Donkies and Mules

[ladyhk13]

I know that donkies are great for protection of herds out in the pastures but do any of you know if mules have this same trait?

[rice paddy daddy]

I honestly don't know. But knowing how our horses are, and the fact that mules are 50% horse, I kinda doubt it.
My back fence neighbor has two donkeys to protect his cows from coyotes.

[Taz Baby]

don,t know much about them but do know about jackasses ( four legged kind) the protect the herd of cows and horses, goats like to butt them too much, so not good with goats in the same field. They will kill any dog if they can get to it. And they are not as stuburn as the mules.

[LUNCHBOX]

A few years back there was a guy around that had a few different herd animals. A pack of coyote killed his mule so I'm not sure how that works out. I don't think it was a defensive sacrificed. The local game warden verified the kill. I would think donkeys have a better track record.

[ladyhk13]

I think you guys are right. Mules are better for work and riding. So I guess we'll have to decide now whether to get mules instead of horses since they would work better for shtf scenario than a horse and have a dual purpose. DH would rather have horses so I think we need to look into this more...especially since we can get horses for free, not sure about mules. Gonna get at least one donkey though just because I like them.

[eagle326]

I think you guys are right. Mules are better for work and riding. So I guess we'll have to decide now whether to get mules instead of horses since they would work better for shtf scenario than a horse and have a dual purpose. DH would rather have horses so I think we need to look into this more...especially since we can get horses for free, not sure about mules. Gonna get at least one donkey though just because I like them.

Donkeys are usually bought in pairs. They tend to get lonely without another of their kind around. All the owners I know have pairs for this reason. It seems they're social animals. Hope this helps.

Mules are smarter than horses and more sure footed. A mule will not walk where the ground isn't solid beneath it hooves. I would own a Mammoth Jack if I had the land. George Washington used to raise them. Look him up on Google.

[ladyhk13]

Yup, I knew that...don't know why I wrote only one. Brain fart.

[Katrina]

Llamas make great protectors for sheep. MSU has several guarding their flocks as well as a burro. At least we've only seen one burro in the pastures at a time.

[work in progress]

My horse was raised down the farm lane from a donkey and mule farm. Whenever she hears one she has to go see where it is. I have been dragged and taken for a ride more than once so she can go see her long lost buddies. This is what I know about mules from my Uncle Charlie - he has ridden the trails out in the Grand Canyon and camped with his own mules all over the country.

He told me that good breeding is just as important as it is in horses - he made the mistake of buying his first mule without meeting its mother. For lack of a better word - the mare was a bitch. As a result, the mule had a lot of "donkey don't" in it. My Aunt Nannie would tell me the mule would wait until a crucial moment, water crossing, downhill climb, and lock up. Donkey Won't do this - Donkey don't do that. That's her phrase. No amount of beating, no amount of coersion - horse psychology - would entice the animal to move. That mule has been turned out with their cattle for twenty years now.

He took his smartest mares and bred them himself to come out with the mules he still has and uses today. He is in his eighties - and swears by them. They are calm, level headed, and he trusts their instincts and ability to reason. They can be mammoth, miniature, and pony sized. In the association and circuit I used to compete in, mules were forbidden. It's because they can jump higher, longer, and better. It must be those big, beautiful ears. They're better balancers than those little foxy ones all the other equines have.

[Grumpy Old Man]

It must be those big, beautiful ears. They're better balancers than those little foxy ones all the other equines have.

Being born and bred in western Missouri, home of long-eared women and beautiful mules, I represent that remark! In mules as in horses, breeding is everything. Mules are different from horses, not necessarily better or worse, just different. Mules have a number of inborn survival traits from both sides of the parentage. They are also a sterile hybrid. (As an aside the hybrid of a stallion and a female donkey is a hinny, but is harder to get). I have seen mules complete 100 mile endurance races and be ready to go the next day. But, and it's a big but, mules require a different approach than horses do in terms of training and partnering.

And as I have said before, there is a learning curve. Mules will win a pull most every time over draft horses, but the muleskinner is usually working his team daily. If you can find a person to teach you the skills then mules may be the way to go. OTOH, since you wish to ride and have them broken to harness you might want to consider a horse such as a Morgan. They were used extensively in Missouri as a dual purpose horse on the homesteads. My buddy Pnut has a Norwegian Fjord that is dual broken that he likes. He, like I, has several horses. He prefers quarters for riding and I prefer arabians- it's a question of personal preference.

Donkeys are good herd protectors as are llamas, however, many equines dislike llamas to extremes! I know Z, my arabian, absolutely freaks as does 10, my paint mare. It is usually a good idea to have more than one equine as they are herd animals and like the companionship of their own kind. It's good to have a goat or 2 as well. Goats are susceptible to many of the same diseases that equines are, but will come down with the illness first, allowing you to treat the equines with prophylaxis measures. Every stable I've ever been at, and the one I owned with the Queen of Darkness, had at least one, and usually more, goats. Nubian nannies and Boer nannies seemed to be the most common. You don't really want a billy unless you are raising a herd. Another aside, goats are being used a lot as pack animals and there is a pretty extensive network of individuals promoting the practice.

I learned to ride, sort of, when I was very young on my uncles draft mule, Nubbin. He was a gentle giant for a four-year old to learn on. I liked him so much I named my first pony Nubbin in his honor. Sadly both left for the Elysian Fields in my youth, but I remember them with great fondness.

If it were I doing it, I'd probably go the Morgan route and get a mare and a gelding. You could breed the mare and geldings are better horses to have than stallions, unless of course you plan to raise horses (Hint: DON'T). And a pair of donkeys will fit right in with that scheme as well. Plus donkeys are also great pack animals and can be ridden as well (Think of Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a pure white donkey).

Well I've rambled long enough. Remember, with any equine, patience is a virtue, riding skills are different from harness skills, and it takes time to become proficient at cultivation of crops using traditional plowing, etc with team of equines.