Description
Medicine Wolf Press, Published 1992. Paperback, 161 pp.; 22 cm; illustrated with black-and-white historical photographs and maps throughout.
Rare, out-of-print & unusual books · Since 1997
112
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Catalog notes
Condition & notes
In very good condition. Glossy pictorial paper covers (a black-and-white historical photograph of a mounted mule rider against a hillside) with light bumping increasing to the edges and corners and mild overall shelf wear. Binding tight; pages clean and unmarked, with a few mild corner creases. Otherwise unmarked.[From back cover] In The Mule Alternative dozens of early westerners share their most exciting experiences, and answer questions that living persons and modern experience can't. Questions like: Why did many early westerners prefer to ride a mule? How do mules really compare to horses in terms of endurance, hardiness, surefootedness, longevity, and manageability? Why have mules fallen into relative disfavor today? Why were oxen popular with last century's pioneers, and how did oxen compare with horses and mules? Is a mule a sensible alternative for a modern rider? ". . . will hook and hold the reader's attention. History buffs and equestrians with an affinity for the mighty mule will be delighted with this book." -- Horse Illustrated. ". . . interesting and entertaining . . ." -- Western Horseman. ". . . a remarkable testimony in praise of the saddle mule." -- Old West Quarterly. "We forget that at one time the West ran on mule power, and that there were good reasons for it. . . . fascinating little book . . ." -- Field & Stream.Contents: The Questions; Who Used Mules?; Testimony From Horse and Mule Users of the Early West; Conclusions From Early Western Field Evidence; Surefootedness, Endurance, and Other Points of Interest; Mule Liabilities; Mules by Sex, Size, and Age; The Mule Popularity Crash; Livestock Prices: Then and Now; A Nutshell Conclusion; Sources; Index.