# Mule or standard donkey



## TAH (Oct 5, 2016)

I am now finally allowed a donkey or mule early next year. So now I am trying to decide what is best for me. I have talked to several people about mules and some say they are great easy to train, willing to please, easy to handle etc but than others say they are the worst animals to have and are very stubborn, then I hear same thing about donkeys so I am not sure what I want now. I have decided that what ever I get is going to be a gelding and already trained. 
I am a beginner but am up for training and learning. I will be trail riding, packing, riding for fun, and maybe some jumping. Will have to be able to handle the cold well, handle kids well, and not a ton of space (I mean like not more then a half acre) Since it is Alaska we will be going riding on back roads and trail riding quite a bit. Will be fed hay most of the year fall-spring, will be stalled thru winter and have access to outside, does okay without a other donkey/mule companion. I am sure I will have more questions later.


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## micah wotring (Oct 5, 2016)

Immy mentioned this! I'm exited for ya. IDK much about either but have fun!


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## TAH (Oct 5, 2016)

micah wotring said:


> Immy mentioned this! I'm exited for ya. IDK much about either but have fun!


Ya saw that. Thanks.


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## Bruce (Oct 5, 2016)

If you go with a donkey, it needs to be a Mammoth Donkey. Anything smaller is not big enough for an adult.


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## TAH (Oct 5, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Anything smaller is not big enough for an adult.


A standard gets up to 600-650 pounds. I am around 100 and all my siblings are smaller than me so a standard is perfect size for us.


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## Bruce (Oct 5, 2016)

Don't gain weight and don't let your siblings grow 

https://donkeywhispererfarm2010.wor...at-is-the-weight-limit-to-ride-a-mini-donkey/

Standard donkey - 100# including the saddle. Max carrying ability is 20% of the donkey's weight. If you go this route, get a BIG standard donkey


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## TAH (Oct 5, 2016)

We are going with the bigger sized standard or I guess a small mammoth. Thanks for the website.


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## Green Acres Farm (Oct 5, 2016)

You know mules can't breed, right?

Guess it wouldn't matter if you were just wanting a companion, it just has always bothered me...


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## Bunnylady (Oct 5, 2016)

Green Acres Farm said:


> You know mules can't breed, right?
> 
> Guess it wouldn't matter if you were just wanting a companion, it just has always bothered me...



Why is this a problem? Most male equines are gelded; they can't breed. either. And though an awful lot of people seem determined to see any female as a potential walking uterus, there are a whole lot of mares that really have nothing of value to add to the gene pool, so breeding them will at best create more animals to take that long truck ride to a Mexican slaughterhouse.

Incidentally, some female mules can breed. There have been a few, very interesting, examples. It used to be thought that female mule fertility was a freak thing, but some think it is more common than folks realize, it's just that nobody even tries with most of 'em.


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## Green Acres Farm (Oct 5, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> Why is this a problem? Most male equines are gelded; they can't breed. either. And though an awful lot of people seem determined to see any female as a potential walking uterus, there are a whole lot of mares that really have nothing of value to add to the gene pool, so breeding them will at best create more animals to take that long truck ride to a Mexican slaughterhouse.
> 
> Incidentally, some female mules can breed. There have been a few, very interesting, examples. It used to be thought that female mule fertility was a freak thing, but some think it is more common than folks realize, it's just that nobody even tries with most of 'em.


No, it wouldn't matter, I've just thought it was kind of strange. I'm not saying you _should_ breed, I'm just saying I think its kinda weird you can't... Unless if you're the exception...


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## TAH (Oct 6, 2016)

@Green Acres Farm yes I am. I don't want to breed what ever we get.


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## Kusanar (Oct 6, 2016)

I would go with a mule, but then, I have horses and mules are more horselike, so I'm biased.


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 6, 2016)

If it were me, I'd rather have a mule.
Of course, I've always really liked mules.

By the time I came along, my grandfather farmed with tractors, but my mom is old enough to remember when they used mules.

Mules helped build this country.

There is a small town close by that has an annual "Mule Days" Festival, everybody from all around brings their mule and ride all around town.


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## Bunnylady (Oct 6, 2016)

I have real experience with only one mule, and she's a mini, but from her behavior, I'd have to say that mules aren't all that much like horses. They are amazing creatures, though, and I wouldn't have missed having that one in my life for anything. I have 4 horses plus the mule, and if I had to get rid of all but one, she'd be the one I'd choose to keep (though she'd miss the others terribly; an only mule would be a very lonely mule). I swear, that little animal is smarter than I am.


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 6, 2016)

I had to go back and find this thread.
What a beauty.

http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/my-new-little-mule.29804/


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## Bunnylady (Oct 6, 2016)

OneFineAcre said:


> I had to go back and find this thread.
> What a beauty.
> 
> http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/my-new-little-mule.29804/



Been wondering how that little guy has turned out . . .

I've always been a horse lover, and used to think mules were just weird/funny looking. Then I got my little mule, and she has made all the difference (though to be honest, she _is_ funny looking, even for a mule). I knew I had 'crossed over' when, a few years back, I saw a picture someone posted of a mule that had just come back from being trained to harness, and my first thought when I saw the pic was, "what a beautiful mule!"


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## Kusanar (Oct 6, 2016)

My kind of mule!

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=...G5wWs2CYYBrtivxQ&ust=1475858753677348&cad=rjt


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## Bunnylady (Oct 6, 2016)

Kusanar said:


> My kind of mule!
> 
> http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjs-IC_0MbPAhVDHD4KHaUSC_kQjBwIBA&url=http://www.horsechannel.com/images/horse-news-article-images/heart-b-dyna_800.jpg&bvm=bv.134495766,d.dmo&psig=AFQjCNEwtb7HVnI-FPG5wWs2CYYBrtivxQ&ust=1475858753677348&cad=rjt



That is so cool! Here's an interview with Laura Hermanson I found:

http://www.psdressage.com/viewarticle.php?id=1652


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## TAH (Oct 6, 2016)

Okay so I forgot to say donkeys up here are around $4000 unless you get a retired one. Most of the donkeys up here are for breeding they retire them around 16 years of age most of them aren't broke to ride. Can you brake a 16 year old donkey? My dad is not paying $4000 for a donkey but mules are only $1500 so it seems that is what we are going to go with.


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## Baymule (Oct 6, 2016)

A lot of mules and donkeys mission in life is to stomp the life out of anything that isn't a mule, horse or donkey. Be prepared to keep your mule away from chickens and small livestock.


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## NH homesteader (Oct 6, 2016)

I for one would not want  to attempt to train a 16 year old anything. Especially a donkey. A young donkey is difficult enough!


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 6, 2016)

I would not think it would be easy to break a 16 year old donkey to ride.
I think going with a mule would be a wise choice.


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## Baymule (Oct 6, 2016)

Donkeys are smarter than you, mules are downright freaking brilliant.


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 6, 2016)

See now I'm thinking.
My pasture produces more grass than my goats can eat.
Hesitate on getting a couple of steers because of Johnnes.

@Baymule

Do you think it would be hard to acclimate a mule to my goats?

This one's pretty 

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/grd/5785629665.html

Ad seems to indicate she's around goats.


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## Green Acres Farm (Oct 6, 2016)

@OneFineAcre, you just need more goats.


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## Bruce (Oct 6, 2016)

OneFineAcre said:


> See now I'm thinking.
> My pasture produces more grass than my goats can eat.
> Hesitate on getting a couple of steers because of Johnnes.
> 
> ...


Pretty! I like the line "She is just 9 yrs. old and has her whole life ahead of her." Um, mules are born at 9 years of age???? 



NH homesteader said:


> I for one would not want  to attempt to train a 16 year old anything. Especially a donkey. A young donkey is difficult enough!


Especially a HUMAN! Have you ever tried to teach a 16 Y/O human anything? They already know everything they need to know


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## NH homesteader (Oct 6, 2016)




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## OneFineAcre (Oct 6, 2016)

Bruce said:


> Pretty! I like the line "She is just 9 yrs. old and has her whole life ahead of her." Um, mules are born at 9 years of age????
> 
> 
> Especially a HUMAN! Have you ever tried to teach a 16 Y/O human anything? They already know everything they need to know



Probably should have said a long life ahead of her


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 6, 2016)

Green Acres Farm said:


> @OneFineAcre, you just need more goats.


That's going to happen this spring any way


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## Baymule (Oct 6, 2016)

@Bruce mules can live up to 40 years. If properly cared for they can be active and useful almost all their life.

@OneFineAcre I would call and ask. I have a mule and she would attack the sheep if she could. She also hates dogs. I can just imagine the devastation she would leave behind her if she could go chicken stomping.


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 6, 2016)

Baymule said:


> @Bruce mules can live up to 40 years. If properly cared for they can be active and useful almost all their life.
> 
> @OneFineAcre I would call and ask. I have a mule and she would attack the sheep if she could. She also hates dogs. I can just imagine the devastation she would leave behind her if she could go chicken stomping.


We should focus on animals we can eat 
But gosh she sure is a beautiful animal


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## Bruce (Oct 6, 2016)

Baymule said:


> @Bruce mules can live up to 40 years. If properly cared for they can be active and useful almost all their life.


I know, it just struck me funny. It is sort of the opposite of the joke:
"Have you lived here your entire life?"
"Not yet"

Maybe for mules "Life begins at 9" instead of "at 40"


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## frustratedearthmother (Oct 6, 2016)

@OneFineAcre   - I think you should do it.  She's got the WHOLE REST of her life ahead of her!


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## Bunnylady (Oct 6, 2016)

This is Betsy:





She was about 9 years old in this picture, and in a way, life for her began then. She had basically had no training at all; apparently her previous owners had just wrestled her into whatever they wanted to do with her. The person who gave her to me was told she could be ridden or driven. Once I figured out that that person was living on Fantasy Island, Betsy and I stumbled back to square one, and I had her doing leadline pony work with my kids within a couple of weeks . . . which was about the time she stopped hassling the goats.

When I brought Betsy home, my goats weren't sure what that thing was, but of one thing they were sure - it _must_ eat goats. Betsy did her best to convince them that they were right about that; she chased them at every opportunity. I'm not sure how serious she was about it, maybe for her it was just a game, but I wound up fishing Moon out of the duck pond twice the first day (and you know how much goats hate water!) By the time she eased up, those pointy headed problem children had the Rule of Mule firmly ingrained in their minds. I have two miniature horses that outrank Betsy in the "horse herd," but though the goat are pretty cheeky with the miniature horses, when Betsy moves in, the goats move out! Even Spike, a tall, lanky dairy-mix wether that was a incorrigible bully where the other goats were concerned, needed just a glare from Betsy to make up his mind to go find something else to do.

Though there have been chickens free-ranging in the goat/mini paddock for as long as she has lived here, I can't say that I remember Betsy every chasing the chickens. Maybe they are too fast for her to waste her energy on them (mules are smart like that). I have seen her trying to stomp on ducks, though - and I have reason to believe she has injured a few of them. And if she didn't kill that raccoon last year, it wasn't for lack of trying. A couple of months ago, I saw a fox looking in through the fence while I was out working in the yard. The horses saw it too, and stood looking at it for some time. All but Betsy. She looked, then walked slowly and deliberately over to the fence where the fox had been. And stood looking for quite a while. Good thing for the fox he didn't go in the fence.


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## Green Acres Farm (Oct 7, 2016)

Bunnylady said:


> This is Betsy:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


She is pretty!


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## micah wotring (Oct 7, 2016)

Oh, all this talk makes me want one now! I've never had any experience with any equines so I won't go there until I've helped somebody with theirs so that when I do get mine I can give her a good life. Maybe someday when I have a HUGE herd of sheep and goats to protect maybe I could train one for a guardian. Of coarse then you couldn't ride it because you'd need it to stay with the herd. Hmmm, I've got A LOT to research on. Maybe someday...


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## AClark (Oct 7, 2016)

When I was a teenager, we had a BLM burro. He was pretty cool, even if he was really small. He wasn't gelded but had a nice temperament. They make really good livestock protectors. Because of all the mining where I grew up, their population has exploded, and they're talking about ways to reduce their numbers drastically. He was definitely too small to be really ridden, but I would hop on him and ride him bareback, and I am a pretty small adult and my feet could almost touch the ground - I really liked him.

I don't have any experience with mules at all, but donkeys are definitely cool!


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## Bunnylady (Oct 7, 2016)

Green Acres Farm said:


> She is pretty!



Thank you! She is also a character . . .

Last year, we had a ridiculously rainy period that flooded parts of the animals' paddocks with water up to knee deep. My daughter (known as BB2K on BYC) had been having problems with one of the minis not wanting to step in puddles when walking on the road, so she thought this might be a good training opportunity. She haltered first one, then another, of the minis, and walked them all around in the water. Then she had the absurd impulse to try it with our two goats. Moon wasn't thrilled with the idea, but she only resisted a little before walking in. Daisy, on the other hand, seemed to be of the opinion that you might as well kill her where she stood, there was simply no way she was setting hoof in that lethal stuff. Betsy saw what was going on, and strolled casually over. Maybe she thought, "if I had to, you gotta, too," but she nipped the goat on the butt. Daisy decided that water was less threatening than mule teeth.


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## frustratedearthmother (Oct 7, 2016)

That's funny!  Mule justice!


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## Mini Horses (Oct 7, 2016)

Baymule said:


> Donkeys are smarter than you, mules are downright freaking brilliant.





Baymule said:


> @Bruce mules can live up to 40 years. If properly cared for they can be active and useful almost all their life.
> 
> @OneFineAcre I would call and ask. I have a mule and she would attack the sheep if she could. She also hates dogs. I can just imagine the devastation she would leave behind her if she could go chicken stomping.




So, yes these animals are extremely intelligent, remember like an elephant, generally do love their humans, can become extremely good protectors, can/will stomp the life out of what they feel is an "intruder"  (even if the same species of "their" herd, just not one of them), SUPER sure footed, have a great intuition for danger, and are ANYTHING but stubborn -- that's a bad assumption -- they are very, very cautious and will do what you want with patience as a trainer.  Once they do the new thing, they are good!!    They really WANT to please you and be a part of your life.

I have had one kill a goat kid that entered the field with her herd, as it was not a part of "her herd".   Even rabbits weren't safe with some of them.  A fox, dog, etc., had NO chance.  Not every one of them are that protective.   But, some goat farms who had them found that the bucks were in trouble when placed into a field for breeding, if not already a part of the herd!!

When I warned neighbors about loose dogs, they thought it was to protect my goats  ---  well, partly, but mainly to protect their DOG, who would not have outrun that jenny.

While most mule jennets are not fertile  (chromosome #s in cross) some can be.   Not usual.   The mule jacks should always be gelded, as they can get rank from the testosterone.
Donkeys & mules are extremely strong....more than most horses.   Plus they tend to have a chase until they just stop type mentality when after a female to breed.  Part of their "game", not a lot of gentle foreplay.   One of my jacks, who was only 32" tall, could pull two big, strong,  6' men all over the place with them hanging on to his halter when he was in "breed" mode.  Can be quite nasty to a jennet -- or not!   Unbelievable strength.   They can jump like you would not believe!  Stand by the fence and propel themselves  straight up & over. Amazing.

Donkeys by nature are foragers of some poor graze.  They do far better than any horse with little to no grain and less grand hay.  A donkey will almost never over eat. Did you know that one of the reasons, many years back, that they were kept in racetrack barns was because they would bray if a stranger entered?

Had a herd of mini donks, about 30 head, and they were very loving animals.   Some days I wish I still had a couple.

So, if you are looking for a mule, just know that if you are patient, kind, loving -- it will usually be returned 100 fold.


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## cjc (Oct 7, 2016)

I am only sharing my story as a cautionary tale....we have a donkey, he's great. But I have heard from neighbours that some of them are down right asses, literally. Ours is 40 years old and he is a very sweet donkey. He is full size. He does bite our horse a lot haha, but it's a loving bite. They get along really well.

But I used to go to horse camp as a child and I have a serious fear of mules from their farm. Not once, not twice, but three times, one of the neighbours mules brutally attacked one of their horses. All 3 of the horses that were attacked by the mules died . I have no idea if this is a normal thing or if that neighbour just had a really bad bunch of mules but now I see them and run the other direction. I was recently in Mexico and there were some mules at a farm there and they seemed to be really sweet. People were riding them. But I have serious mule PTSD.


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## NH homesteader (Oct 7, 2016)

My husband had a mule when he was a kid.  It was nasty. And they were incredibly experienced horse farmers who took the time to try to work with it.  Not sure of its history but yeah,  they can be mean.


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## Bunnylady (Oct 7, 2016)

NH homesteader said:


> My husband had a mule when he was a kid.  It was nasty. And they were* incredibly experienced horse farmers* who took the time to try to work with it.  Not sure of its history but yeah,  they can be mean.



The bold letters may illustrate the problem right there - donkeys and mules are not just funny looking horses, their minds are very different, and if you try to treat a mule like a horse, it can come back to bite you in the butt - literally!


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## NH homesteader (Oct 7, 2016)

They didn't treat it like a horse. They learned how to train a mule and how it is different than a horse.  That's what I meant by they took time to work with it...  And they aren't the break a horse til it submits type either.  They are all about relationship with animals and respect for the animal. It came to them mean and it never changed.


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## Kusanar (Oct 7, 2016)

I have a couple of horses that will chase dogs out of the field, including coyotes, don't know if they know that they're not dogs or not... that's one reason I don't worry about my mini with the coyotes, the big horses enjoy chasing and stomping dogs and they like the little guy and wouldn't let him be picked on.


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## Bunnylady (Oct 7, 2016)

Betsy came to me not trusting. They can fight like tigers if they think that's what they need to do to defend themselves. It took a long time to get Betsy to lower her defenses, and even now, we sometimes accidentally hit a button and she reacts without thinking. Fortunately,  she got more of the horse "flight" instead of the donkey "fight."

 Believe it or not, there have been mules born in the wild - donkey jacks have taken over wild horse herds in areas where the ranges of the two overlap. When you think about the size difference between most horses and your average donkey, that's pretty impressive.


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## cjc (Oct 7, 2016)

Funny thing about our donkey is he actually loves dogs haha. Coyotes have taken out lambs in broad daylight with him "standing guard". He makes an absolutely terrible livestock guardian! 

Here is Jethro. Our neighbour rescued him from being glue about 35 years ago.


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## TAH (Oct 7, 2016)

cjc said:


> Funny thing about our donkey is he actually loves dogs haha. Coyotes have taken out lambs in broad daylight with him "standing guard". He makes an absolutely terrible livestock guardian!
> 
> Here is Jethro. Our neighbour rescued him from being glue about 35 years ago.


He is cute


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## OneFineAcre (Oct 7, 2016)




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## NH homesteader (Oct 7, 2016)

Now I want one.


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## cjc (Oct 7, 2016)

Jethro needs a lesson from that donkey haha. You know I actually applied to adopt a donkey to live with our lambs. They asked on the application why I wanted to adopt him and I said "live stock guardian for lambs" they denied me and said I was putting the donkey at risk haha. Seriously I couldn't believe it! The donkey sat at the shelter for months after.


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## Kusanar (Oct 10, 2016)

cjc said:


> Jethro needs a lesson from that donkey haha. You know I actually applied to adopt a donkey to live with our lambs. They asked on the application why I wanted to adopt him and I said "live stock guardian for lambs" they denied me and said I was putting the donkey at risk haha. Seriously I couldn't believe it! The donkey sat at the shelter for months after.


Next time, tell them you need one as a companion to your lambs!


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## CntryBoy777 (Jan 16, 2017)

@TAH are ya still planning on getting a mule this Spring?


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## TAH (Jan 17, 2017)

CntryBoy777 said:


> @TAH are ya still planning on getting a mule this Spring?


We have settled on the animals that would serve us best so we are going with a donkey.

I wanted a Mule more but with not having an LGD a donkey is our best choice.

We won't be getting one till fall.


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## NH homesteader (Jan 17, 2017)

when are your goats coming?


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## CntryBoy777 (Jan 17, 2017)

Well, I understand completely and it may be for the best, and ya never know what can happen between now and then either. I was wondering cause I have thought of the same situation, but I believe I would go with a mule for several reasons. So, when I came across the Thread I was wondering what ya decided and why. However, as things do change as time passes, I have decided to stay with what we already have. So, we are thinking of a couple of young pygmy exposed does, and a dog. Still debating the dog issue and starting to look for some local does, well within 75-100miles. Tho I plan on being extra choosy on the right fit, so could take a little bit, even a year. That way I can concentrate on getting all the work waiting on me done, before adding more to do.


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## TAH (Jan 17, 2017)

NH homesteader said:


> when are your goats coming?


I am not sure. 

Nothing has gone as planned so I really don't know...I wish I had an answer! 

I am having a hard time with transitioning into a new way of life as it is I just don't think about it very often! 

I miss my goats more than ever. 

I and My sister may get a chance to go down this summer so I may try to find someone that does across the border with animals as a living and get my goats headed this...really it is all up in the air! 

We have a long adventure in front of us!


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## NH homesteader (Jan 17, 2017)

It really is a dramatic life change for all of you with a lot of uncertainty. It will be nice to have them back with you. You can get through anything with family,  and family includes your animals! I hope you find a way to get them soon!


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## TAH (Jan 17, 2017)

NH homesteader said:


> It really is a dramatic life change for all of you with a lot of uncertainty. It will be nice to have them back with you. You can get through anything with family,  and family includes your animals! I hope you find a way to get them soon!


So true! 
I am very thankful for our dog! 

I just talked with my dad on the matter and he said we will start looking on how to bring them up around June!


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## Baymule (Jan 18, 2017)

Glad you decided on the donkey. Bear in mind that a donkey will stomp the stuffings out of anything that he perceives to be a danger or something different. That could include a chicken, puppy, or even a lamb or kid if it is a different color from the rest of the flock. Like anything else, the donkey will take training and patience. Or you could wind up with a donkey that loves all other animals and lets tiny kittens play around his feet. Be sure that if you get a male donkey that he is gelded. An acquaintance of mine tried a jack donkey with his cattle, but the jack chased the cows that were in heat and fought the bull off of the cows. If the donkey would have been gelded, it would have been a different experience. Instead of gelding it, he hauled it to the sale......


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## TAH (Jan 18, 2017)

I am definitely getting a gelding!


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## Baymule (Jan 18, 2017)

Also know for a fact that the donkey is smarter than you......


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## Bruce (Jan 19, 2017)

Of course @Baymule isn't trying to be insulting!


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## Baymule (Jan 19, 2017)

Bruce said:


> Of course @Baymule isn't trying to be insulting!


lol just stating a fact


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## Bruce (Jan 20, 2017)

Like when a large group of us at work were out at lunch many years ago and my manager said my kids would be smarter than I was? They were maybe 2 & 4 at the time and he'd not met them. He tried to backpedal that but clearly it stuck. Maybe he just meant the combination of genes from my wife and me would be additive. Right??


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## Bunnylady (Jan 20, 2017)

If you have ever dealt with longears, you know . . . . at some point, you will realize that they have those wise eyes for a reason. They see more and know more than you do.


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## TAH (Jan 20, 2017)

Bunnylady said:


> If you have ever dealt with longears, you know . . . . at some point, you will realize that they have those wise eyes for a reason. They see more and know more than you do.


We had a horse and was so stinkin smart but I have heard donkeys are smarter.


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## TAH (Jan 20, 2017)

Alright, I have a question

I am LOVE training animals so this leads me to thought do I want a trained donkey or an untrained one that I could train. 

I have trained a horse and really had a fun hard time training her but it taught her and me a lot of things so it was good. I was 12 when I trained Dasiy so I will be 14 when I get my donkey and wonder if it would be a good opportunity for me.

We live right next to an Equine training so I would have helped if need along with my dad. I found a gelded 3-year old donkey for $800 the other day untrained...too bad we don't have the property yet! 

Would you recommend an already trained donkey or untrained?


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## AClark (Jan 20, 2017)

I'd probably go with something with at least basic manners. Training isn't hard but it is time consuming, and you have to ask yourself if you are going to have time to put in around an hour a day dedicated to teaching a donkey. 
By basic manners, I mean that you can halter it, lead it, pick up their feet, and touch/groom them without being stomped into a mudhole, or in the case of a donkey, kung-fu kicked. A little foundation goes a long way. 

You're in Alaska now right? I don't know what prices critters go for there, but donkeys are dirt cheap here ($300 at most) if they don't have any training. Personally, I wouldn't pay more than $500 for anything that has zero training, and I'd balk quite a bit at $500 for something that didn't at least have basic ground manners.


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## TAH (Jan 20, 2017)

AClark said:


> I'd probably go with something with at least basic manners. Training isn't hard but it is time consuming, and you have to ask yourself if you are going to have time to put in around an hour a day dedicated to teaching a donkey.
> 
> By basic manners, I mean that you can halter it, lead it, pick up their feet, and touch/groom them without being stomped into a mudhole, or in the case of a donkey, kung-fu kicked. A little foundation goes a long way.
> 
> ...



Yes, we are in AK.

I would definitely try to find one with basic manners. 


Most donkeys around here are $2000 or more so $800 is great. I am willing to put time and a lot of work into whatever animals I get! 


Okay odd question,

I got told the other day I shouldn't go for a donkey because I am stubborn and so is a donkey and I would not be able to work with an animal stubborn like me,? sounded odd to me. I am still getting a donkey even if they don't agree but thought I would pop the question and see what others have to say on it. 

I am known for being quite stubborn.


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## Bunnylady (Jan 20, 2017)

It's really not fair to call donkeys and mules stubborn; what they have is a very well developed sense of self-preservation, and a determination to think for themselves. Training one basically involves being very clear about what you want it to do, and waiting until it decides it is safe to do it. They generally are pretty cooperative with a person that they have learned to trust, but if you really ramp up the pressure, they are more likely to fight you rather than just "cave" like most horses do. On the continuum of the "fight or flight" response, a horse is generally more "flight," the donkey is more likely to stand and fight.

When I first got Betsy, my mini mule, she'd had a lot of rough handling, and we had a lot of trust issues to work through. I especially remember the matter of working on her feet. She wasn't too bad about the front feet, but she was really protective of her hind feet, particularly the right one. One day, I was trying to get the right hind foot picked out and rasped a little bit, and she was having none of it. At first, I tried to hang onto the foot and calmly wait her out, like I would with a pony. No dice - typical longear, she escalated. I found myself trying to hold onto her right hind foot and supporting the weight of her entire back end as she hoisted the left hind foot and tried to kick me with it. That's the point at which I decided that this really wasn't going to work, and I needed a different game plan. I told her,"look. You may be half donkey, but I'm half Dutch; you ain't got nothin' on me for stubborn. If you must have the foot back, I will let you have it back before you have a cow about it, but understand, I'm gonna pick it right back up again. If I have to pick it up twenty times, I will, but it isn't done until I say it's done." Some days, I wondered if she was counting to see if I really meant twenty, because we'd go up, down, up, down, up, down . . . and it's a long way down to where a mini keeps its feet, y'know? But she learned that having her feet handled really wasn't a threat, and she also learned that I am pretty darned persistent when I want to be.

My mini mule reads me so well that at times, I'd swear she is psychic. When I was first training her, I would be lunging her, and think, "OK, another half way around and we'll . . . ." and she would already have stopped; she saw the subtle change in my body language and responded before I could "cue" her. One time, I went to the fence with a banana peel that I was going to give to a goat. The mule was closer to me than the goat at the time (this was before I learned that they like bananas, too!), and I drew my arm back and shifted my weight to throw the peel, then changed my mind and waited for the goat to walk up to me. During the split second of that unfinished movement, the mule started to spook at the object that I almost threw, and realized as quickly as I did that I wasn't going to throw it, so she basically jumped and landed in her own footprints. I'm telling you, that animal reads my mind . . . . rather spooky, but somehow endearing; if I had to get rid of all but one, she'd be the one I'd keep. I tell her she's first in my herd, and first in my heart.

I remember seeing an article about a trail ride that goes down into the Grand Canyon; all of the animals used on it are mules. The guy who guides the ride won't work with anything else. As he explained, mules are very sure-footed, so they won't get themselves into trouble. Also, a horse could be bullied or panicked into stepping off of the trail with possibly fatal consequences, but a mule just won't go there, no matter what its rider does.


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## Bruce (Jan 20, 2017)

Sounds like it would be a lot more affordable to get a "southern" donkey and trailer it up with the goats instead of an overpriced AK donkey.


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## Baymule (Jan 21, 2017)

www.lovelongears.com READ everything on this site, then subscribe to the magazine.


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## TAH (Feb 6, 2017)

I am allowed to get a mammoth donkey or mule! This makes searching a lot easier.


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## TAH (Mar 4, 2017)

Okay, so it looks like we are going to get a horse but I have a few questions!

I had a rescue horse for 5-months, she was 16-hands tall and around 1100-pounds and ate literality a TON of food. The deal is the horse has to be 14-hands tall, weigh 700-750-pounds, and be a good beginner's horse. There are lots of Morgan horses for sale here in Alaska so I am leaning towards a Morgan. I am looking into just a trail/pleasure riding the horse and doesn't mind a good run here and there. I am 119-pounds and am 5'2 and all my siblings are smaller than me. Whatever we get will either be a gelding or a mare. 

What other breeds should I consider?


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## Mini Horses (Mar 4, 2017)

Bunnylady said:


> If you have ever dealt with longears, you know . . . . at some point, you will realize that they have those wise eyes for a reason. They see more and know more than you do.



So, so true.    Bunnylady is also quite correct about their not being "stubborn"  BUT they sure are cautious!!  They are not slow to respond -- they are sizing up safety and reasoning.   I will add that they have a memory like an elephant!    Always be kind and very patient, they will reward you.  Guarding can vary greatly between individuals but, they can be intense with it at times, as the example given with the intro of a breeder to a herd.  If it is not the donkeys "herd member", there will be trouble!

I've ridden the mules down the Grand Canyon, they don't even pay attention to the reins.   You just sit and enjoy because "they do what they do" on that trail!

As to horses, I love a good Morgan.   They remind me a lot of an Arab -- my favorite! -- and choice depends on purpose of use as much as availability.   Morgans can be nice riding and driving.   Many were used for light plowing on smaller farms in years past.   Not as many around anymore.


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## TAH (Sep 2, 2017)

well, I have decided on a horse. 

We are moving to a bit of acreage and a horse is a lot more reasonable than a mule/donkey... unless mule comes up for sale for under $3000. 

I am wanting small- 12-13hands tall (sis thinks i should get one that is 16 hands or taller, lol). I feel intimidated by big animals.


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## Baymule (Sep 3, 2017)

I have a 13 hand gelding and a 16 hand gelding. Both are calm and gentle. You get the horse that makes you comfortable.


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## Bruce (Sep 3, 2017)

Yeah, you need a horse that fits under you. Too big or too small just doesn't cut it!


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