Spanky Hank

A new addition to our farm arrived on Sunday, November 23. He had a long trip home, as he hailed from the Amish country near Arthur, about 3 hours north of us. His name was Spanky and we added a special touch to the end that made him fit into Providence Prairie just right- Hank. Spanky Hank is a full size riding mule. He came from an appaloosa mare and has a beautiful splash of white on his rump along with black spots all over and black striping down his legs. He is such fun to ride and work with. A mule gives the best of both worlds- the horse's and the donkey's! Stubborn as a mule is a common phrase, but mule lovers say that they are very smart, not stubborn- you just need to know how to work with them! We love Spanky Hank's magnificent big ears- watching them flop in a relaxing rhythm on a trail, or prick rigidly forward when he spots something interesting. When we look at a horse, they look as if they are missing something. . . those beautiful big expressive ears! While people may look at a colorful Appaloosa horse, everyone "oohs" and "aahs" over a colorful Appaloosa mule. We like they way a mule sounds, too—it's kind of a silly mix between the donkey bray and the horse whinny, but such fun!

We are proud of Spanky Hank, and yes we are proud to be mule people! If you ever traverse to Providence Prairie, Spanky Hank will be here to greet you as you pull up the lane with his loud whinny-haw!