S5 E8: The path to mules - with Ellen Cochrane

I’m delighted to welcome Ellen Cochrane back to An Equine Conversation. We heard from Ellen in Season 4, talking all about equine agility and The International Horse Agility Club. This episode is something quiet different: We’re hearing about Ellen’s journey to and experiences in working with mules, both her own mule Inara, and her voluntary efforts in supporting humans working with mules in Morocco to improve welfare outcomes for animals and people. I get tingles even thinking about this episode & what Ellen has been involved with. I hope you find the episode as educational and inspiring as I have.

 

Ellen Cochrane:

Ellen Cochrane is from Worcestershire, England. She is a positive reinforcement trainer who works with a variety of equines and their humans through her business Gaia Horsemanship and as part of her work with the International Horse Agility Club - listen to Season 4, Episode . Ellen works mostly with horses in England but she has a huge passion for mules which started in 2014 when she started working to improve mule welfare in Morocco. Ellen works in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco helping muleteers to improve the welfare of their working mules by improving knowledge and communication and using kinder equipment, plus Ellen is the UK ambassador for Moroccan-based equine rescue charity, Jarjeer Donkey and Mule refuge. Ellen has her own mule, Inara, who has gone from unhandled and fearful of humans to Horse Agility World Champion. 

 

In this episode we discuss: 

1:26 - Merry Christmas!

3:10 - introduction to today’s episode & guest

7:26 - Ellen’s horsie origin story

10:20 - how positive reinforcement came into Ellen’s world

12:20 - Ellen’s herd

18:09 - conditions & context

22:15 - what’s haylage?

25:04 - how Ellen got involved with mules - a request to go to Morocco

27:46 - the work done by the mules in the mountains of Morocco

30:18 - where the work with mules & humans began

32:33 - what even is a mule & mule breeding

36:41 - what happened after the first trip, working alongside muleteers

42:00 - how does the communication happen: language & gender roles

45:28 - engaging effectively with the male muleteers as an English woman

46:59 - the primary things Ellen helps muleteers with

52:54 - being sought out & the muleteers ‘paying it forward’, a story showing how amazing mules are

55:26 - mule social needs

56:28 - the amazing work of the Jarjeer Mule and Donkey Trust

1:00:36 - trips to Morocco now & contrasts

1:02:32 - getting a mule back at home

1:09:26 - going back to Morocco

1:12:42 - tips for working with mules

1:16:47 - finding out more & supporting

1:19:35 - huge thanks to Ellen for all her efforts

1:23:24 - wrapping up this episode & Season 5 of An Equine Conversation

 

Links from Ellen:

Gaia Horsemanship Website: www.gaiahorsemanship.co.uk

Gaia Horsemanship Facebook: www.facebook.com/gaiahorsemanship

It’s A Mule’s Life Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsamuleslife

Jarjeer Donkey and Mule refuge Website: https://www.jarjeer.org/

Jarjeer Donkey and Mule refuge Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jarjeermules

 

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