I got a mule, her name is Sal,
15 miles on the Erie Canal.

I spent three hours with Gypsy today. I put her on a halter and walked her around the pasture. She kept her head low which told me she's comfortable and low key.

The other horse, Melody, that shares pasture with her became really jealous. I was walking Gypsy down a path at one point and heard Melody Neigh so loud from a distance. I knew what was coming next. I nudge gypsy telling her we need to pick up pace and just as we were at the end of the trail, Melody came galloping up besides us and she was trying to smoosh me between the two of them. Luckily, I had moved over some before hand so I wasn't too squished, but when she came up beside me I smacked her on the withers and she veered off in the other direction, moving her hindquarters furthest from me. Gypsy didn't panic or anything. she kept looking behind her.

Melody is very intimidating to Gypsy who is quick to get out of her way even from a distance.

The owner of the farm told me I could borrow her saddle and gave me a bridle to use, but I'm not using it for a while. she also showed me where the whip was so I could lunge gypsy. my first order of business is to give the horse a good grooming. The owner of the farm says she grooms Gypsy once a week but I beg to differ. Her mane is matted and she is very dirty, but in otherwise good shape.

Her hooves are a bit chipped, but the owner of the farm says I just need to file them down.

so what does everyone think? Gypsy is not very dominate and she likes to nudge me a lot. She likes to be petted and given attention.

She needs to be sprayed with flyspray, but I am told Gypsy flips out when they try to spray her. They have the biggest flies on that farm and at one point she was bleeding a bit.

I am also told she sometimes spooks on crossties.

We made an agreement that someone would always be with me no matter what it is that I'm doing. Because there's only verbal contracts involved

Give it a week or 2. She's going to make strange till she gets a feel for you. Sounds like you are starting off well, but it will still take time for her to relax as well.

As far as the bugs and fly spray go. Either drop a cloth over her face and spray her down if she'll tolerAte it then or saturate a rag with the fly spray abd rub her down till she's damp. Don't forget to get in her ears.

thats what I always did

you need to snap a pic and show her to us

That's a good idea. Apparently she doesn't like the sound of spray when it comes out of a bottle or water when it comes out of a hose.

I'll try the whole spray the cloth bit. That should be no problem.

I also wanted to see how easily she'd let me pick her leg up to clean her hooves. She was pretty willing but with all the flies, she became annoyed and immediately put her leg down before I could get a grip.

Seriously, there are flies that are like 3 inches long there. I'm not even kidding. I've never seen anything like it.

Yeah, I'll def takes pictures but someone has to tell me how to post pics on here.

One other thing, the horse that is also in pasture with her is also a paint. Her owner told me I could borrow her horse's saddle and she showed me a bridle I could use. The saddle is a size 16.

Hmmm...Melody is the alpha...ok. She needs to be yarded whilst you work Gypsy. No distractions, no dramas.

Second on the list...find a farrier...you said she is shod...and yet her hooves are chipped...hmmm...they sound barefoot and long to me.

Do you guys use Pyrethrine based fly sprays?

Also, to get her settled with hosing down, stand with her when you start the hose, on a lead, not tied...and hose the ground near her feet.

If she remains relaxed, hose her feet, and legs....don't move it up her flanks, or chest or back until she is completely relaxed with the hose after some time. If she is flighty and edgy straight up with the hose, then just each time when you get there, and before you leave spend 5 minutes hosing the ground around her...

They are intelligent animals, and can be retrained to settle quicker, once they figure out it won't hurt them...(always check the water temps...hoses get hot in summer)

I suspect the nudging is from the flies....and will disappear once she gets relief...

yeah, I don't plan to have Melody around. I can already see a potential injury with her around.

Actually, her feet aren't that bad looking. And she is shod. When I say chipped, i don't mean huge chips. Its chips on the outside, where the shoe doesn't cover. I don't know if I can explain it.

I'm not sure what type of fly spray they use. I didn't have a chance to look at it. why?

The type of spray used to control fly bites is important....well to me...I wouldn't use poison on my skin, or my children's....and Pyrethrine based is a natural based product....it's what we use here.

Gypsy's feet, she sounds, from what you are explaining, like she is due for reshoeing, it sounds as though the hoof has grown....ask when was the last time the farrier was out....how many weeks ago...my horse's feet were trimmed every six weeks, as they were on soft ground and pasture...

We didn't do any road work with the horses, so didn't bother with shoeing.

The owner of Gypsy doesn't like pesticides and she was thinking of getting an all natural spray, but we weren't sure if it would still work the same.

The next time I speak with her, I will ask if she knows the last time the farrier was out.