After looking around we went to the tied out mules. I have to say that even after one short glance I knew that the black one was the nicest looking mule I had ever seen. Henry still wasn't there but he had a helper who talked to us until Henry showed up with a team of black mules and a farm wagon. He awed me by backing and docking the wagon without any problems at all! Henry showed us the mules who were still tied out. The blonde and the gray were nice to be around and easy to touch and have their feet picked... of course I didn't like the look of them! The black was NOT TRAINED at all. He tied and you could halter and lead him but I couldn't touch him nor would he let me stand next to him. He would swing to face me if I tried. Forget trying to touch his legs or pick his feet! I asked Henry to trot the mules out of the barn one at a time. I thought it would be a pretty good indication of their personality because I didn't think that they had been out of the barn since they had been put in it several months before [no outside paddocks]. The blonde and the gray couldn't trot out or lead and both spooked all over the driveway. Then came the black. You might not be able to stand next to him but he had a wonderful, straight, floating trot without any spooks. I took him from Henry and lead him around for a while and was able, after 15 minutes, to touch him a little. It was almost dark and Sue and I had to leave. I told Henry that I really liked the black one....Sue, the horse person, thought he was the nicest looking mule she had ever seen!

We went home and I thought about what I had seen and decided that I would just have to take a chance on the black one since I couldn't find anything else. He was pretty, 16-1 hands and would fit all the carriages and had a great neck and a balanced overall body type. Conformationally he was everything I could want - you just couldn't touch him! I called Henry the next day and left a message - he called me back and we negotiated a price and I arrainged for a friend to pick him up the next week. It was now the last week in January 1996 and when the, now named John Henry, mule arrived it was 12 midnight and zero degrees the first week in February. My husband and I met the truck at the barn and I was so excited I got in the stock trailer to see John Henry and he was all over me like flies on sugar! It occurred to me right then and there that this was not the right mule or he had a lot of training in the last two weeks! I reserved my comments until the next day when I could get a better look at him. I was out to the barn early the next day to look at my mule and decided that this mule was 16-2 hands, 2 years old, narrow chested, bare foot in front, had and angular rear and a thin neck and was REALLY friendly. The mule I bought was just 16 hands, 3 years old, had shoes in front, a very well proportioned head and neck, was wide chested and VERY afraid of everyone! I definitely was sent the wrong mule! I called Henry when I got home but it was later Saturday and, although I left a message, I knew that he wouldn't call me back until Monday or Tuesday because they go to church all day on Sundays. While I waited for the call I did ground work with the wrong mule. He stood on cross ties and begged for food and was VERY friendly. The first day I took him on a walk down the driveway and out on to the country road and when I got tired I turned around and started home....a mistake! After we turned around he immediately bolted out of my hands and galloped all the way back to the barn! Not a good sign! After that I never lead him anywhere without a chain thru his mouth! Other than routine maintenance I didn't do anything with this mule after that - I didn't want to get hurt dealing with the wrong mule!

I finally talked to Henry on Tuesday night and the first thing I said was "Henry, you sent me the wrong mule!" He said "Oh, you noticed".... after I got over the shock of THAT remark we got down to business and I made arraingements for my friend to take back the wrong mule and pick up my John Henry and I made Henry pay for this return trucking! This is what I think happened... Henry had 3 single mules. He or his helper picked them out of the group and tied them to the railing. Then Henry leaves and goes off the farm. I show up and look at the mules and decided on the black mule and have him shipped. What I didn't know was that the black mule I saw was mistakenly tied out and was one of a pair and Henry didn't want to sell me that mule so he sends me the black single mule I never saw. I don't think he thought that I could tell the difference - after all I'm only a woman! Well, the wrong mule got trucked back two weeks later and I got my John Henry ..... and that's only the beginning of the story.....