Mules vs Horses

 

Explaining the differences between mules and horses while understanding why some people prefer one over the other.

There are a lot of people who are curious about mules but do not know a lot about them. Though horses and mules are similar in many ways, they can be completely different in others.

What is a mule?

A mule is the offspring of a jack (male) donkey and a mare (female) horse. Because mules are a hybrid, they do not have the ability to reproduce. Many times the male mules, called Johns, are castrated in order to keep the “stud” tendencies away. The female mules, called Jennies, can either be left with their hormones intact or spayed to keep from coming into heat. Even though mules cannot reproduce, they still carry the hormones for reproduction and will attempt to breed.

Stubborn as a mule

Everyone has heard this phrase and probably been it many times. Mules are a bit on the stubborn side, simply because they are highly intelligent animals. Some people may not agree with this but, mules are actually smarter than horses; making them more difficult to train than horses.

The differences between horses and mules

Just because someone knows how to train horses well, it does not mean they know how to train mules. Though mules are a product of a horse, they think and act differently than most horses.

For the most part, horses are very forgiving animals. If we are having a bad day and end up overcorrecting our horse simply because we are mad, our horses usually forgive us and get over it. A mule on the other hand, may get over it right away but, will not forget about us taking our anger out on him or her. This mule may end up paying us back for having the bad day. It may not be right away, but sometime down the road, this mule may get us in a corner and let us have it. When training mules, we have to put a true meaning behind every disciplinary move we make. If our mules mess up, we discipline according to the offense and then move on.

Mules are very smart animals; by far smarter than horses and sometimes, smarter than us. When training a horse, a good trainer can read a horse’s body language and stay one or two steps ahead of that horse at all times. A mule on the other hand, is usually reading our body language and tries to stay ahead of us. Training mules takes a very keen eye and skilled person who can think way ahead of that mule and know exactly what he or she is going to do. With horses, this can be very simple to do. A mule on the other hand, is always trying to outthink and outsmart the person training him or her.

Mules are less likely to get hurt than a horse is. Mules are great at problem solving so when they get themselves into a dangerous situation; instead of freaking out and getting hurt like some horses may, a mule will think his or her way out of trouble.

Mules are a lot hardier and stronger an animal than horses. Many mule owners and trainers do not put shoes on their mules simply because their feet are so hard. A mule’s feet are very strong and are built with longer, straighter walls than a horse’s feet. The bottom side of a mule’s foot has a deep cup to it; helping to avoid bruising and abscesses where many horse’s soles are flat.

Both horses and mules cannot see directly behind them. So when horses run away from something they are afraid of, the only way they can see what scared them is by either stopping and facing the danger or running a big circle around it. Mules on the other hand, can run a straight line away from the danger with their heads turned; looking back at what scared them.

Mules are more aggressive than most horses. Many horses can be turned out in an area where there are lambs, calves, and dogs. The horses learn to coexist with these other animals and usually will not try to hurt them. A mule however, can kill or seriously injure any smaller animals that may wander into the field. A mule’s aggression is more along the lines of being curious. If a small animal wanders into the field, a mule will usually be the first to check it out. If this animal does not run, chances are they mule will leave it alone. If the animal shows fear and runs from the mule, the mule will pursue by chasing it. A mule may turn aggressive at this point; possibly running the animal until it injures itself or actually killing it. There have been instances where mules have killed calves by picking them up with their teeth and slamming them back down. Just because mules can be more aggressive than horses, this does not make them horrible animals. They just need to be treated with caution when around other animals.

Mules aren’t for everyone

Mules are smart animals and do make great athletes. Just about anything a horse can be trained to do, a mule can do too. Mules just aren’t for everyone, and many people shouldn’t even try to train them. The people who are successful at training and showing mules are great horsemen and horsewomen.

Many people do not like mules because they are harder to train than horses. Mules are also easier to mess up than a horse and should only be trained by someone who is well experienced with them.

If mules are an animal you are interested in learning more about, don’t try to master training one by yourself. Even if you have a lot of experience training horses, find someone who is experienced in training mules. They can teach you the things you need to know for a safe and productive training experience.

Source: http://suite101.com