25/02/2026
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A few days ago I mentioned there being a difference between being assertive and aggressive in interacting with our mules.
Aggressiveness (ours) usually stems from OUR frustration with a situation. Our feeling that somehow, the animal is intentionally trying to p*e us off. Our lack of tools or understanding of the situation and ways to resolve it.
There are times, one has to move the feet to get the mind BUT other times (more generally) in our working with these intelligent animals…you have to get the mind with you to move the feet in the way you’ve asked.
Moving the feet, as another animal of leadership status would do, will get their attention or get them to engage with you. Too much energy or aggression will cause them to disengage…move away from you physically and mentally.
Aggression will nearly always get them to want to move away…to flee or bolt. The head may be trapped by your gear but the rest of the animal is leaving you.
This conduct can make your animal hard to catch, tense in your presence and put them in a state of low-grade anxiety in your presence.
Assertive behavior, in context with the ‘herd dynamic’ will tend to get your animal to engage or ‘converse’ with you rather than seek comfort away from your zone of influence.
They will be more willing to take direction if you ‘speak’ the language.
They tend to speak softly and raise their ‘voices’ only if necessary. Often, we become too loud too quickly. Or, we don’t present a clear, consistent cue.
In essence, we confuse the animal yet try to force motion.
The mix of inconsistency along with the flight instinct of the animal can become a swirl of frustration for all parties involved. Thus, we become louder, more expressive and aggressive in our presentation.
Assertive action has its place when you know, KNOW…the animal understands what you’re asking. When it consistently executes what you have asked.
You’ll see the ‘thought bubble’ over its head and learn to determine if it’s asking a question or if you need to assert yourself to encourage compliance. Because they are so astute at reading our presentation, (position relative to the animal…in front or behind the drive line, posture, proximity and energy) it may take only a shift in your core to support their thought (answer their question) or assert your leadership to put them in motion.
Much of the miscommunication we have with our animals is not just because we haven’t worked out a mutually meaningful language but because we haven’t learned to control OUR emotions…we transfer our anxieties to the animal and operate under a blanket of contempt…almost daring that critter to misbehave or miss a cue.
Once you grasp, the animal isn’t just trying to frustrate you…you mostly have a ‘failure to communicate’, you disregard your ego and consider the animal’s point of view…aggression will be apparent as a non-solution.
To become fluent in any language takes practice. The language of horses and mules is the same.
