The Heartwarming Rescue and Fabulous Life of Insta-Famous Humphrey the Mule
Matthew Russell
Erica had always been an advocate for rescuing horses from the racetrack and giving them new homes, but she had never owned a mule until Humphrey came into her life.
Humphrey, a Belgian draft mule, was rescued from the slaughter pipeline. Humphrey was bred by the Amish to plow the fields. Though he measures about 17.2 hands, with his back about six feet long, he he was considered small for the job.
Instagram / humphreythemuleHumphrey is a draft mule who was rescued from slaughter.
A woman working with Rancho Relaxo had asked Erica if she would foster him for a while. Erica agreed to help Humphrey with his health care, and as she spent more time with him, she developed a close bond.
When it was time for Humphrey to go back, Erica's husband said they couldn't let him go. Humphrey became a "foster fail," and a permanent member of Erica's family.
Erica's experience with horses didn't prepare her for the differences she would encounter with mules, and Humphrey proved to be a steep learning curve.
"They are very stubborn. It's not that they don't want to do for you, but they have to do it because they want to do it, where horses are more okay, like you're giving me an aid, I'm going to try for you, where Humphrey's like no, like, I want it, I have to want to do this for you," she says.
Instagram / humphreythemuleHumphrey might be stubborn at times, but he is also a friendly and loving animal.
Erica had to earn Humphrey's trust, but once she did, she could do almost anything with him.
Humphrey wasn't alone on Erica's farm. She had other horses, and he became best friends with Mickey, her 30-year-old thoroughbred. They lived together in a big pasture, and Erica said they were inseparable. However, Humphrey has been a curious mule. Once when Erica was unloading the horse grain, Humphrey got loose and took off across the field. He and Mickey went wandering through town, and Erica had to catch them and bring them home.
"They had traffic stopped at the main light for ways, and everybody was out taking pictures," Erica laughs. "Just to give you an idea of how curious Humphrey really is."
Humphrey has also become a poplar personality on Instagram, which is run by Erica's frield, Lee.
"I am not Instagram savvy," she says. "I have no social media. So my friend Lee does his Instagram content and we make the videos together. She choreographs and I'll put them all together. He had the Instagram just so people could follow his story. I think it's cool when we follow the trends or try to do some fun stuff and dress him up. Humphrey is super outgoing and super sassy and he loves the camera. So it just kind of works."
Instagram / humphreythemuleHumphrey is a sassy mule who is living his best life!
Erica has been helping horses for years, but Humphrey changed her life in a new and profound way.
"He's just a really cool animal," she says. "He's very loving. He's very social. He's very curious. He's just a unique creature, and I feel really lucky to have him."
https://youtu.be/zt8oXBTB0oM
Erica is happy to have failed as a foster, and looks forward to sharing many more adventures with Humphrey in the years to come.
See more of Humphrey the Mule on his Instagram page!
