Rural Heritage June/July 2025

On the last day of the ride, the hitch of mules pass through Bandera, Texas.

their turn to be hooked to the hitch. By that time, Larry was back at camp, inspecting the mules, their harness and the wagon to which they were being hitched. For most of the ride, the mules pulled the wagon unassisted. On the last couple of days, as they traveled in the Texan foothills near San Antonio, Larry rigged up a system whereby the mules would get a little help pulling the wagon uphill and holding it back as it went back down. He attached a pole to the end of the tongue which was fitted with a dolly wheel and attached the other end to the trailer in front. During this time, Larry left the wagon to be driven by Jason Keasling and Alan Maniha and drove the lead truck and trailer hooked to the double pole to the wagon. That way Larry could be in control of the speed of the mules, the wagon, outriders, and other vehicles. In general, the system worked well, although a few corners were too tight for such a long unit and they would need to unhook the pole temporarily.

The group traveled main roads, with two lanes each direction to avoid backing up traffic. In general, Jason and Alan said, drivers were patient and slowed down as they approached the convoy. Larry lost a day when he had to find a farrier to re shoe a couple of the mules.The shoes had been treated with borium spots for traction and improved wear, but it had worn off and the nail crease was worn away. At the end of the ride, I asked ‘Larry why do the ride?’ “That's just my nature, you know,” he said. “That's something that I wanted to do for the last 20, 30 years and didn't get the opportunity to do it. And now at 82, I can afford to do it and I’ve got the time. So I want to live the life they did a long time ago. Just to see how it was, you know.” Another reason Larry rode was to raise awareness and funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. If you wish to learn more about the ride and make a donation, visit www.cowboyslastride.org.

Rural Heritage

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