Mules - are there any specialists out there ?

Stormin

Stormin

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I just LOVE those big mules we have all seen pulling the wagons in the old western films. I'd always dreamed of owning one but the only mules I seem to come across are under 13hh ...

What kind of breeds of horse and donkey are popular/ (standard ?) for crossing ?

I know over here they like to cross with a small draft horse which gives a somewhat "chunky" mule.

What are they like character wise ?
Can you do all disciplines that you would with a horse (I know, weird question).
 
most of the UK mules i have come across have been complete sods....

but i may be biased.

what about a Poitou donkey - they are big and have curly coats.
 
I presume they are stubborn ... Lol! I'm sure there is a lady on here who breeds them, I know they have Mule jumping comps in the USA (Have a look on Youtube) I remember seeing a 19hh mule on a USA horse rescue site ..... I know what you mean about them I am a little bit fascinate now too :cool:

xx
 
the ones i have known have been small, more like 13'2 or smaller, and have generally been bad tempered and nasty but they have come into a rescue centre, so they may have good reason to be less than pleased with people.
 
I have only ever had the pleasure of riding one, he was a lovely boy who came as a surprise to the owners of a Trail Riding Centre I used to work at. (they bought a pony mare and it became apparent she was pregnant as time went on) He was 4 years old and was an absolute sweetheart, not a nasty bone in his body, he was well mannered on the ground, in his stable and I rode him in the school and out on rides and he never grumbled (the only complaint I had was his screeching which used to almost burst my eardrums when we were on our way back home and he wanted to shout to his mum :D) He was 15hh and a great worker.
 
Big Ears said:
most of the UK mules i have come across have been complete sods....

but i may be biased.

what about a Poitou donkey - they are big and have curly coats.
Click to expand...

I know that they like to cross the poitou donkey with a "heavy horse" to produce a heavyweight mule.
(Most poitou donkeys I have seen have nasty unkemp coats which become rastas ... )

Would I be right in thinking that mules have a better reputation / are more appreciated state-side than over here ??
 
Mules generally grow bigger than their parents, however as donkeys are small in GB usually no bigger than 11.hh, mules are small too.

Saying that there are a number a larger mules here above 13.hh and are used in a number of disciplines from driving to jumping and long distance riding.

Poitou donkeys would be the obvious cross with a horse to breed a large mule. The British Mule Society have a great website.
 
I saw some absolutely stunning mules when i was in Spain ranging from about 14 hh to 15 hh.They were gorgeous, and so they should be when they were half PRE! Really noble good-looking creatures they were, I loved them. Someone here on NR has a PRE-bred mule think they are called Jinglejoys...
 
ambatt said:
I saw some absolutely stunning mules when i was in Spain ranging from about 14 hh to 15 hh.They were gorgeous, and so they should be when they were half PRE! Really noble good-looking creatures they were, I loved them. Someone here on NR has a PRE-bred mule think they are called Jinglejoys...
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks for that one. I'll investigate ;)
 
Sigh!!!!! MULES AREN'T STUBBORN THEY'RE JUST CAREFUL!:D

Coulddoitbackwards.jpg


Mules in Spain was where I got my boy Malaga from!
(Got your PM Stormin but I'm just on my way out...I'll check in later and leave more detail)
 
Right I'm Back!
Short version
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WHINNY AND A BRAY

A horse can be dominated by man
a mule can be dominated by none

a horse succumbs to aggression
a mule succumbs to affection

a horse is indifferent to man
a mule is inquisitive to man

a horse moves, then thinks
a mule thinks then moves

a horse looks at you
a mule looks into you

a horse is trained by short punishment and small rewards
a mule is trained by long patience and great logic

To ride a horse well, one must be proud to ride a mule well, one must be humble

The more one understands people, the more one loves animals
The more one understands animals, the more one loves mules!

author unknown


Not a fan of the Poitou I prefer the Andalusian,Catalan or the Mammoth Jack for mules

Bms.jpg

Catalan

jack_horner_jump.jpg

Mammoth Jack
 
Aha! It was you with the gorgeous mule! I am not yet senile! Your boy has to be the most noble of all mules, absolutely gorgeous, but I am secretly partial to the long ears.......
 
Jingle Joys,

Nice to see you on this forum as well....(D'leary Ass ...on the other forum)

Jingle Joys is correct - andalusian, catalan, or mammoth for large mules. George Washington started the mule breeding in the us with a gift of 2 Andalusian donkeys from the King of Spain - a Jack and a Jenny.

Not all US mules are from mammoths though. I have 6 mules from 13.3 - 17 hands. I prefer them around 14-15 hands. They are easier to get on and off, especially on steep slopes in the mountains. And you won't hit your head on many branches. Also, they're very strong for their size.

We just got a 17 hand mule. He's great, but huge and quite a hayburner. I would normally have not sought out a mule so large, but he came to us for free! My doctor's husband paid good money for him then was scared of him because of his size.

His loss is our gain. He got away with lots on the ground with the last owners who never had owned a mule before.

Stormin, where are you at??? You could always have semen shipped if you want to make your own mule. There are some great donkeys in the us that would ship to you. Look at Heart B Ranch in Emmett, Idaho or google mammoth jacks.

I was in Ireland 2 summers ago and was surprised to find lots of donkeys, but no mules.

Dave
 
Here's a pic or my new 17 H mule, Bubba.

Who knows what he's out of??? I'm sure a mammoth donkey and ??? I don't think draft. Most mules here are out of quarter horses, but Tennesee Walkers are the new fad - trying to get gaited mules.

Dave
 

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Wow, thanks for all the information !
I'm hiding out in France ;)

I've always had a facination (and respect) for mules but they still seem to be "hard-to-find".
Does a mule take from it's mum's character (I mean some breeds of horses are known to have certain "tendancies" with character or other). I imagine they take from mum's size (as most donkeys seem small ?)

We've all seen the 'horse whisperers' working with zebras and even zorses, not smart enough to work with mules ?? ;) :p :D
 
Hi guys,

Ambatt thanks very much for the link you posted to my blog (glad to know it is coming up on searches and that *hopefully* it holds some useful information!!!!)

I have a mule Treacle - show name "Mule of Kintyre" - Obviously she does star on the blog - http://mulesuk.blogspot.com/ (er twice!!!)

I'd love to hear from anyone with a mule or if you know where I might track some down. They are without doubt very different to horses but I love mine and wouldn't be without her (...most days) I'm hoping to breed one or two in 2009!

My email for anyone that wants to chat "mules" is mulesuk@runhorse.com Thanks laura
 
Malaga is really gorgeous and Bubba ... he's HUGE !!!
I thought 15hh to 15.2hh was "reasonable" for me ;)

Just a quick question for those of you who have mules - how/why did you decide to adopt one/(several ?) ?
Do you have trouble "educating" (horsey-) people around you with regards to your mule(s) ?

Oh yeah, one last li'l question (.. well, for now anyways !) - Do you really need to develop arms like Schwarzy to be able to ride a mule or can they be educated to be light and responsive rides too ?
(Sorry to fall upon the stereotypes but seen lots of "harsher" bits and accessories apparently destined for mules ...)

Thanks !
 
GreasedWeasel - It was ranked fairly high in good old google and a fab and informative blog btw. I still have a weakness for the long-eared ones, and an Andalusian one would be a joy. Just how comfortable are they to ride? I have severe back problems and may have to give up riding, maybe a mule could be an alternative? Although I have tried my back out on a Luso stallion and that was pretty pain-free.
 
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