This blog entry is for ladiegodiva  as she asked about one of my pet passions ...... Mules.

To understand Mules one must understand both of a mules parents. A mule is a true hybrid, a cross between a donkey daddy and a horse mother. If you cross a donkey female ( jennet ) with a male horse it is called a hinny. For some reason Hinnies are harder to breed for and old timers say they are not as sturdy as their mule cousins.

Equines fall into two catagories Flight or Fight. A horse is a flight animal. It is built for speed and nature has programed the horses instincts to flee from threats. Only if it cannot run with it stand and fight.

A Donkey is a fight animal. It is not built for speed and cannot run for long distances so it usually will sprint a short distance from danger if startled before it turns and faces it. You will find that alot of times Donkey will not flee at all but will take the aggressor role and fight (chase ) that which has caught it's attention. It's why they make such great guard animals for sheep and cattle.  

Donkeys are gentle loving souls with HUGE hearts that love their people with a devotion that is only second to that of a dog. However a donkey will not tolerate abuse as it believes in fair play. Survival plays a key factor in it's nature.

When working with a mule you must keep these two factors in mind. While it has some of the flight instinct of the horse it will also take a moment to anylze the situation and determine which is in it's best interest. A mules main goal in life is survival. While you can FORCE a horse to do things with threats and pressure, you must explain WHY to a mule. It has to have a valid reason why it should accomplish a task you set out for it. It's alot like a child. Mules are always asking WHY ?  You must teach each step in increments. You cannot take shortcuts in training like a horse and leave things out as you will leave "holes" in their training. Once they have faulty training then you basically have to go back to step one , start over , find the mistake and correct it. It's alot harder to correct your mistakes with a mule than it is to train it properly the first time.

Unlike a horse if you stop the training it usually does not forget everything you taught it if you let it set out for a week or month or whichever. Mules have a LONG memory. But they also remember the bad with the good. Most times it takes only a brief refresher before the mule is back up to speed and ready to continue it's training. A mule is also like a child as it is bored easily and drilling it on something it has already learn will cause it to think of amusing things to keep it entertained. But remember this might only be amusing to the mule, not so much to the trainer.  Mules have a keen sense of humor.

You cannot treat a mule unfairly and expect it to love you like a horse will. It will remember that you have been unfair and expect you to continue with that pattern of behaviour. Mules do not give trust lightly. Most times you must EARN a mules trust which can take weeks even months with a new mule but once it's trust is earned it will love you faithfully ( much like it's donkey father ) until you give it reason not to trust you. 

 Because it is a hybrid it inherets the best of both worlds. The athletic ability of the horse and the thinking capabilities and sturdiness of the donkey. They can and DO do most anything a horse can do and most times do it better. They are supreme atheletes.  

 So remember when working with a mule you are working with an INTELLEGENT, THINKING animal. If it ask you "why" you must explain so it understands, reward even the smallest efforts, and praise it for trying. If it continually tells you  NO, then  perhaps you should look at what you are asking it to do. Is there something that the mule preceives as being dangerous to its survival, are you asking it to take to big a step in that training or is it trying to tell you there is an easier way to accomplish a task. ( Why walk through water when you can simply walk around it, after all you can't really tell how deep that puddle is ! ) If it is the last then you must explain WHY it is benefical to the mule to walk through the puddle instead of simply around it. Food rewards make great incentives !

 Once a mule is properly trained it won't forget , so what is a few extra months in training when you figure this creature will be with you for the next 30 + years.