If trail riding is what you do, a mule all day long. Mules are incredibly intelligent, sure footed, and will out work a horse all day in any terrain. They have hard feet and can be rode barefoot in most places. Only drawback is that you may need specific tack to fit your mule. Saddle fit on your mule (as with any equine) is important. I have ridden some fine saddle mules in the past, I would own one myself if it weren't for the wide variety of things I do with a good horse.

Ours was named Peaches. No lie. You could just tell she hated you when she saw you coming w a halter - and then she proceeded to run to the far side of the trap.

Interesting side note:

The Butterfield Overland stage which ran weekly in both directions from Saint Louis to San Francisco in the late 1850's entered Texas just outside Denison and exited north of El Paso with line stations to swap fresh equine about every 20 to 30 miles.

They preferred to use horses, but in traversing Texas they used mules almost exclusively. Reason was that Indians (Comanche's) would not steal the mules….but they would steal the horses incessantly.

You will love a mule for trail riding, just don't take it up to a trot. They are bone jarring at that gait. Years ago I team roped with a group of guys one of whom rode a mule. Funniest thing you ever saw. That mule would give it his all, but just did not have the agility of a good horse. It frustrated him to the point of occasionally getting mad at a steer and taking a big bite out of its ass.

dr-boogs Same here, dunno why anyone would think children and Shetlands are a good match. Ours was the peach tree scrape. Bout 5, they saddle up two, brother and I. Shetlands head directly for peach orchard and the lowest hanging branches they can find, screaming and yelling, the damn things scrape us off. Gotta learn to be tough Granddaddy says, so back up and here we go. This time to the creek where the damn things stop in the middle and go down and roll us off in the water. They were sold the next day!

December 1998, brought home this mare mule, at 6 months old. Was not very creative, named her "Mollie". As a future saddle mule, training began, first getting her used to working on her feet, then some pen work (a square pen can readily be used for "round pen" training), first on a long lead rope, then just loose. Getting her to respond to visual cues, and where I placed myself, she developed the "you're the boss" attitude....sometimes.

The stubborness associated with mules IS (in my opinion) related to them being smart, plus the self-preservation instinct....but that contributed to some longer-than -anticipated training sessions. Such as crossing a measly 4-5 ft wide muddy water area, she acted as if I was condemning her to death....until she finally tried it, then we crossed, and re-crossed it, nothing to it.
Early on we needed to cross a wooden bridge, water flowing, so a dual "threat" to her. Fellow riders on horses went back and forth across the bridge (show and tell??), finally about the 10th approach, she tentatively started across, then finished at a trot. And crossed it w/o hesitation on the return.
Her hybrid vigor becam apparent on any riding of a few hours, many of the horses were winding, Mollie was still raring to go.

Trained her for roping, using goats, because that's what one neighbor had them for....quite the challenge, more for me, than her. Damn goats can do a 90 degree turn, in mid-air!
Have never put shoes on her, she did develop laminitis in one front hoof, about 7 years ago, thought she was done with riding, but it repaired itself.
One great plus early on, her occasional aloofness or being uncooperative, always disappeared under saddle, she has always been reliable in use.

Always have used just a tail crupper, never seemed to bother her, even on long days.
She was hell on dogs and coyotes, in her younger days, now much more tolerant at 26 years old...wife and I did watch her chase a wild hog, about a 30 second adventure, would have been a great video!

Granddaughter likes the ugly mule