mule skinner

A mule skinner is someone who drives mules, particularly in teams pulling wagons or working in mines.

The term dates from an era when mule-drawn transport was essential for hauling freight across difficult terrain.

Despite the name, skinning refers not to harming the animals but to the skill of handling them, possibly from the idea of figuratively "skinning" or outsmarting the notoriously stubborn creatures.

The old mule skinner knew every trail through the mountains.