Steve Edwards and his wife Susan live on the Queen Valley Mule Ranch in Queen Valley, AZ, where they offer clinics on understanding and training mules, donkeys, and their owners. They focus on partnership with the mule and donkey, teaching how to show, work cattle, drive, pack, and trail ride.
I have been training mules and donkeys for over 30 years. Over the years, I have had a lot of serious accidents both on the trail and in the arena. With 32 broken bones, I have been very lucky to never receive a serious head injury. My family and I have always been in the saddle. My kids never wore a helmet, not even for a bicycle. But now, spending time on the trail with my grandkids, I am sure to put helmets on them when I put mine on. For the past ten years, I have been riding with a helmet. It makes no difference if I am punching cows, packing freight, or trail riding for fun. I have earned my cowboy hat but my helmet is far more important than a cowboy image.
Steve trains both mules and donkeys and educates humans through clinics, apprenticeships, and individualized programs around the world. He has also created a series of instructional videos that teach various mule care, handling and training topics.
Steve designed, developed and currently sells his own line of mule and donkey-friendly saddles and tack created with the rider and the mule's comfort and safety in mind. He offers all the basic equipment used on mules and donkeys for riding, packing, and driving at various levels of training.
Steve has been a featured writer for numerous magazines including Western Mule, Mules and More, Rocky Mountain Rider, Trail Rider, and Bridle and Bit Newspaper. He has also been instrumental in establishing the first Mule Training Apprenticeship Program at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California. In 1998, Steve began the riding and driving program at the Phoenix Zoo. He also trained zoo workers to present informational programs on mules, history and their abilities. You can watch Steve on RFD TV.