Josepe: Could you introduce yourself briefly? What's your name, how long have you been practicing horseback riding, and how did you start riding mules?
Enrico: My name is Enrico Maria Scolari, I am 54 years old. I have been riding horses competitively since I was a boy, and at the age of 17, I started training horses. When I was 21, I began working on a large farm as a cowboy and stayed there for 18 years. After leaving, I started my own horse training center as a freelance professional. Mules have always been a dream of mine since I was a boy, and I managed to realize it 30 years later. My first mule's name is Brillantino (Brillantino trotter × Martina franca), who is now 20 years old. With him, I performed for 15 years all over Italy. In 2013, I participated in the MISEC and cabaret in Avignon. Currently, I have three other mules: Lyrian, a mulapony with whom I do long rein work with caprioles; with Ettore, I perform a liberty act, and the last mule, Futuro, as his name suggests, will be Brillantino's future.
Mules
Josepe: Why did you choose to ride mules instead of horses?
Enrico: I ride both mules and horses. I have 30 horses in training.
Josepe: In what environment do you ride your horses, and in what environment do you ride your mules?
Enrico: I live in the Maremma Park in Tuscany. I work both my horses and mules in the arena and in the countryside.
Josepe: What, in your opinion, are the main differences between riding a mule and riding a horse?
Enrico: Mules are more intelligent. To train a mule, you must first make it your friend.
Josepe: What are the specific advantages and challenges of riding mules?
Enrico: The advantage is that a mule is forever. The challenge is that it's not for everyone.
Training and Learning
Josepe: What are the most important aspects to consider during the training of a mule for riding?
Enrico: You shouldn't underestimate its physicality. You need to train it well before teaching the technique. The second aspect is its intelligence; a mule cannot be trained with coercive methods.
Josepe: Are there any specific techniques or methods you use to train mules?
Enrico: Each mule has its own method depending on its character.
Josepe: Can you provide examples to illustrate this difference?
Enrico: Hello Joseph! So, try to record a voice note speaking softly so that you can translate it later. Well, let's say that, as we've mentioned, each mule has its own character and is very... they are very sensitive animals, unlike horses, they are much more intelligent. So, you need to try to establish a good human-mule relationship. That said, training methods are technical, similar to horses, so shoulder-in, leg yield, pirouette, half-halt, these are all technical things that can be applied to mules as in horses. The fundamental difference is that before getting to do technical work as with horses, you really need to establish empathy with the mule because otherwise, the mule feels attacked, doesn't understand, and consequently will never be able to give you what you ask of it.
Relationship with Mules
Josepe: How do you comment on establishing a trusting relationship with a mule to progress with work?
Enrico: You know, this question is very subtle because it's a very emotional matter, it really depends on the animal and the person. It's a bit like when you meet a woman; it's not guaranteed that love will spark immediately. It takes really working well, mostly on the emotional and psychological aspect of the animal, so it's something that's quite difficult to describe, let's keep the comparison as if you were courting a woman, you have to court a mule as well, they're extremely sensitive and very touchy, so if you make a wrong move with a mule and it disagrees, the animal shuts down, and you might even lose it permanently because it's an animal that then stops believing in you and in training. Then there's the actual training; you have to work a lot on the mechanical aspect of the animal. Since it's not a horse, the mule needs to do stretching exercises, exercises to maintain its important muscle mass before going on to do work. So, you need to know the mechanics very well and you need to be able to transmit these exercises to the mule calmly. So, it's important to work a lot on its physicality so that it can be a good athlete and then learn the technique you want to teach it.
Josepe: Comment on developing my physique, I'm interested in three people, my impression of myself is limited to a certain extent when I work hard, for muscles, I try to do nice hills with elevation and the type of trot and gallop?
Enrico: It's not just that, it's also working in the arena doing what is commonly done with horses, so working on circles, shoulder-ins, haunches-out, haunches-in, all those exercises for athletic preparation that we commonly do for a horse. So, it's a proper flatwork done well.
Josepe: Can you tell us about an experience where you had to face a particular challenge with a mule?
Enrico: It depends on what you mean by challenge.
Le rôle de la Mule en Italie
Josepe: What is the role of the mule in Italian history and culture? And how does it fit into the contemporary scene? (competition, mountain portage, etc.)
Enrico: In Italy, mules have played an important role as they were part of the Alpine troops and thus were participants in the First and Second World Wars. So in Italy, mules are seen primarily as pack animals, used for logging in forests to carry wood. In recent years, I was one of the first to start riding them, and now in Italy, there's an important trend of having mules mainly for trekking, but they're also used for some western competitions or similar, but mainly for trekking. As for the previous question, I think I understood correctly; the only thing I can tell you is that I managed to train a mule in dressage and haute école. So, what I managed to do through hard work, mainly muscular as I explained, is to get a mule to do a Piaffe, which is very difficult because it has to lower its hindquarters, arch its back, put its weight on its hindquarters while maintaining the rhythm of the trot. So, this was the highest expression. It's a beautiful thing, it's a rarity, I think.
Futur of Mule Riding
Josepe: How do you see the future of mule riding? Do you think it will gain popularity in the future?
Enrico: You know, it depends a lot on whether we're talking about Italy, France, or Europe in general. I think there will definitely be a need for more visibility. And what I see, for example, is that I have a mule that does piaffe, passage, works in haute école, but there are few connoisseurs who appreciate this. Most people, fundamentally, are still a bit reluctant to invest in mules. Think of events like Avignon, a Chauval Passion gala. I've never received an invitation to showcase what I've achieved with Rumolo in Avignon, so to give you an idea, general interest is still very low.
Josepe: So do you think mule shows will have events that highlight the skills of this animal?
Enrico: I think if there are mules like the ones I have, capable of performing exercises comparable to what a horse can do in a show, if these animals could be highlighted, they could serve as a catalyst for the entire world of mules.
Josepe: What advice would you give to riders or owners looking to venture into showcasing mules?
Enrico: Definitely not to improvise because mules are not horses, so always seek the help of a professional, especially for the training phase, and then, what is more important in Italy than in France is to advertise as much as possible, trying to expand on the reasons why a mule is important. So, those who do show jumping, dressage, trekking, western riding, find them, highlight them, and promote them on social media to attract more people to approach this animal.
Josepe: Do you have anything else to add on the topic of mules and riding?
Enrico: Look, I don't know if I can add more, but I really hope that the world of mules rightfully takes its place in general horsemanship. I will continue to invest in mules, in training mules, and I hope that one day I can share my knowledge through clinics or meetings where I can explain, teach, and help those who approach this world to better manage their mules. So I can tell you that I'm available professionally to eventually do clinics or meetings for people interested in improving with their mules.
Josepe: Do you have any online contacts or others you would like to connect with?
Enrico: I am available, as I said, for anyone who wants to do internships or clinics without any problem.
You can find Enrico on his Facebook, or his website, if anyone is willing to go see him in Italy I would certainly be there!
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