# Are mules less spooky THAN HORSES?



## SDTA

I am just wanting to check on this. My wife at times doesnt have the best control of her horse when he spooks I am just wondering if mules are less spooky?

Thank you SDTA


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## Mulefeather

Just like with horses, it depends on the mule. Mules tend to not be as “dramatic” about their spooks as horses are, in my experience, owing to the donkey’s tendency to only retreat a small distance rather than bolt in a random direction. My draft mule spooked exactly once in the time I had him – what I would call a “true” spook. It was a little jump about 2 feet to the side, and that was it. He was definitely aware of his surroundings and no dead-head, but he was fairly quick to assess potential threats, and he definitely had his own opinions about certain things. However, mules are still equines – they can and do spook. You still have to look for a mule who has the desired training and personality the rider needs. 

Is it possible that your wife’s horse just isn’t a good match for her as a rider? If she’s having trouble controlling the horse through a spook, then either she or the horse needs more training (or both), or the horse’s level of spookiness is just too much for her. If your wife is truly interested in mules, I suggest finding some people in your area that own them and talk to them personally. If you can find a show where mules are present, even better! 

I adore mules and don’t think I’ll ever go back to owning a horse, but I do know they are not for everyone. You do need to understand they are not horses with long ears – they are a hybrid between two species who have VERY different social patterns and reactions to potential danger.


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## hollysjubilee

Mulefeather said:


> Just like with horses, it depends on the mule. Mules tend to not be as “dramatic” about their spooks as horses are, in my experience, owing to the donkey’s tendency to only retreat a small distance rather than bolt in a random direction. My draft mule spooked exactly once in the time I had him – what I would call a “true” spook. It was a little jump about 2 feet to the side, and that was it. He was definitely aware of his surroundings and no dead-head, but he was fairly quick to assess potential threats, and he definitely had his own opinions about certain things. However, mules are still equines – they can and do spook. You still have to look for a mule who has the desired training and personality the rider needs.
> 
> Is it possible that your wife’s horse just isn’t a good match for her as a rider? If she’s having trouble controlling the horse through a spook, then either she or the horse needs more training (or both), or the horse’s level of spookiness is just too much for her. If your wife is truly interested in mules, I suggest finding some people in your area that own them and talk to them personally. If you can find a show where mules are present, even better!
> 
> I adore mules and don’t think I’ll ever go back to owning a horse, but I do know they are not for everyone. You do need to understand they are not horses with long ears – they are a hybrid between two species who have VERY different social patterns and reactions to potential danger.


I don't know if they are less spooky, but they can be meaner. lol -- said "tongue-in-cheek" although . . . I've been told that if a mule doesn't like a person at first meeting, the mule will NEVER like that person. Have you heard that before, mulefeather? I don't know if it's true or not. I did a lot of study on the use of Mules in this country in the pioneering and settling of this country as well as their use in the mines in Missouri. What I learned from the study is that they are stronger than most horses, have better feet, need less feed and water . . . but I've never owned a mule . . . only heard stories from my mule-loving neighbor, a farmer who has had and trained lots of mules over his lifetime.


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## SDTA

Our horses dont bolt but they are always looking for trouble. They more a less drop 6-12" and stand when they get scared. Only one spook yesterday from a Robin. It is a pain in the butt. They run when they get spooked in the pen when no one is on them. I am so curious about the mules. I have seem some terribly abused mules that I believe should be removed from the owner and reciently saw some that were the sweetest creatures. That guy says he had 80 mules and sorted down to 8 to find what he wanted.


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## ChitChatChet

IMO the older they get the more bomb proof they get.

When they are young they can be goofy but as they get older stability comes into play.


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## Corporal

You mule people comment here, but I saw something interesting when the "mule girl" on her honeymoon, rode the green mule up the mountain and they parted ways. Her mule came tearing back and totally ignored the horses. I've seen a horse dump the rider and end up standing at a fence where another horse was standing and just stop there. THIS mule continued running and ended up on the SD mountainous road. Somebody retrieved him/her, but I don't know how.


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## Mulefeather

Mules are actually quite the opposite – most of the ones I have met have been VERY interested in interacting with people and very friendly! I would put their personality as more dog-like than horse-like, and they bond with people about that strongly. Generally ones you meet that are not have been mishandled by people in one way or another, and it’s hard to get a mistrustful or abused mule back to normal because their self-preservation instinct is so high, as well as their intelligence. Crufts veterinary school in the UK did testing and found that mules are actually better at reasoning and problem-solving than horses, donkeys, AND dogs! My mule certainly proved this – he figured out which car was mine and would come running out of the field when I pulled into the stable, would come when called, and also figured out how to take his stall door off its track so he could get out and eat hay in the barn all night! 

The problem comes when people try to handle or train a mule the same way they would a horse (especially if your preferred method is “I am the boss and you better not second-guess me or ELSE”, and in those days beating a horse or mule to get it to do what you wanted was pretty commonplace, as well as other nasty treatment that isn’t acceptable now. American mules in the Pioneer era also tended to be bred off poor quality stock that wasn’t considered good enough for anything else due to conformation or temperament, so you wound up with a lot of bad-tempered and badly-trained mules. Obviously, we know much better now! 

Holly, it’s always possible for any equine to take a dislike to someone at first blush – sometimes it’s not the person, but it could be that the mule had a bad experience, the person looks like someone who hurt or abused it, or there’s just a bad association there. Equines can develop fears of things we don’t associate with bad experiences, like the color plaid and men wearing cowboy hats- it’s just the way their brains work. It’s usually not a commentary on the person themselves unless they are generally unsettling to a prey animal – big, sudden gestures, loud voice all the time, rough handling, aggressive body language, etc.


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## hollysjubilee

Mulefeather said:


> Mules are actually quite the opposite – most of the ones I have met have been VERY interested in interacting with people and very friendly! I would put their personality as more dog-like than horse-like, and they bond with people about that strongly. Generally ones you meet that are not have been mishandled by people in one way or another, and it’s hard to get a mistrustful or abused mule back to normal because their self-preservation instinct is so high, as well as their intelligence. Crufts veterinary school in the UK did testing and found that mules are actually better at reasoning and problem-solving than horses, donkeys, AND dogs! My mule certainly proved this – he figured out which car was mine and would come running out of the field when I pulled into the stable, would come when called, and also figured out how to take his stall door off its track so he could get out and eat hay in the barn all night!
> 
> The problem comes when people try to handle or train a mule the same way they would a horse (especially if your preferred method is “I am the boss and you better not second-guess me or ELSE”, and in those days beating a horse or mule to get it to do what you wanted was pretty commonplace, as well as other nasty treatment that isn’t acceptable now. American mules in the Pioneer era also tended to be bred off poor quality stock that wasn’t considered good enough for anything else due to conformation or temperament, so you wound up with a lot of bad-tempered and badly-trained mules. Obviously, we know much better now!
> 
> Holly, it’s always possible for any equine to take a dislike to someone at first blush – sometimes it’s not the person, but it could be that the mule had a bad experience, the person looks like someone who hurt or abused it, or there’s just a bad association there. Equines can develop fears of things we don’t associate with bad experiences, like the color plaid and men wearing cowboy hats- it’s just the way their brains work. It’s usually not a commentary on the person themselves unless they are generally unsettling to a prey animal – big, sudden gestures, loud voice all the time, rough handling, aggressive body language, etc.


I really have heard that they are extremely opinionated and don't change their minds about a person they don't like (first impressions count more with a mule? so put your best foot forward!) but it was said facetiously as I've learned that generalizations don't account for many details that really matter in the minds and experiences of animals and people.

Thank you for the explanation, mulefeather. It must feel SO great to have your mule respond to seeing YOUR car drive up  Nice to feel loved and appreciated 

My farmer neighbor has the mentality of the rough cowboy, as you described, and I think he always assumed that getting hurt (often) is just part of having horses and mules. He's gone through a lot of them . . . but he said he'll never have another horse because mules are so much smarter.

A well-known horse trainer from CA told me, also, that one has to work with mules differently, and the ones that have decided not to like people (for whatever reason) are extremely hard to convince otherwise, even with fair training.


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## ChitChatChet

I rescued a mule once that people thought was a donkey LOL

Anyway, once I got him healthy, I started riding him as I knew he had been a packer. So I figured if he could pack then he could be ridden.

Later ended up taking to someone who had know this mule in the past and found he was 'un-rideable' that he could only be packed on. OOps He was a great riding mule but I guess for somebody else he wasn't.


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## TessaMay

To answer the OP's question: It depends on the mule, but in a lot of cases yes. 

Mules have better memories when it comes to anyone who has wronged them. They are also content to wait for the right time to get back at you. I supposed that could be considered "meaner" than a horse, but they also rarely hurt you (on purpose) unless you have done something to deserve it. They are "fair" about their revenge :wink:

They also have much better aim and a larger range when it comes to kicking, so if they "kick at you" but don't hit you, you can be sure they meant to do that and you'd better listen to the warning. Punishing for it would be a very bad idea. 

What is considered "fair" training for horses won't necessarily translate to "fair" training for a mule. They really are a different cup of tea. They will respond to confidence, but not to bullying or force - at least not well and not if you want a continued relationship with them. They also (in my limited but growing experience) don't respond to pressure/release in the same way horses do at all. I'm guessing your typical natural horsemanship methods would not go over particularly well. I'm picturing Bailey's face now giving me that "What do you think you're doing" look that she's oh so good at


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## ChitChatChet

TessaMay said:


> To answer the OP's question: It depends on the mule, but in a lot of cases yes.
> 
> Mules have better memories when it comes to anyone who has wronged them. They are also content to wait for the right time to get back at you. I supposed that could be considered "meaner" than a horse, but they also rarely hurt you (on purpose) unless you have done something to deserve it. They are "fair" about their revenge :wink:
> 
> They also have much better aim and a larger range when it comes to kicking, so if they "kick at you" but don't hit you, you can be sure they meant to do that and you'd better listen to the warning. Punishing for it would be a very bad idea.
> 
> What is considered "fair" training for horses won't necessarily translate to "fair" training for a mule. They really are a different cup of tea. They will respond to confidence, but not to bullying or force - at least not well and not if you want a continued relationship with them. They also (in my limited but growing experience) don't respond to pressure/release in the same way horses do at all. I'm guessing your typical natural horsemanship methods would not go over particularly well. I'm picturing Bailey's face now giving me that "What do you think you're doing" look that she's oh so good at


I rode donkey for 20 years and switched to horses. My poor aching brain.... donkeys and horses are on the opposite sides of the spectrum for training IMO.

Donkeys I did use force for and it worked well as long as the force was used to outsmart them. Example of my donkey one day thought he would run away when I was loading him up. I tried again and he tried again. Problem was is I had 100 feet of rope tied to him and the other end tied to something very solid. He ran and when he got right to the end I yelled whoa. After that It was just a long rope tied to him but nothing else. After awhile just the lead rope was needed to load him. He was always trying something new on me.... finally he gave up and was the most incredible riding donkey doing whatever I asked.

I must say though working with donkeys made it easier to work with 'stubborn' horses. "Stubborn" horses and I can along rather well... probably cause we are both stubborn I have been told


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