Mules

[Ad'lan]

Anyone own/breed Mules, Anyone worked with them? pro's/con's? I'm interested in hearing first hand experiences, and a discussion on mules in terms of self sufficiency and in terms of the PAW.

Started this thread to avoid derailing KYZ's syrup thread.

[bigmattdaddywack]

Interesting. Subbed.

[bigmattdaddywack]

My friend Brett has a mule named Dick (Seriously, no shit what so ever). Apparently he is just a pet because he is worthless. I guess he was never trained. He apparently will kick you real hard when you get too close.

[bigmattdaddywack]

I just thought of Bachelor Party.

[RachelBB]

I've never had them, I'm a horse person personally. I don't know how ideal they are for a paw situation cause they're sterile.

[run faster]

I would like to know too, they seem more hardy than horses?

[maddmatt]

I've done a little logging with them. They are a whole lot smarter than a horse.

[run faster]

I've done a little logging with them. They are a whole lot smarter than a horse.

what kind of logs can they pull?
my family used belgians, not that I have personal knowledge, this was before my time

[Arkane]

Our neighbor has a couple he keeps with his cattle herd as "watch animals". From what he's told me they are damn good at keeping coyotes and feral dog packs away from the calves but you can't have them alone by themselves in a pasture as they have to have some kind of companionship or they become mean as hell.

[KentsOkay]

Never had any dealings wtih mules, but I have with horses and to a much lesser extent, donkeys.

[Tourg]

As Far as I know they are more feasible for long pack trips than a horse. My eldest brother used to run week + pack trips into Yellowstone National Park over moderate to rough terrain, and all the gear was loaded on mules that had a good bit of draft horse in em. Not sure of how much was loaded onto them, but I remember the boxes having a tipple digit rating when I visited. Two of them were even trained to chase off bears If I remember correctly.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

Used to have one named "Ms. Daisy" and when it came to real work, I'd rather have done most of it myself. Apparently some of the guys north of my (Afghan Mountains) used them as pack mules, and I know the 'Corps trains ass-packers as well. I think Donkeys/burros tend to be better pack animals.

Mules will NOT go anywhere that their ears touch. If you have a barn/tail, they better be able to have their ears straight up and not touch anything. Seriously, you'd have an easier time digging a trench through the door than getting a mule through a door after their ears touch the top of the frame.

Also, look up "ornery bastard" in the dictionary, and you should see a mule next to it. Can you tell I hate mules? They will work, if care for/broken, and are stronger than some horses, while eating less. There's a chart somewhere that shows what supplies are required for different assets (horses, donkeys, mules, etc.) and how much work they can do per day, but my google-fu is weak today.

[maddmatt]

I've done a little logging with them. They are a whole lot smarter than a horse.

what kind of logs can they pull?
my family used belgians, not that I have personal knowledge, this was before my time

I mostly pulled medium sized hard woods for my own use.

[NC5thcav]

I have horses now, and have had mules in the past. I like mules much better. People think they are stubborn, they aren't. Mules are smart. You can ride a horse straight off a cliff, but a mule won't do it. A mule won't put itself in danger if it can help it. They are stronger, eat less, and are tougher. The key with mules is working with their inteligence instead of trying to force them to submit. My step dad has worked with horses and mules for most fo his 81 years. He always said "make a horse mad and they will kick or bite right then. Make a mule mad and they will wait till you least expect it to get even, even if it takes years." The only downside to mules is that they can't reproduce. You still need good breeding stock of horses and donkeys.

[RoneKiln]

I have extremely little experience with horses and mules, but a number of my friends grew up with them. Most initially thought Mules were awesome and then came to hate dealing with them. They first loved them for being smarter than horses, and then came to hate them for the exact same reason. No specific stories really stand out to me though as to what changed their minds.

[gands]

Mules are more sure footed than horses and less likely to rare up. In the Grand Canyon they are used for years packing gear down to Phantom Ranch before carrying people down the canyon and back out. Mules aren't breed for speed but for endurance.

[No Robots]

There is a coworker at work who has had horses and mules. Currently he (by he I mean mostly his missus and himself) have horses. He hates horses. They do a lot of trail riding, and he claims the mules ride better. They have a more smooth gait and will not beat you up. He claims they don't spook as easily as horses.

[Rev]

My dad grew up with draft animals. Work ponies, donkeys, and mules. I've asked him before and his personal opinion is that a mule is a far more sensible animal than a draft horse for almost all work related to a farm.

[1floridacracker]

i own a male and a female, they are trained to harness and saddle. mules are not for beginners, but for the experienced they are way better than horses. they are what the others have said. but to add they don't scare easily and run as horses do they will stand their ground, or fight intruders. we had our two in the pasture behind the house and our neighbors two pit bulls got loose and ran into our pasture to chase our horses. the horses ran, but the mules sent those two big bad dogs and their owner running for the fence.
i love our mules and after working with horses all of my life, it is refreshing to work with animals as smart as mules. they aren't stubborn as much as they are too smart to follow/do what a dumbass tells them to do. 10% rule: you have to be 10% smarter than what you are working with

[ineffableone]

Mules are amazing sure footed animals. Here is a great video of how amazing these animals can be.



This really shows the agility and ability of a mule.

[HMPlatinum]

Horrible music.

It looks like a whole trail-ride of "Hey, look at all the stuff horses can't do."

My great-uncle had mules and used them for logging and farming in rural Mo.
Also for riding.
He wouldn't have anything else.

[akraven]

Smart,agile,strong,reliable,tough. Definitely can protect themselves. Their early training will reflect on how they are as adults. I would not suggest them for someone with no stock experience.

[44Dave]

I would not suggest them for someone with no stock experience.

Why is this? I'm interested in mules, but I have no experience.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

I would not suggest them for someone with no stock experience.

Why is this? I'm interested in mules, but I have no experience.

We called ours "Miss Daisy" for a reason. And not just because she hated black people.