mulesuk

Hi all. I promised questions and here they comein nice chew-size pieces..

1) Mules love freedom and rolling around right. So 1+1= they will be much happier with a good sized corral and a shelter? (that's a question right)
2) How much cold can a mule handle, if he can keep his fur? Here the temperature can drop to -30 in winter.
3) Horses are to me almost annoyingly skittish, how about a mule? Will he flip every time I move the wheelcart to the other side of the yard? (I might have already asked Jenny this, but I like to have others opinion)
4) If I take a gelding, does he need a equine companion, or will he manage with only cows and a bull?
5) Is there truth to the tales of mules bravery? Do they keep their riders safe?

Please give me your wisdom, opinions and tales so I may learn more of these beautiful animals.

Well my (limited) experience is -

1) My mule will happily stay in a stable, or the barn but is as tough as old boots and will live out in horrible wet Scottish weather too. She'll jump out of a paddock if she is bored or doesn't like the company, so make sure you have good fencing!

2) Don't know but would imagine like all equines that dry cold is not a problem?

3) My mule is not spooky as such but she notices everything, that said my horses are not annoyingly skittish either!! However when she does spook she is very very sharp. She has had me off faster than any horse.

4) Like horses I guess some will be happy on their own, some won't. Company would be better but I would imagine most would settle with cattle and lots of human company.

5) My mule does not injure herself but its my responsibility to keep myself on top, she is not a dope on a rope, very forward and very off the leg. There will undoubtably be quieter mules about than mine.

Right lets see what everyone else says!

1) Er! What's a stable?Malaga and Blue go in the barn sometimes but I'm still teaching Picasso
2) Malaga just grows a coat.I'm rugging Picasso because it was hot in Spain and he's getting on a bit but he keeps removing the rug...sheds it like a caccoon and I still can't work out how
3) Mules won't pannic like horses
4)Picasso preferes my Zebu bullock to Malaga and Blue!
5) Came off (In a controlled sort of way!) Picasso tonight on the bridleway just passed the gypsy camp when he got chased by two young dogs!Having said that I'm glad I wasn't riding a horse as things could've been nasty.I chose to get off because the path was very narrow and enclosed by shrubs and trees and low branches .I couldn't hold onto him but I trusted that he would take his shortcut home and not go on the road.However I found him about 200yds further on (nearly walked passed him as he was in the bushes stuffing his face...a mule will never go further than he has to especially when there's food around!)Got back on and we finished our ride home quietly.I doubt we'll have that problem much once he learns to trust me

While this is a mule forum we need to be a bit wary of being discriminatory about the short ears!! Horses don't all panic or bolt and not all mules won't panic or bolt!

True
My little mule is an extrovert by nature - she just does not do 'placid' !! Which is fine when she's in a good mood, but when she's upset she is just as explosive as the worst horse.

In my experience, I would agree totally with Laura on points 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Hmmm..... Well Moon lived out in winter as a weanling and yearling in an Ohio winter but they're dry and cold. She loathes and hates rain and cold and will stand there pathetically shivering unless well rugged up. (and even well fitting rugs rub her - she has to wear a vest)
She hates, HATES being alone and will jump out of a stable to get to equine company - her breeders reckon that's pretty typical of a mule: more difficult to settle than a horse without company.
Spooky - our experience so far is similar to Laura's... not spooky as such but she notices everything - tends to plant her feet if suspicious - but if she does decide to vacate a situation there is absolutely no warning. But she'd not done that since being re-backed in Feb. And I don't think scary monster machines on the yard would be an issue once the mule is accustomed to them.
John mules - beware turning them out with much smaller animals - they may kill foals - small ponies may be at risk too, and presumably sheep and calves if not brought up with them.

hmmm, not had mine too long and she is 2... so am learning as i go... but have a 'spotty short ear' I have started leaving her on her own when i go riding and she understands and seems to be ok now she gets the drill. However she has made it clear when i have been trying to work with her that she is quite capable of jumping the odd fence from a stand still should she so desire so i must supply her with something tasty or some good entertainment to make it worth her while!!!

Hmmmm my horse recently did spook and jump a five bar gate out of the field into the road... while Nector stood at my shoulder and watched in facination.... I also finding it quite enjoyable to watch them running in completely opposite directions when the spotty pone.. runs away from a noise in the hedge suddenly and Nector pricks her ears and trots purposefully towards it.. to check out and patrol... before they have a conference and decide if they are going to agree on a course of action and attack or run away together... LOL....

I have been rugging my horse and the mule i have left naked apart from a couple of days when it rained non stop for a few days.. She has a massively thick coat and loves to scratch and roll, i am not sure she could bare to have the extra itchy heat of a rug unless the rain is neverending for days.... However i have considered clipping her i think she would appreciate that and a rug..... she loves to be preened and groomed...

I do think she is a lot less spooky and self contained but does get scared and will tend to strike out if things get too much which can make her a bit of a worry particularly around 'horsey' people as they don't always understand her 'language' thinking she is like a horse and will just run away, especiallly when she is nervous and trying to tell them to go away and they don't.... and they confuse her by pushing her boundaries and not being polite... She reminds me often more of a playful deer or stag than a horse or donkey.......

Q.4. I have a female mule, who is an honorary member of my herd of Dexter cattle. She seems to associate with them much more than the neighbouring Clydesdale horses.
Q.2 It's not the cold, it's the wet. However it was pouring with rain on Sunday and my mule refused the offer to come into the barn. She has me well trained in winter and lets me know when she either wants to come in or go out. If it's a beautiful morning and she won't go out, then it's going to rain. Often she'll stick her head outside for a bit before deciding on the weather and what to do. Sometimes it's out for a quick roll & leg stretch then back inside. You do need to learn mule body language. She does not behave like cattle, which is what I'm used to.

I'm glad I'm not the only on whose mule has trained to put in and out of stable/barn according to mule's wishes!!

Thank you people ever so much for your answers. I really love to read your stories about your experiences.
I'm really relieved to hear they can be friends with other than just horses. My cows will be Laplandians, so they are completely hornless and very calm, small sized animals. I don't know when, or do I even get horses. The fortunate truth is that almost everyone here has horses, so I can borrow one from neighbour if needed.

I have got a few more questions, but we wont hit 20 yet
6) Do mules have any diet requirements or do they go with normal horse chow? (summer pasture, hay and after hard work oats)
7) This question sounds really dumm: Do mules get shoes like horses? Nobody HAS to have them I know, but if do, then when do they need them?

I would love to hit you with the full 5 questions, but I really need to go to sleep.

Well I just spent half an hour trying to coax Pacco into the barn volentiaraly but he said "NO" so I gave up!
The only one of my mules that gets concentrates (and deffinately no oats) is Picasso because I am still trying to get weight on him.
As for shoes...never seen the point of them,I think its just a habit thing on the behalf of humans there are even horses who manage without shoes.None of my mules and even the hinney have worn them here

I've always fed my mules in the winter, but only a small amount of hay and un-molassed sugarbeet. Daisy gets more, but only because she is still growing. Mules are generally better 'doers' than horses so you have to watch the calories!

As for shoes - unless the mule is on the road 24/7 it really shouldn't need them. A mules feet should look like they are carved from solid marble, anything less means the mule isn't well!

Question six - mine is on good grazing with very occasional haylage in hard frost. She doesn't do enough work to get hard feed.
Question seven - she was shod when I bought her as they had driven her on tarmac a lot, however I just keep her trimmed - very hard feet!

Moon's worked five days a week (she's at boarding school) and although it isn't hard work - 30-60 minute hack, or 10-20 minutes schooling, it is regular. She was out 2/7 till a couple of weeks ago and has only a pretend feed of pasture mix - a couple of handfuls. Obviously now on hay or haylage rather than grass. Her equine podiatrist rather shudders that she gets any hard feed *at all* (even in treat quantities) and checks her crest suspiciously every time he sees her, but so far he's happy. We have no intention of showing her unless for some reason she can't cope without shoes. Apart from a bite of thrush and very mild white line disease she's fine, but he's only been trimming her for 6 months and wet anglesey grass doesn't help...

Frances mule is not shod but her feet need regular trimming. She runs to fat rapidly even on a starvation diet and is prone to laminitis in the autumn. She's been inside for a couple of weeks on really poor hay and had her feet trimmed & is now walking rather better.