# Mule question



## littledoe (May 26, 2006)

Hi everyone. I just wanted to ask a question about mules. I have never owned one but we've been thinking about getting one. I have owned horses for a long time and my 11 year old daughter has a nice gelding. I would like to ride with her on trail rides or go to events. I have heard that they are a little more laid back. I'm interested in this because I'm getting a little too old to hit the dirt and my last brush with the ground was two years ago. Just not too keen on that kind of thing anymore A friend says they are bad about kicking but some horses can be too. Are mules really more prone to kicking? My youngest is 8 years old and I don't want anything around that would be dangerous for her. I would just like to find something that's laid back. Am I on the right track with a mule? Thank you in advance for your time. Everyone on here is always so helpful...

Mia in Texas


----------



## mulemom (Feb 17, 2013)

Littledoe-Like horses there are good ones and bad ones. First mule I bought kicked me the day I looked at her-hard. I learned a lot about what NOT to buy with her. Eventually I gave her away to someone more accustomed to rowdy mules, he got her broke to ride but she was never dependable. Same as with a horse look for one that's 'been there and done that', older would probably be better. Horses have a fight or flight mentality-donkeys freeze when their scared or don't understand. Some mules will be more like the horse-others more like the donkey. A mule that kicks, like a horse, has not been trained properly. Donkeys have very little withers and many mules will be the same way which means you may need a crupper or breeching to keep the saddle properly placed on their back. It may also mean you may need a special saddle in order to get a good fit. Mule temperament is a little different than a horse. A horse can be bullied into doing something it doesn't understand-don't try it with a mule. Something that can be a problem is mules REALLY attach to a horse especially if it's their only companion. We never seem to have a problem taking a mule away from the horse to work with it-their happy for the attention. The problem comes when we take the horse away-they'll cry and carry on missing their buddy. (The horses never seem to miss the mule) If you find a good prospect-well broke and quiet-pay attention to how it reacts to you. You want your personalities to match and it's always seemed to me that the mule picks the owner. The best match I ever sold was to a couple who came looking for a yearling. When they walked into the pasture a big unbroke four year old molly just hooked up with the man and followed him everywhere. He fell in love with her and I couldn't talk them out of taking her. Within a week they were riding her and wound up using her for hunting and packing. Only instant connection I ever saw. I like mules, they seem to be more surefooted than a horse and less likely to get into trouble because they seem to think a little more. As I said there are good ones and bad ones. Take your time looking and see if you can find someone with experience near you that can help you search. Meredith Hodges has a good website with lots of information on training and 'mule minds'. Good luck


----------



## littledoe (May 26, 2006)

Thank you so much for the information! All good to know. I wondered why I would see mules saddles with a crupper attached. That makes sense. I live in Southeast Texas and have located a farm in Louisiana that raises them. I'm going to check with their farm. I definitely want to make sure that it is the right thing for us. I like the fact that they are more surefooted. The woods and terrain around here can be rough sometimes. I have seen a few for sale that look like they are very well trained and that's the direction I want to head. I am, by no means, a trainer. Though I have spent quite a bit of time studying natural horsemanship methods and teaching them to my children. I like these methods a lot and have read that mules will remember what you teach them very well. Thanks again for your help!


----------



## Muleman (Nov 8, 2013)

Sorry I missed this thread. If you are still looking and not in a hurry, I will make a few more suggestions to go with the excellent information you already received. Contact Mules and More magazine and Western Mule magazine and get them to send you a few back issues. This will really open up your eyes as to just what people are doing with modern mules. I would also not overlook a good Mammoth Donkey as a possibility. Look up Bill Garrett of Garretts Jackstock in Stillwater Oklahoma. My daughter started out riding one of his Donkeys when she was 5 yo and my wife also had one of his 15 hand jennies and they are safe, safe, safe. I cannot stress that enough. I have lots of good mules. We still have my daughters Donkey "Bubby" I would put anyone on Bubby and send them anywhere and be 100% confident he would not get them hurt. 
I will just say. When my wife got her jenny "Sissy" from Bill, she had already had several bad experiences with some bad mules. Bill has a full time trainer and always has 15 or so saddle donkeys at any given time. When we showed up that morning he talked with my wife a while about what she wanted and then instructed his trainer to saddle up any donkey she wanted to try, even if she wanted to try them all. She rode different donkey until well after lunch. You will not find a more honest man to deal with than Bill. I can assure you my wife would still be riding Sissy, but unfortunately a few years back we had a cold winter and our pond froze over, some time late in the evening or during the night Sissy must have walked out on the ice and fell through, my wife found her the next morning out in the pond. 

www.mulesandmore.com
www.westernmulemagazine.com
garrettjackstock.com


----------



## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

Join the yahoo group mulesonly. Lots of great people who truly want to help. I met my seller there, awesome guy who cared about my safety before a sale. Here he is teaching one of the babies how to read!
https://www.facebook.com/anthony.mcallister.14

I've had horses almost my entire life and mules the last five years. I still have horses but would let them go in a minute if I had to choose. Mules are fabulous creatures but as noted in prior posts, they are different and won't be pushed around. They are smart and will take care of you if you'll let them, or at least you'll be safe because the mule is good about taking care of itself!


----------



## hatwoman022 (Aug 30, 2004)

All good info ! I have two mules, I switched from horses a few years ago and wont go back. As with horses there are good and bad but when you get a good one they are not just good they are GREAT! Mules generally take a little longer to bond with you, it can take several months to even start bonding they want to make sure that you are not an idiot ! LOL Once they figure that out then they will start trusting you, I generally trust them way before they learn to trust me. For sure footed they cannot be beat, they are also level headed and as already stated they THINK. My 7 year old son has an 18/19 year old Molly mule and she just adores him, she loved him the minute he got her for the first time. For the rest of us she tolerates, LOL wont harm or be a pill but she definately rolls her eyes at us. Take the time to find a good one, and dont expect that instant bond once you have bonded though you will never regret the time it took to get there. The mules I have been privilaged to ride have saved my neck on some of the steepest trails I have ever been on. Good luck on your hunt ! ! Oh, and they are NOT stubborn ! That is a big myth, they are SMART and they will never put themselves in harms way. The good thing is that if my mule is willing to plow up that trail or down I know that if I can hang with him than I am safe.


----------



## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Consider this about mules: Even though mules are tougher than horses and require less feed and water, the US Cavalry only rode horses. Why? Because mules could not be made to ride headfirst at top speed into enemy fire or blindly off the edge of an embankment. Only horses would do that. 

What to take away from this information? The mule's tendency toward self-preservation can work FOR you or AGAINST you.

Don't think you can MAKE a mule do something the same way you can MAKE a horse do something.


----------



## rod44 (Jun 17, 2013)

Consider a mammoth donkey. Very brave and don't blow up like a horse.


----------



## mrs whodunit (Feb 3, 2012)

Just remember what works for horses doesn't always work with mules or donkeys. They think differently.

I much prefer donkeys to horses


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I've trained livestock for years and I've never trained any animal to make them do what I wanted. 

I've always felt that well trained animals were trained to feel safe and comfortable with what is expected of them.


----------



## rod44 (Jun 17, 2013)

Here is an example of how well trained and willing donkeys can be. Donkeys also ride real well.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9gNwq5LNtw[/ame]


----------



## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

What good girls! 
I had a great uncle who farmed with a pair of mules in TN years ago. He talked to them in a conversational tone and they just did what he wanted. I never saw him flick the reins on them once. His wife always said if he had to choose between the mules or her, she'd be in trouble!


----------

