The beginning of yet another "regular" week -- a GOOD thing this time! I'm back at work. Joey is back at therapy - with almost-back-to-normal skin. And Mark is ABOUT to be back at home. Nice. Luckily, none of our critters needed extra care and effort while we were feeling crappy. And now things are back to "normal" and all is well.
We're planning to go visit with Janet and Mike this weekend - looking forward to seeing her ride her "new guy," Digger. And I'm REALLY looking forward to discussing my possible acquisition of a mule with her. She always knows things I haven't discovered -- and she has had friends and acquaintances who have actually had mules.
I plan to check with Torri and Anne, our "equine" vet, too, and see what they can tell me about who might have one -- either to sell OR just to visit and see what they're like.
And why on earth am I looking for a mule? Well . . . LOTS of reasons.
First of all, they're very protective. If any wild dog came into the pasture (and they could, given our type of fence in the front) it would most assuredly be able to protect everyone. I didn't worry when Bug was alive -- she was extremely dog aggressive, but neither Duke nor Lizzie would probably have sense enough to go after anything, and they could end up being attacked. A mule wouldn't put up with anything. They can protect other animals not only from wild dogs, but from coyotes or worse.
Second, if they inherit enough structure from their donkey mom, they can carry up to 30% of their own weight -- rather than the 20% that's the limit for most horses. And I'm told they all do. Their musculature is entirely different, as is their spine.
They're just very very sturdy. There ARE horses who are both short enough for me to get on as well as sturdier than most -- Icelandics, for instance -- but they are not available around here and (in the case of Icelandics in particular) most aren't comfortable in this heat. And if they were, those would all be waaaaay too expensive anyway. So -- a nice short (14.1 to 15.0) mule will be able to carry me even in my current less-than-svelte condition and I won't have to worry like I do on Lizzie about whether I'm too heavy.
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| Unlike horses, mules CAN scratch the top of their heads with their feet. This is a donkey, but mules can do it, too. (They can also kick easily to the side as well as forward and back. Uh-oh. They better like you!) |
Third, mules are far less delicate physically than horses. They do not tend to colic. They can generally manage well just eating grass. And they live longer, too. Most horses live 25 to 30 years. Mules? . . . more than 40.
Fourth, donkeys bred to gaited horses produce mules that are just as nicely gaited as the regular horses. THAT's what I'd like to have. Oh - and they don't need shoes, either, unless you're going to ride them up a rocky mountain! They have very hard feet. (Note that those gaited horses below - unlike walking horses when shown - don't appear to be wearing shoes.)
And fifth, everything I've read indicates that once a mule comes to trust you (and that's critical), they will do pretty much anything at all for you. Folks who have them all seem to think they're wonderful.
Oh - and all that aside, there's also the fact that they can be absolutely ADORABLE!
And check out the pretty boy below -- too bad Jim, the john mule (confusing, isn't it?) has already been sold! Having a mule who would lay down to let you just sit down on him instead of having to climb up to mount would be worth every DIME! Wow!
So if nothing else, I'd like to go see some mules and talk directly to their owners and find out more about what they're actually like, one at a time. Looking forward to it.
Well, I guess I got a bit carried away about that mule thing, didn't I? Lunch is over -- I better get back to work!
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