There are several Facebook pages that are mule groups. There is even one new called Video Mule, strickly of mules for sale.I sure haven't noticed a decline ,in fact, I see more and more..


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

I know I've seen quite a few mules in our area on Craigslist.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Thanks Vince, I am not that familiar with facebook, but I did find them.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

Maybe, it is because the guys who have good ones want to keep them?

Just kidding, but I know they are long lived, take the heat well, won't founder and grow on a person real easy like :o)


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

I have heard that mules dont founder but my neighbor had one that did to the point he had to put him down. Anyone else seen a foundered mule? His vet said it was uncommon.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

That is pure rubbish that mules don't founder. Right now is a season for founder .Put any equine out on this spring grass that has more sugars in it and it is a recipe for disaster. I see many people just turning their mules loose without getting them use to it, or at least only turning them out in the afternoon when a lot of the sugars are dissipated.

A lot of mules will not consume too much grain and will let it be.Some mules will eat all they can get and most mules will not drink when they are overheated ,but some will.

Little mini mules and pony mules seem to be more suseptible to it as people overfeed them


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

I think mules are much less likely to founder than horses, but it does occur. After all, they're still half horse and while hybrid vigor makes for one rugged animal, they aren't immune to anything that can afflict their parents.

One of mules has ringbone but it doesn't seem to affect her in the least. Our farrier says, if she was a horse she'd be complaining, but mules can shrug a lot off. Sadly, this is why they were treated so poorly in the past. People assumed they were unbreakable since they are so tough.

Of course, mules can also handle healthy doses of sedatives. Our vet has had a hard time doping them up when required due to a mule's metabolism. Once, after one of my girls had colic the vet had to come out. (While we thought she was dying for two hours, she rebounded and was on her feet about 10 minutes before the vet showed.) After triple the average horse dosage, said mule was able to nearly kick the stall wall down when the vet put her forearm somewhere my mule didn't want anyone's forearm going. Vet ruled her completely recovered.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum

I get a lot of friends whom I think now roll their eyes when they see me coming because they know at some point I'm going to steer the conversation to the merits of mules. But some of those merits are tinged with a bit of myth. I am currently struggling with a mule that I'm starting to think is stifled. I get a lot of people asking, "Well, I thought a mule wouldn't ever hurt themselves." I have to remind them that mule are not super heroes, just close to it. They can get hurt and accidents happen. I'm constantly amazed at my mules refusal to over eat though. I have my old mule that got really thin. I was worried he wouldn't make it through last winter. I ended up putting him on Purina Equine senior and then later, cutting it with whole oats. He is now fat (for him) but he eventually turned into a grazer. He would eat all of his breakfast, then when I fed the evening grain he got to where he would eat most of it, but leave some to eat when he was brought in the morning. I usually just open my gate and maybe lead one or maybe two mules to the barn while the others know where they are supposed to be and will go there. They may stop and pick a little on the way and the old mule may make a circle or two of the house and yard before coming to his stall but he will get there and then eat the few bites of feed he left from supper. For most stock I wouldn't recommend leaving feed like that, but at thirty, I feel like he's earned it and willing to do what ever it takes to keep the weight on him.


7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum