of my saddles and to this day he has never bucked again. Most saddle makers do not realize this let alone tree makers. As a custom saddle maker myself there are only two tree makers that understand the proper way a saddle should fit.

[whytho]

Can you make a video about how to load a disobedient mule into a trailer?

[chrispaden]

So i am a little confussed . the back cinch tightens around the belly . wont they just suck up their belly to loosen that cinch ? I owned a mule in my youth and rode bare back . i couldnt find a saddle to fit . i have had many horses in my years . and dont concider my self a pro by no means . i found horses to be more choppy in the trot compared to mules . so in my golden years i have been looking for a mule to last the rest of my riding career. So can you please explain how to use that back cinch so that he or she can be comfortable in the stomach area as well as on their back ? And also wont a crouper cut into the tail when going down hill ?

[davidelippi]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I was wondering how would a Macclellan saddle work on a mule in your opinion? Both back front and back cinches are connected to the girth that sits quite central, do you think it could be a good alternative choice?

[anastasiawortham]

So what about bareback pads with additional padding on either side of the spine? The mule I've been handling and thinking about buying is an angel (probably because I don't hit him but that's another story). I've always ridden my horses with an extra padded bareback pad and a hackamore or bosal. I don't know much about mules other than the few I've been around are amazing to handle and extremely intelligent. I'm just wondering if that type of set up would be appropriate for a mule

[countchocula]

Can Mules be ridden with a good compact wool bareback pad?

[utbp]

Hmm, some saddles are worse..on a 3/4 bar saddle If that front cinch is place farther back (saddle design) rather than way up front and has a deep pocket seat, it wont rock anything like you demo. On my horses, I never use a rear cinch, and of course the back of the saddle doesnt flopp either, this is partly due to the horse build and of the front mounted D ring is an extra inch or so to the rear..I'm also saying this type of fit might be suitable

[rebeccariel]

So.... what about Australian Saddles? Where do they fit in the saddle mix? Would an Aussie saddle fit a mule?

[lisaelliott]

“Standards low enough to ride a horse” LMAO

[lucasa]

What about treeless saddles? Since they don’t have a tree they can usually handle alot more change in muscles.