3 minute read
Learning to Share the Road, Two Mules at a Time
Learning to Share the Road, Two Mules at a Time
Photos by Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo
By Leonard Shapiro
Mae and Kate, a pair of four-year-old Percheron mules, were waiting patiently in front of their barn at Old Denton near The Plains. The goal was to determine just how patient they’d actually remain once confronted with two dozen strangely clad and helmeted visitors about to descend on the neighborhood. That would be a group of area cyclists who pedaled onto the property at the request of Garon and Donna Stutzman, who own the farm. They wanted to help familiarize the two young mules they’ve had since April with these two-wheeled, skin-tight shorts wearing distractions they’re likely to encounter any time they pull a vehicle down country roads.
“We want to de-sensitize (the mules) to the riders and give the cyclists a little education, too, on how to react when they see them on the road,” Donna said.
Long-time area resident Chris Malone, an avid cyclist, recruited some of his fellow enthusiasts to ride over from The Plains. They came to help train Kate and Mae to their first exposure to the two-wheeled crowd. “It’s just about sharing the road,” Malone said. “The rules are all the same. I always try to impress on people the importance of the equestrian community out here, and we have to accommodate them.”
Added Garon, speaking to the cyclists just before the ride, “The goal is to see how we can all get along. You’re in just as much danger as the animal. When you do see an equine, slow down, keep talking to each other, use a calm voice, and everything should be fine.”