Appaloosa Mule foal

[smoothmule]

This foal is by our sorrel with white mane and tail mammoth jack and an outside mare owned by a neighbor. They are quite pleased with her and plan to breed her back.

Her name is Molly.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Cute, cute!

I know Appaloosa mules are popular for endurance riding. I saw a 13hh appy mule trot stride for stride with a 16hh foundation Appy, every time the big Appaloosa trotted or cantered faster, the little Appy mule with her tiny rider just trotted faster, her little legs were just a blur. She came in Top 5 on a 50 mile endurance ride up at Pigeon River, an area of northern MI similar to the Rockies.

 

[smoothmule]

That's pretty cool, I know the owners are really happy with her. I think they plan for her to be the kids mule and maybe driving mule.

 

[4-HKid]

thats an awesome mule... like the coloring on it!!!

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

That's a big baby! And beautiful, too!

 

[AkTomboy]

what a cutie!! I have Appys and mules, good thing this molly is so far from me or she might need to get lost over at my house

 

[KellyHM]

Excuse my ignorance if I have no idea what I'm talking about, but aren't mules usually sterile?

 

[michickenwrangler]

Yes, mules are usually sterile. But what we're talking about is the horse breed crossed with a donkey jack to produce the mule.

There's a lot of Quarter horse mules
Many people breed Tennessee Walker mules that are gaited
I've seen Appaloosa mules
Belgian mules are popular for draft work

Just about any horse from a draft to a warmblood to an Arab to a pony can be used.

 

[Bunnylady]

Excuse my ignorance if I have no idea what I'm talking about, but aren't mules usually sterile?

Kelly, I think perhaps the OP meant that the owners were planning to breed the mare back to the jack for another mule? But you are quite right, most mules are sterile, only an occasional molly is fertile (or so they think). The thing is, most people don't even attempt to breed a molly, so they aren't sure what the percentage of actually fertile molly's might be. I own a mini mule molly, and I can tell you that she does show signs of being in season - though since she's seldom around any males (of either species), I don't see them very often.

 

[smoothmule]

Yes, breed the mare back is what I meant but I see why you read it that way now. Mules are indeed sterile......for the most part. There have been no documented cases of a "stud" mule producing..ever. However, there have been numerous instances of mare mules (Mollies) producing but other than the owner knowing, no one could prove it until a couple years ago when the mare mule in Morocco delivered a foal that looked more donkey than mule. They were able to verify this mare mule was indeed the mother of the foal by DNA testing.

The appaloosa mare owners decided not to breed her back since they had bred her for a foal to keep and the market isn't good for selling plus they were taking the mare out to Colorado and didn't want her in foal.

Personally though, we preferred geldings or a bred mare for riding, especially for a trip like that (elk hunting in the mountains). Mares will invariably come in heat when you don't want them too and by nature, they will come in quicker in a new place a lot of times so you can't always predict when they will cycle. A mare that is noisy, whinnying and peeing a lot will draw unwanted attention from predators and you don't want bear and cougars in camp.

My mares are particularly sweet and well mannered and loving when they're in foal. I have several mares and every mare here is like that. I've had people tell me their mares were monsters to ride when in foal. I don't get it but it may also be the breed or just individual, most people telling me that have had QH mares and mine are MFT's. I love the temperaments of my MFT mares and they're always good with the exception of one mare who, when she's in heat.....she's more than a hussy, she Demands to be bred. The only thing I haven't tried for her in the spring, when it seems to be her worst time with heat cycles, is to put her on red raspberry leaves. It does Wonders for a mare in heat, especially ovulating heat, and with foaling time. I have an Arabian mare who was a foal rejector to totally change when I bought her and put her through my "learn to foal right" routine here. She is the best mother now and no issues with foal rejection.