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• What is a Mule?
  A mule is a cross between a mare and a Mammoth Jack (Donkey Stallion). A cross between a stallion and a jennet (female donkey) is a Hinny Mule and are male and female, just like horses, with all of the sexual organs. So, females (called mollys or mare-mules or jenny-mules) do cycle and males (called johns, jack-mules or horse-mules) need to be castrated or they will get stud-Y. However, donkeys have 62 chromosomes and horses have 64, so mules have an uneven number, 63 which makes them a sterile hybrid. They DO NOT REPRODUCE. The correct scientific classification is Hybrid (Equus caballus x Equus assinus)
• Is breeding a mare to a jack cruel to the mare?
  A mare that is used to donkeys will stand for a jack just lkie she would for a stallion. It has happened in the wild farther back then we can track. A mare in heat, seeing a jack for the first time, may not be quite as enthusiastic....Artificial Insemination is always an option.
• Do Molly mules come into season like a mare does, and if so, are they as cranky as a mare?
  Molly mules do come into season, and they are all individuals...but in our experience mollys are very quiet about it, and do not have the back discomfort that accompanies ovulation.
• How does the mare feel about a mule foal?
  That is her baby...and like mothers everywhere will love, nurture, and protect it.
• What are Gaited Mules?
  Mules that are bred from the Saddle-Gaited horses including a Tennessee Walker, Saddle bred, Foxtrotter, Paso Fino and Peruvian Passo. Thye are smooth, single-foot gait crossing the spectrum from foxtrot to pace.. Gaited mules have their own registry in the American Gaited Mule Association, which requires qualification testing of the animal to show gait, as well as video evaluation of the sire and dam. These mules may also be registered in the American Mule Registry (ADMS) as Saddle Mules of gaited breeding. (Unless a mule has a certificate with AGA, it must be listed with ADMS as Saddle mule of Gaited Breeding).
• How are mules marked: The donkey usually passes the light points on to the mule, although they may appear brown or tan instead of off-white or pale gray like in the donkey. Many mules will have crosses on the withers and leg stripes as well. The crosses of mules usually differ from those on donkeys, with the shoulder stripe being very wide, or faded, as in shadow.
• Colors: Mules come in all horse and donkey colors as well as a few odd mixtures and unique patterns all their own. From buckskin to appaloosa spotted, including tobiano or overo.
• Can a Mule carry more than a Horse?
  Mules have denser muscling than horses due to their donkey parent. So a mule will carry more and go farther than a horse of the same size....depending on the interest of the owner, you might consider a mule with some Arabian in them for endurance, or Tennessee Walker for their smoothness and size, or Quarter horse for the mild temperament, and agility.
• Do you need special mule "tack"?
  We recommend the Parelli air saddle pad with shims, and if you are traveling in steep country you would benefit from a breast strap and breeching or a crupper to hold the saddle in place.
• Will a mule "get even" if you mistreat it?
  There are many stories about mules that have done just that. You have to treat a mule, as you should a horse. Mules are not vindictive as such, but mistreatment will make a mule wary enough to try to protect himself from further harm. Love, language, leadership are the keys to training mules, or horses, and we recommend Parelli Natural Horsemanship for more information. (www.parelli.com)
• Are mules stubborn?
  What is often called stubbornness in a mule is its ability to think independently and keep itself (and therefore YOU) safe. Mules have a more complex reasoning ability than most horses and this is what makes them more reliable in hairy situations. Their unwillingness to place themselves in danger is usually to their riders benefit. Mules will attach themselves to a human with dog-like devotion...they are one person partners...and can live 40 years. This is a lifetime commitment.
• Are mules and horses compatible?
  Every mule had a horse for a mother...they love horses! Horses that have never seen a mule, or heard one, may be more standoffish. Patience, space, time...it all works out.
• Is it true that you do not have to shoe mules?
  Mule hoof walls are very thick...and barefoot is best, unless you are riding on extremely rocky area..then you may consider "boots" or shoes. The smallness of their feet is what makes them more dangerous when they kick ....again, why go there! See www.parelli.com for training insights.
• What is Hybrid Vigor?
  When crossing 2 species, you get the best of both worlds. Leg problems are far less likely. Also wind, digestion, and all other parts of the mule, including his hide, are tougher and more durable than comparable parts of the horse. The donkey lends its surefootedness, its tough physical and mental qualities. They eat less; they won't overeat and coli; they endure heat better.
• Why would I ride a mule instead of a horse?
  Their surefootedness is partly physical and partly psychological. Legs are strong, and his feet are small and neat. This enables him to place his feet carefully and neatly. I have seen a mule take a bot fly out of flight - waist high to me, and extinguish it just as you would a cigarette!. On the psychological side, mules have a tendency to assess situations and act according to their views (most of which have to do with self-preservation). A mule will trust its own judgment before it trusts yours. Perhaps that is why they only use mules to tour the Grand Canyon!!!
  

Mules are loaded with personality. This is one of the most difficult things to define. My two year old buckskin, Molly Miss May, saved my Arabian colt and me from walking the Continental Divide - a journey from Libby, MT to New Mexico! Had I not listened to her, we all would still be walking.