Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Landscape & Nature Photography => Topic started by: dgberg on August 25, 2013, 10:05:04 am
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A lifetime resident of amish country here in Lancaster County Pa. this is something I have never seen.
Stopped for a quick picture or two of the work mules lined up head to head. (All but one.)
The minute I walked around in front they all changed positions head to tail.
Wish I had a movie of it because not a sound was made they just shifted around.
My goofy names
1st Get your butt outa my face.
2nd. You got my back I've got yours.
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There's a simple explanation... it just so happens that every other mule in the line-up came home from Rumspringa. ;D
(Just so no one misunderstands... I admire and respect the Amish.)
Rand
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Maybe a few horseflies showed up, and the mules went into defensive formation.
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I can't answer your question, but I will say that your subject line is the best on LuLa in many years!
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I am reminded of my first encounter with mules, two mule trains on a Sierra Club High-Light trip back in 1971. Each train was led by a horse (animal racism: the mules would always follow a horse under the assumption that it was a superior being).
On one of the early evenings on the trip, we stopped at the mouth of a canyon to set up camp, and the mules were all untied and set free. The horse leaders began wandering up the canyon, grazing as they went. For a few minutes the mules lined up behind the horse in their usual order, following meekly along. Suddenly one and then another realized that they weren't tied together any more and kicked up its heels and trotted off in a different direction, clearly delighted at the sense of freedom. It took several minutes before all of the mules made the same realization.
They didn't go far, and the crew found it easy to round them up again fro work the next morning.
But I never saw them line up side-by-side, in either order.
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Mules are much smarter than horses.
On mountain trails a horse will kill you just because they tend to be clueless and tend to panic. Mules might not like you, but they are smart enough to avoid killing themselves.
I have heard from lots of packers that mules are attached to mares. Hobble the mare at night and the mules will hang around her through the night and not wander off.
I am hardly an expert on mules, but did get the opportunity to ride both while working.
Oh, cute pictures.
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I've experienced that sheep show the same behavior. As soon as they see you they turn their backs to you. Cattle is the opposite - they start staring at once. I believe that they are more curious.
Harald
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I dunno anything about mules, but with elk if a person draws near a group, the older elk will usually position themselves to block the intruder from the majority of the herd and to protect the baby elk, if they are around. The older elk that are closest to the intruder often point their derrieres towards the intruder and then either pee or poop, which I’m told is a standard fight or flight preparation.
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Ditto for wild horses. In fact I have seen on one occasion elk and wild horses responding to my presence by joining into one herd and going into fight or flight.
Chuck