About Mules
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As mules gain in popularity, many people are looking at them for the first time. If you don't see your question answered here, email and we'd be glad to help if we can.
What is a mule?
A mule is a cross between a mare and a jack (donkey stallion). A cross between a stallion and a jennet (female donkey) is a Hinny. Mules are male and female, just like horses, with all of the sexual organs, so females (called mollys or mare-mules or jenny-mules) do cycle and males (called johns, jack-mules or horse-mules) need to be castrated or they will get stud-y. However, donkeys have 62 chromosomes and horses have 64, so mules have an uneven number, 63, which makes them a sterile hybrid. They do not reproduce.
Are mules stubborn?
What is often called subborness in a mule is a mule's ability to think independently and an ingrained sense of self preservation. Mules have a more complex reasoning ability than most horses and this is what makes them more reliable in hairy situations. Their unwillingness to place themselves in danger is usually to their riders benefit. Many mules will attach themselves to a human with dog-like devotion and will do anything that person asks them to do overriding their reluctance to do something. |
Do mules kick?
Of course, but with more discriminaltion than horses and with a lot more accuracy. There is nowhere in 360 degrees and several feet away that a mule cannot reach you, if he wants you. If it is a warning, you will be expertly tapped. A mule will always have a reason, and if it was not a good reason, then this is a good time for discipline. Once a mule knows that kicking is not acceptable, he will probably never try it again. If he continues to kick- you definitely have the wrong mule. Would you keep a dog that bites you?
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Are mules hard to train?
Mules are very intelligent. They think over what they are being taught and so it may sometimes take longer to get the reaction that you are looking for. While training a mule, it is very important to "read" the mule's responses and be willing to adjust the training techniques to help the mule understand what is expected. Impatience, force, and abuse will make a mule suspicious and resentful (and might get you kicked). Slower will get you there faster.
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Will a mule "get even" if you mistreat it?
There are many stories about mules that have done just that. Mules are not vindictive as such, but mistreatment (abuse) will make a mule wary enough to try to protect himself from further harm. Discipline and abuse are worlds apart, however, and a misbehaving mule will know the difference.
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Do you need special mule "tack" for a mule?
Today's saddle mule is very horselike in conformation. They usually have good backs and withers and although any riding animal need a good fitting saddle, it does not necessarily have to be a "mule" saddle. Avoid "mule" bits made of chains and wires. A well trained mule will respond to any bit it is comfortable holding in his mouth, or a bosal or sidepull. (Mules mouths are generally more narrow and may take a more narrow bit.) Cruppers and breeching are generally thought of as "mule" gear, but all pack and saddle animals traveling in steep country will benefit from tack that stays in place.
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Can a mule carry more than a horse?
Mules have denser muscling than horses due to their donkey parent. So a mule will carry more and go farther than a horse of the same size. This type of muscling is also why mules are not generally as quick and fast as a horse.
Is breeding a mare to a jack cruel to the mare?
A mare that is used to donkeys will stand for a jack just like she would for a stallion. It has happened in the wild farther back then we can track. A mare in heat seeing a jack for the first time, may not be quite as enthusiastic. This is a moot point on many farms these days, as with Artificial Insemination, the mare is sweet talked by a "teaser" stallion and then bred while standing in stocks by a technician. Clean, safe and efficient.
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Will a mare reject a mule foal?
Heck, no. That's her baby
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Do molly mules come into season like a mare does, and if so are they as cranky as a mare?
Molly mules do come into season, and they are all individuals... but in our experience molly mules are very quiet about it. Many people ride mollys for years and never know when they are in season. My main riding mule is a molly and occasionally when I am riding her, she will stop as though she is going to urinate and then I realize that there is a horse or something close by that she thinks is cute and she is showing to him. I leg her on, and that is the only indication I have that she is in heat. If there is the occasional molly that gets cranky I would not be surprised, but I have not heard of her.
Do mules and horses get along?
Every mule had a horse for a mother. Mules love horses. Horses that have never seen a mule may be more standoffish or even mean to a mule. A mule does not have the strong herd instincts of the horse and so will normally back down from a horse. It usually works out.
Will a mule kill a dog or a foal?
Donkeys and wolves are natural enemies. Instead of running, like a horse, a donkey will stand and fight. This is why they are used to guard other livestock. A mule gets this influence and given the right set of circumstances, a mule will stomp a dog, foal, or other small animal. Mules and the family pets will get to know one another, either mock fighting or the dog will learn to stay out of the mule's way. And although many a mule has been reported to have stolen a foal (or even a moose calf) to mother, it is a good idea to keep young foals separate.
Is it true that mules do not founder?
No, mules can and do founder- just not as easily or frequently as horses. Mules tend to be discriminate eaters . They will pick around bad feed and not over eat. There are exceptions, but in general, the expression should have been, "healthy as a mule!"
Is it true that you do not have to shoe mules?
Mules hoof walls are very thick. Many people never shoe their mules. However, if you are doing hard riding in rocky areas or many miles on gravel, it is a good idea to shoe your mule to prevent soreness and cracking.
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