My name is Maysie Burroughs. I live in the small town of Denair, Calif. I am 13 years old, and I have been riding horses ever since I was a baby.
My parents have helped fuel my passion for horses and have supported me growing and learning as a rider. Together as a family, my mom, my dad, my twin brother, Logan, and I have done multiple competitions and gone on several horse pack trips in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as well as numerous trail rides in the beautiful scenery of California.
I have also competed in 4-H horse shows and extreme trail and cattle pennings and sortings. I love riding in events run by our local arena with my friends. I have won High Point in western pleasure, ranch riding and gymkhanas. A few times I also won extreme trail classes at our county shows. I’m most proud of winning the Ranch Horse Division at the California Classic State 4-H Horse Show this year.
Buddy and Tina
My first horse was a Shetland Pony/Haflinger cross named Buddy. He’s the best pony a kid could ask for, and the closest thing to bombproof. He was around 16 years old when we first got him; as of today, he’s going on 30 and still kicking.
I’ve brought Buddy to several public education events and 4-H demonstrations. He is a favorite to many, and gentle as a kitten. He has touched so many lives, and if it weren’t for him, I would not be the rider I am today.
My current project is Tina, my mule. Tina is a Paso Fino mule, but she’s not gaited. She is around 7 years old and stands 14 hands tall. She was rescued by a lady from the Midwest. When the lady led her off the trailer in Jackson, Calif., Tina was thin and skittish and only a weanling. Weeks of good hay, alfalfa, and grain brought out her glossy, seal-brown coat and cute head.
After a few months, Tina’s rescuer began some groundwork. She taught Tina the basics like how to lead and tie, how to stand still while being groomed, and how to load in a trailer.
A few years later, Tina was sold to a woman named Heidi as a project mule. Heidi taught Tina more groundwork, and a man named Dale started her under saddle. She was also taught how to be a pack mule.
Mules are trained to pack for five main reasons: their agility, strength, mindset, surefootedness, and a strong instinct for self-preservation. These qualities make them ideally suited to handle the tough conditions encountered on steep mountain trails.
Falling in Love
My dad found Tina online when looking for another pack mule for our vacation in the mountains. We had recently bought a mule named Ace for my dad; Ace was also from Heidi. We liked him so much we decided to at least go check out Tina, even if she was a little green.
When we got there, I instantly fell in love with her. She was the tiniest mule there, and she gazed at me through the fence as if to say, “Who are you?”
Heidi caught her, brought her out to us, and showed us how she loaded in the trailer. We also learned how she stood while tied and all of the other basics. Tina stood there looking at me and nuzzling me, and I knew I couldn’t leave her. After some consideration, my parents decided to buy her.
First Pack Trip
Around four weeks later, we loaded everything up and took her on a pack trip with us to the John Muir Wilderness of California. She behaved like an angel and never balked or complained about the trails or surroundings.
We let her loose to graze on meadow grasses and she stuck around the picket lines and the lake where we were staying. She even tried to sneak into camp at times to say hi.
At one point during our trip, she even went swimming with us! I was in charge of her pack string on the trip back, and she behaved extremely well and didn’t get tangled up in the lead or try to go fast or pull away from me.
When we got back, I begged my parents to let me send her back to Heidi to be more thoroughly trained under saddle so I could begin riding her. Lucky for me, they agreed. Heidi kept her for another month or two before I was finally allowed to ride her.
A True Team
Since then, Tina and I have been a team. I have taken her on many trail rides and even to the ocean. I have also ridden her in trail competitions and in horse camps. I like to bring her to 4-H Horse project meetings to show other members what a mule can do.
Tina is sweet and friendly. She doesn’t like to go fast, and typically lags behind in the back on trails. She enjoys running around and grazing in the pastures with her horse friends, and playfully chases our dogs out of the pen near our home.
Tina is a truly special mule, and I wouldn’t trade her for the world. She has helped me discover a deeper appreciation of mules and trail riding. Together, we have developed patience and trust, and that has already taken us a long way!
This article about Maysie and her mule, Tina, appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!
