Tell me about...Mules

[punk-a-doodle]

So, I know every little girl is supposed to want a pony....but I've always been more of a mule person. X) Plain ol' brown mules. I grew up riding and driving horses and ponies, but I've always been drawn to the mules most. May want to get a mule later on in life. Just wanted to hear what people can tell me about them.

 

[Bunnylady]

I can't tell you about all mules, but I can tell you about this one. This is Betsy, my 14-year-old mini mule. Until I met her, I was a dyed-in-the-wool horse lover, and just thought that mules were kinda funny looking. Well, learning to look at the world through the wise eyes of a mule has been a revelation, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I now own 4 horses in addition to her, and if I could only keep one, she would be the one. She is so smart, she seems almost psychic. Mules have a reputation for being stubborn, but those who love them will tell you that it isn't stubborness, it's a well-developed sense of self-preservation coupled with a determination to think for themselves. You can intimidate a horse into doing all kinds of things, but if a mule thinks a situation isn't safe, you may as well shoot him where he stands, 'cause he just ain't going there! On the other hand, present him with a situation, let him size it up, when he's satisfied that all is well, he will be very cooperative. You don't bully a mule, if you do, it will come back to bite you (sometimes, literally!) Mules bond like donkeys (though being raised by a horse, they don't really identify with donkeys) and once a mule has bonded with you, it can be as loyal as a dog. It doesn't take a mule much time to learn something, and once he's learned it, he's got it for life. A mule's memory can put an elephant's to shame. Betsy frequently amazes me with her intelligence, and she's often just plain funny. You ought to hear some of the stories I can tell about her. Can you tell that I love my little brown mule?

And - oh yes, I almost forgot. Mules have a donkey's inborn dislike of predators. Be very careful with dogs around a mule, they can be very sneaky and determined, and they certainly can kill a dog. Some people use them as livestock guardians.

 

[NYboy]

Betsy is very cute!

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Betsy is adorable!! She really wears her ears well.

I've heard that they can kill a dog and can stamp them underhoof. Definitely has me nervous. Does raising alongside dogs/getting a mule proven with dogs on their previous farm help?

 

[verity]

We have a lovely 10 hd 'pony mule' --- she is donkey/Welsh pony cross --- light sorrel and has huge eyes with long, long eyelashes ---
she had been abused when we got her 6 years -- she has never been aggressive to any dog or the barn-cats who eat from her bowl --
sweet, sweet, sweet!

and, by far, the smartest of any of 'us' who live here --- love my little mule-girl --

I could e-mail a picture but cannot for the life of me figure out how to post one on this forum --

 

[turney31]

Huge mule fan here! There is a great, must read book. The Natural Superiority of Mules By John Hauer. Awesome read.