The Meanest Mule in the Marine Corps 

Hey everyone, this is Cpl. Young! I'm premiering part two of this video now! Watch and comment, we can talk about it together! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SsU26tL-Hag.html&ab_channel=TeamMLG

LMAO. I remember Alice from when I worked there back in 2010-11. She's not mean. She's just smarter than most of the folks trying to work with her. lol.

I worked for a cattle ranch a few summers and one horse had a reputation for kicking people out of nowhere, biting, and bucking if she stumbled while riding. I noticed when I first started riding her she was constantly flapping her lip a sign of nervousness in horses. After a week of riding her that lip quit flapping and never came back. Only once did she give me trouble during a storm she reared slightly and protested but we continued on without trouble. Twice we stumbled into gopher holes and while jumping over a creek in which I came rolling off. She recovered calmly. Never even thought about kicking or biting me. Poor thing was just handled rough and ignorantly. So sad how these animals get reputations for just trying to communicate their discomfort.

Ha, can’t believe they made a video about Alice, I remember dealing with her back in 2017. My favorite part was during the morning round up when you had to go catch your mule for the day. Alice would always walk straight towards people and volunteer as most the others ran around. She knew what she was doing

“Give her the pets and love she needs because… she knows her worth.” Great words!

This Young lady handled grumpy Alice very well, using patience and kindness.

Alice may be a little stubborn, but she's still beautiful.

In 1996, my Marine unit went to Bridgeport. Mountain training. I was one of few that got to attend mulepackers course. My mule was Aubrey. We loaded up the mules and climbed Mountains. Great experience!

A little tip for when your picking her feet, lean up against her a bit more and hold her foot more from the front rather then holding her leg and if you bring out her back feet a bit further while you pick them, it makes it harder for her to pull her foot away and makes it harder for her to kick you, plus, she might relax her leg a bit more. That's just what I do with my horses and mules and most of them are very similar to Alice, and it seems to work pretty well with them so I hope that it might help! :) also, thank you so much for your service!! 💚

The absolute amount of sass that mule has, is unbelievable. She is incredibly smart, she was entirely messing with her. Waiting til she has the hoof, then pulling it away. Making sure to never hurt her, but also making it known that as the mule she is 100% the boss and not to forget it.

My grandpa was a mule man, he had working mules and always had one that was for riding only. Something he said I’ve always remembered, a mule will wait 20 years for the perfect opportunity to kick your brains out. LOL

Brings back memories. My old man retired from the Corps in 1962 as a Gunny. He claimed to be a pilot in the old Horse Marines in 1941. “Pile it here, then pile it there.” Still miss him.

That was the coolest thing I've seen. We have a mule, the nicest mule in the world, and use her to ride in the hills near our place in S. Oklahoma. Mules are the smartest animal in the world. Never forget that. Well done Marine

I think it's awesome they still teach these skills. If the worst ever happens, it's gonna be mules and horses hauling all of our crap around.

That is the biggest mule I’ve ever seen. Alice seemed knew what she was doing, the lady handled the mule very well.

I’m glad to see the pack animals are still used in the military.

This is S/Sgt T. Smith. I began the Marine Corps Animal Pack Program back in the mid 80's. They sent me to Bud Nelson packing school in Jackson Hole Wyoming to learn how to pack mules. Wow, it's come along way from my humble beginnings. Semper Fi

This is where I learned that raising your hand when asked "who knows how to ride a horse" is the wrong answer if you don't want to spend your time at Bridgeport packing mules and donkeys. Everybody else in my platoon went to assault climbers course. Myself and a guy from Texas who raised our hands went to packers course. I heard assault climber course was fun. Packer course was just OK. If you grew up on a ranch or farm in the western US you probably won't be learning anything new other than the stock they have at the course is really soured from year in and year out working with Marines who have no idea what they are doing. If you end up in this course stuff cornbread from the chow hall in your cargo pockets at breakfast and use it for rewards when your mule or donkey does your ask. It will save you a lot of heartburn in the long run if you get started on a good note with your assigned animal.

“She’s being really good today!” Alice: *And I took that personally.*

Well done Corporal Rachel K. Young, Alice is a big, powerful and formidable mule, with her own mind. She's very scary, and must be respected. Rachel you were great!

I feel like every time you hugged/ petted her she smiles (look at her eyes and however so slightly the eyelids go up, like when your smiling really big) or said she knew her worth! I loved how Alice was also messing with you with her hooves but not trying to hurt you! Thank you for being kind and patient to her!

We had a Pack String on the Lowman, Idaho District of the Boise National Forest..during the 1970's. The mules were surplus Army Mules. We used Decker Pack Saddles. When you put the saddle on, we had to make it extra tight because the Mule would blow up his or her stomach for their comfort. They are pretty smart. Quite the animal. In case you are wondering, I am 90 years old.

Somebody didn't handle Alice right when she was younger. Mules never forget.

Okay but that moment at 0:42 when you can see Alice truly enjoying the bit of affection she is getting from the marine

I have watched this a dozen times, with a grin! You are SO GOOD... with her. So patient and forgiving . I think Alice thinks so too!

Just some advice if you would like it. When picking up the feet. Once it's off the ground rub the mule over the legs and belly and chest until they relax a little. Make it feel good to have their feet off the ground. Talk to a farrier about the proper way to hold up a foot. She was tossing you around a little but she is a big girl. Dont just drop the foot when done. Lower it to the ground, that way she wont be expecting and bracing for the foot to fall and she will get softer. Good on you for having fun with the mules!!!

For the people saying this mule wasn't trained right in the beginning, it's not that simple. It doesn't matter how well trained a mule or horse was or if they had the best trainer. Horse's and Mules will relapse and develop bad habits again when they are being handled by inexperienced people often because they are smart enough to understand after a while that you don't know what you're doing and they will take advantage of that.

All I know is as a former Marine I can see the love you have for the horse and your job! Semper Fi Marine!

Lol. I grew up on a farm and we had a mule. I loved him so much. He bonded with me I suppose because he saw me when I was just a baby till I was about 15. He was pretty ornery with everyone else. We were best buds so he was always gentle with me.

Alice isn't mean: at her size and weight, if she were mean, a human wouldn't come out of the encounter intact! The sad thing I've observed around mules is that too many humans dislike them, &/or believe the trope about them being "stubborn." Mules will assert themselves and will show resentment if they aren't treated well. Alice reminded the marine she was dealing with another sentient being, not a machine! This marine was kind, patient, & persistent. I hate to think how many humans Alice has had experience with who were determined to "show her who's boss," without regard for her feelings and intelligence. Kudos to this marine, and to Alice.

"I feel like we connect on that level of being as*holes" haha this woman is a legend.

The phrase "ornery as a mule" certainly fits Alice. 😊💞

I'm laughing my ass off watching this gal wrestling her mule, knowing full well I'd have been kicked to death just trying to brush it. Great vid.

Omg Her and Alice need their own RU-vid channel

My grandfather had a mule when he was in the marines, the mule’s name was Washburn and he would tell me stories of the adventures he and Washburn went thru. Thank you so much for bringing those stories back to me.

Wow, 20 years a Marine and I never knew the USMC had four legged mules. All the mules I met only had two legs.

My Grandfather was a "mule man". He loved them. In the early 1900's he bought, sold, and moved mules between Arkansas and Oklahoma and he was only 13! I remember riding on one with him in the early 50's when I was a kid. They are truly smart and strong animals.

I'm a a Marine, I was in from 1992 to 1997. I had no idea that the corps has a place like this. I would have signed up for this in a heartbeat! Great job Marine, you showed your true colors with this animal. Most people would be mean to an animal. Most animals are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. It's not always about breaking/ being mean to any animal to earn their trust. Thank your for your service Marine. Stay safe out there. Semper Fi!

They get the littlest Marine to handle a mule as big as a truck? God Bless this girl for having the patience and sticking with Alice. 👍USA🇺🇸

i am so proud of all you Marines. you all took care of us Navy guys so much. Thank you for all you do every day and thank you Alice

This woman melts my heart, love her perseverance with this Missouri Mule.

During ww2, my grandfather was one of the only survivors out of a 100 men that were using mules and horses to transport supplies to camps on difficult terrain. He lived a very interesting life that always seemed to center around horses!

Dude I love how that woman was so patient with her. And on another note damn is that mule huge

Cpl. Young is a GEM! Thank you

Nice to see someone treat a more misunderstood/difficult horse with kindness and respect. I Had a horse that mishandled to the point of near abuse. He was pretty nasty and untrusting. The stunned look on his face when I didn't hit him for trying to bite me but grabbed his head and patted him instead was heart wrenching. It took a year to fully gain his trust in all situations, but what a loyal friend for many years then was he. He would go through a forest fire for me knowing I would never ask him to do anything that would hurt him. Go Rachel!! Keep at it.

Serious props to this woman for being so kind and professional. Love to see the positive reinforcement she used. Amazing how educated she is when she said "when I find her getting stressed out I give her a little break." Very well done. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND TREATING THIS MULE SO KIND. You give me hope🌌💙🌠

Alice is a Very Big Mule and you treated her right. Well Done. Mules that big can be intimidating. You showed strength and determination with kindness and consideration, great choices. thanks for sharing God Bless you and the animals and the Marine Corps Thanks again.

The brighter the horse/mule/pony the more “difficult” they can be. Alice obviously knows exactly how things are supposed to be done, and sees no reason why she should accept anything but the right way! Tough on the trainees (a school mistresses!) But once she accepts you, she’s the one you want to be working with in a tight spot!👍

Smart as a Donkey, Strong as a Horse and with a Tenacity you just can't help but respect.

Awww! She's not mean. I love a good mule. When they realize you're a good person, they'll try their heart out for you.

Hard-headed Marine mule. Makes me so proud. Outstanding job, Devil Dog.

I have a new love...Alice. Please post more of this beautiful Mule and her caretakers.

I've been around mules and love them. You are doing a great job with Alice. Not all mules act that way, regardless of what is said in the comments. Most don't act that way because they have chosen not to act that way. Extremally smart.

Aw Alice. Mules are so straight in the hind end, not uncommon for the heavy guys to be stiff and not want to extend for picking the feet. You showed her a lot of patience and that's wonderful that the Marine Corps still works with mules. What a skill to have.

The stubborn horses are the best. They teach us so many valuable lessons. Sometimes it can be difficult to work with them but they make us better horsemen, horsewomen, and everyone in between. I went to a camp a while back and was given a very difficult horse. She was sick of her job, she was old, and she was sassy. Every time I would come up to her, she'd throw herself against me and crush me against the wall, then would try to kick me when I would try to jump out from behind her (I couldn't jump in front of her either, because she was tied to the wall). She was very difficult and it took a while to make any progress. She was a little easier in the saddle. No buck, no rear, but she was stubborn and lazy, so was unwilling to do anything more than a jog. She was extremely cinchy, as the camp counsellors would tug the cinch as tightly and quickly as they could to get it over with. I always took the longest to tack up, but by the end of the camp, she was okay with me tacking her up because I went slow and gave her lots of praise when she deserved it, but I also corrected sour behavior. The worst part was, I wasn't very good at working with horses on the ground at this time. I had my fair share of lazy horses that didn't want to to, and I thought *those* horses were intimidating! So though it was almost terrifying for me, I walked away from that camp as a much better horseperson and as someone who enjoyed working with the problem horses because the end results are so rewarding. I was so happy when she finally let me tack her up and would extend into a more medium trot. Okay, enough of my rambling. my point is that the "mean", "lazy", or "dangerous" horses can sometimes be the best horses to learn from, because they teach us so much about how to use our body language and how to cooperate with such a powerful animal

I was in the Marine Corps and never even knew that they did stuff like this. Pretty cool!

That was awesome. No question there's a bond. Big sister, little sister?... She knew when to back off. Great video.

Once you get a mule's trust, it's worth it's weight in gold.

MY great uncle was a muleskinner in France in WW1. He moved ammunition, artillery shells, food, and water to the front. I have photos of him with his mules and outfit. Wish I could send them to you. I found this in his things from an Army newspaper. He lost his hearing and a toe to frostbite. He was never the same after the war. " An American private, astride a water barrel that was being drawn by a mule to the front, told the mule what he thought of the animal's balking in the middle of the road that was constantly being shelled by the Germans when a direct hit was made on the mule. The mule vanished from sight save his head, which was thrown several yards up the road, and a couple of legs, which were left hitched to the cart. The driver was thrown from his seat unhurt. He got up on his feet, wiped the mule from his face, and said to a much shaken comrade who hugged the earth nearby " That what the damned cuss gets for balking!" " Thank you for your service. Glad we didn't have mules when I was in the Army at West Point, except a couple for football games. Maybe you could ship your mean mule off to West Point!

I love how every loving pat produces a cloud of dust. Earthy equine!

Alice rocks but the Corporal rolls!!. Most enjoyable. Good Marine!!!

Loved this! Alice knows when she has a greenhorn. ;) Looks like she had a Belgian dam. We didn't have mules on our little hobby farm, but Dad started raising donkeys. They're much smarter than horses, which is where mules get it from. Willing horses will do themselves to death for you. Mules and donkeys say, dangerous for me? Screw you! Stand back and let me think, and if I figure out a safe way, *then* we'll proceed.

YeeHaa! Warm greetings from a retired USAF SMSgt. I was raised using a farm mule (Kentucky), and I know they can be difficult. I appreciate that Cpl. Young held her own with the Lady and got her tacked out for the day's duty roster. God bless!

I remember joint mountain warefare training with the mule unit at Bridgeport CA back in the 80s. USMC was the only military unit to maintain a mule unit prior to Afghanistan. Semper Fi!

I worked there for a short while back in the 90s. Quite the place! Back then Sir John was still around. Special time.

I spent 23 years in the Navy and served alongside the Marines. I never knew the Marines had mules.

She is for sure a mule person and she did a great job! Mules work for kindness a lot better than they do aggressive people.

Had a beautiful grey appaloosa mustang gelding once. He was cranky, especially in the mornings. But hey, so am I. So we actually connected on a pretty good level. Best trail and ranch horse I ever rode. I like Alice; reminds me of him. By the way, well done corporal hanging in there. Thats how its done. Cpl. USMC 1975-77 Hoorah!

My dad, (retired CSM and veteran of WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam), told me that mules or horses that would kick had their tails shaved so that people would know not to walk behind them. Hence the term "shave tail."

Alice is just precious and needs her own RU-vid channel lol. It looks like she makes you work for the privilege of being in her amazing presence.

That young lady would be a great elementary school teacher, smart, strong, and above all patient.

LOL! I'm in love with Rachel! She's awesome!

Delightful in every way. I adore her spunk. 😂

These two will make a wonderful team if given the chance. The first few weeks may be tough but gosh you guys are both worth it. Every thing you can learn will go in your own tool box to keep forever!

Alice likes this lady and is really cooperative. Love the petting and hugs. Calling her a good girl helps too.

Well done. Just keep at it for success. Thank you for sharing Alice w/ us.🐴

I I’m love with Alice!!! That mule is smarter than the people pushing themselves on her. Great video

Alice is magnificent! And I really appreciated how the tenacious young Marine kept her cool while Alice played with her little. And in the end, Alice was saddled! Looks like these folks have THE BEST jobs in the military!!! Stay safe! Great job! Much love!

Oh that lady handled it so well, by being patient and not getting angry.

It takes all kind of bravery to make our military great!😂😂 God Bless you all with a safe journey home!

This marine is a beast. Well they all are but there something special about this one. Thank you all for your bravery and service

This reminds me of a story an old marine told me. Many years ago when he served, there was a big black gelding named Blackjack. He was known to be mean as hell, bolt, buck, you name it he’s done it. He said they’d always put the newbies on him and tell them he was the gentlest horse they got. Then old Blackjack would take off with them, leave them in a field somewhere and come trotting back to the stables without his rider. 😂

A rowdy Marine named Alice. lol

I think Alice is just " training" each class that comes thru!🇺🇸😇🇺🇸💓

You little badass...what a great peek into the "lesser known" of the USMC. I wish you and Alice a fond friendship and rewarding careers.!@! Semper Fi

I love these big draft mules! And Alice's very capable two-legged friend knows how to be patient and loving while gaining her cooperation. A wonderful video.

That's the largest mule I've ever seen. To me, they have draft horses in them. That's one powerful animal. I like Corporal Young's attitude towards Alice. To be nice and patient sets the proper tone, and establishes a good relationship with the mule. Once you get in those mountains, her life will depend on Alice.

Oh I get it! It’s like a pre-trip inspection for mules. Awesome!

I had no idea the Marines had mules. Time for some searching/education. Thanks for sharing.

THAT. WAS. EPIC! LOL! As an equine trainer myself for 40 years, I have to say that the trouble with mules is when you cant train them from the start yourself. People get them when they are older, by then, they have picked up ALL kinds of bad habits because NOBODY holds them accountable for anything! People tend to say, "Oh well, its a mule, its stubborn." They use it as an excuse to be lazy with training. Mules have the ability to be trained as well as any horse so long as you hold them to the same standards. Unfortunately, people dont! Thats when you end up with a mule like Alice! (and I can see that she is half draft horse! Too big to be so unruly!)

You did really well. It was a lesson in patience and understanding. If you were the only one handling Alice, I suspect she would begin to relax more during the whole process.

Good job grooming and tacking up Alice!

Good job Marine, we've all known some Alice's in our lives. She's just too darn smart !

Miss Malice. Now I know where that saying about 'stubborn' comes from. She's bloody gorgeous though... Being a total diva, but I hope she's never actually intentionally hurt someone. She's a BIG girl. ❤️

Thanks for sharing a slice of life from your day. Made me think of my late uncle. Mules are one hella smart animal. My uncle used to own a pack station in the Sierra Nevada mountains. He would have traded every one of his horses for a mule if he could have. They don’t founder as easy, they are more sure-footed, they can carry more, etc. You just have to watch out - they can kick in all four directions, unlike a horse.

I've never seen a mule that big...i bloody love it

That was a loverly feel good video thank you. !! God bless all you hidden Angles!! Love from England. X.

That’s the exact temperament I’d expect from a marine mule. 🙌

Subtitles: "Alright guys, so today I'm going to ATTACK Alice."

Just from the title alone, I already know that I love this mule❤