?Nick,
?? That some great info. Thanks for sharing.
???????????????????????????? Mike Drougas
-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Sheedy <nsheedy2@???>
To: Hist_text@???
Sent: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 1:48 pm
Subject: Re: MtMan-List: Mules
I shared this with Wynn... thought I'd share it with
the list:
Wynn, and list:
I agree horses and mules are different... yes, mules
can be more tricky than a horse at getting out of a
pen or gate... and the mules I know never pass up an
open gate!
Mules do have this reputaion for being stubborn... I
might comment on that.
My wife is a professional animal trainer... works
mostly with horses, but also has trained lots of
donkeys and mules, and we own gentle zebras she's
trained , too. They are each different animals, and
have different instincts, and each react differently
to different situations. If you try to train a mule
like a horse, or a zebra like a horse, you won't get
the same results. Thier instincts and psyche are just
different.
For example... One big practical difference between a
horse and a donkey (and usually between a horse and a
mule) is that you can spook a horse forward, but
probably not a mule. Say you're on a trail and your
horse stops and you want him to go... well, you can
swat him on the rear or someone behind him can make a
noise or something and simply scare your horse
forward. That doesn't work with donkeyes or most
mules. If they are scared or unsure about something,
they tend to freeze and don't want to budge. If you
try to scare him forward, or hit him or anything like
that, it will only condition a mule to be more scared
and even more aprehensive about moving when they find
themselves in a similar situation in the future. This
has given donkeys and mules an undeserved reputation
for being stubborn. As such, donkeys and mules need
to be reasured that where they are going and what you
are asking them to do is safe. For this reason, a
mule is a far safer pack or mountain trail animal than
a horse... for the simple fact that if you're out on
the trail and something spooks your horse, a horse
will often bolt and run (a scared horse will even run
itself to death)... whereas, if you're on a mule and
something spooks it, it is more likely to jump out of
immediate danger but then stop, or simply freeze until
they feel it is safe.
Another difference between a mule and a horse (and I
am speaking generally--every animal is different and
has a unique personality!) is: if a horse is scared of
something (for example--a garden hose, or a crinkly
tarp, or white bucket) they will often spook or jump
at it every time--even for years--and you usually
really have to work at it to get a hurse used to
something they are scared of. A mule, on the other
hand, has a better memory for overcoming fear... if
they spook at a white bucket, and you show them once
that it is safe and not a threat, they tend never to
spook at it again.
As for mules' reputaions... One real problem with mule
dispositions is historical breeding. Way back in
colonial times, those folks knew what breeding meant
for size, strength AND DISPOSITION. George Washington
expressed an interest to breed mules, and some of the
finest Jacks in europe were sent to him as gifts.
Much later--after the industrial revolution was in
full swing and mules became less important for
power--people saw mule breading as inferior to horse
breeding... for this reason, when breeding a mule,
they often used a mare than was an inferior animal.
They'd breed a nice gentle mare to a horse for horse
colts... but they'd breed some old nag to a donkey for
mules. Well, disposition can be bred! And if you have
parents with cranky dispositions, more than likely
you'll get babies with cranky dispositions.
My wife's mother (Cross-J Horses and Mules in Unity,
Oregon) breeds registered paint horses as well as
mules, and she uses some of the same high-quality
mares for both. They breed primarily for good
disposition as well as conformation, etc. Thier Jack
is an inch shy of "momoth" and his full brother has
won Houston and Ft. Worth Livestock shows. I have
been very impressed with the quality and disposition
of the animals, and was really impressed with the
mules we've packed with. If anyone is ever interested
in mules, let me know and I can put you in touch.
--Nick Sheedy
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