# Breeding for a Mule?



## Cali (Feb 4, 2011)

Subbing  I'm interested in this myself for the far future
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## BLily (Jul 10, 2010)

Sorry I can't offer any help as I know little about it.... but, Mules & More magazine just put out their annual Jack issue - all kinds of great breeding info. You can buy back issues on their website. They have some good articles online too.


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## GoWithTheFlow (Mar 9, 2011)

1. He must have good conformation . A nice , willing , and calm temperment . Height and build also plays part a in this also . 

2.Like I said the build , height ,and personalities will determin if the match is a good one .

3.Mammoth Jacks are jacks that are basicly a taller donkey . So if your mare is 15 hhs or taller she will need to be bred to a Mammoth Jack . 

4.No , not really . Same way ,just be carefull . The mare may not agree to be bred to a Jack ,so she might try to kick him or hurt him .Or vice-verse-a .lol

Lucky Three Ranch - Knowledge and educational materials about mules, donkeys and longears. awesome website !


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

Subscribing. I love mules. I would probably buy one long before breeding, but it's still fun to know about it.


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## GoWithTheFlow (Mar 9, 2011)

Yes buy one ,before you breed !!!!!! They are ALOT different to train than horses , they mature slower , and needs a experinced Longear owner . Mules and horses are almost totally different creatures ,yet mules are half horse . 

A Mule Mama needs to be really calm ,laid back , good conformation , and just a pleasure to work with .Because thats how you want your mule to act . 

But it will just be cheaper to buy a trained mule in the long run . 

Cause you know what you are getting . You have what you want .And it will be easier to sell than a young unbroke mule .


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I don't know much about breeding for a mule but my trainers husband actually specializes in training mules and he has said several times that mules are different then horses and he does seem to move much slower with the mules than the horses. His current mule has actually won several championships in versatility. She go's english and western, she runs barrels and reins, I think she even pulls a cart.

Here is the baby mule that my mare had a few years ago... "aint" he cute???


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Ahh Mules  I love my Moolahay's!

When I was back home in B.C Canada, I lived a hop,skip and a jump from a family who owned over 40 acres of land, with a large ranch on it, where they bred Mules. I was greatly involved with their farm, breeding program and their family. They called me their "Adopted Daughter".

Their Jack was a Mammoth Jack. His name was Cracker Jack. He was a sweet heart for the most part, but you couldn't halter him and lead him around. He'd say "forget this" and do what he wanted. He was a big white fuzzy monster. I adored him, adorable. 

He bred to Mares who ranged from 14hh, to 17hh. All they did was throw him out in the pasture with the mares and they allowed Nature to do its job. Trust me, where there is a will, there is a way. They had a few Morgans, a few Tennesse Walker - but majority of their Brood Mare stock were TB's. 

Their Mules were sold all over Canada and the U.S.A. Many of them went to Oregon. They were very popular in the Draft Horse and Mule Associations.

I had my own Long Ears, and I spent many summers breaking and training their mules to prepare them for sale. I even Evented a Mule  It was a blast.

Meredith Hodges is the best person to turn to, she is very knoweldgeable and very experienced. I turned to her many times when I was working with Long Ears.

You have to take a different approach with mules than you do with a Horse. Mules NEVER forget, not a thing throughout their lives. When training and working with a mule, remember that they ask "Who, what, where, when and why?" "Why am I doing this?" You have to let them think it was their idea, not yours. You cannot coerse a mule to do something, if they don't think it is "profitable" for them. "What's the point of this?". They learn very quickly.

An example, when training a mule to tie. I could tie a mule up to the hitching post and leave it there. I would watch closely. Some just stood nicely, but others I've seen get tore up about the situation, pull back and start to struggle. When they would struggle, sometimes they'd hurt themselves. The one's who would hurt themsevles during a struggle would say "oh, well, that was stupid, not doing that again" and after that, they'd stand perfectly no matter where or when I would tie them up. Horses for example, could struggle till they severely hurt themselves, destroyed the area, or even kill themselves. Mules learn very quickly from the experiences.

They are a pleasure to work with, to own and you'll fall in love.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I imagine a mule would be quite a bit different to train because they don't inherit the "flee animal" gene from their horse half. A good, trusting horse will walk off a cliff for you. Mules won't put themselves in danger, which is why they come off as very stubborn. 

I love their ears! Abby has great big ears already for a horse and ahhh I could play with them all day. Farmpony, that little one is adorable.


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## Lonestar22 (May 22, 2009)

Thanks for all the replys!! If I do decide to breed for a mule it will be in the far off future. I am really interested in them and would like to own one, I just have to find one. Lol.


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

I found a gorgeoussss mule in Texas a while back..but he was $5000. Ouch. But the only thing that made him look like a mule were his ears. He was definitely a flashy little guy.


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## armydogs (Apr 14, 2010)

I have heard that some mules are "gaited." How much of that is really true? Do they need to come from a Walker or some other gaited horse?


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## Poseidon (Oct 1, 2010)

It would have to be out of a gaited mare and even then, it would only be like a 50% chance it would be gaited. Mules will look as different as different horse breeds, depending on what they're out of. Like the $5k mule I just mentioned was out a QH. He ended up looking like QH with big ears. A lot of people use draft mules for driving and such. Huge differences.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

Lonestar22 said:


> I have no knowledge of breeding for a mule. So I have some questions. Not really interested in breeding now, but I might consider it in the far off future. So questions.
> 
> 
> What do you look for in a jack when breeding?
> ...


 
1.) You want good temperment and trainability, first off. You want a jack that does something: rides or drives. You want a jack that is good at what he does. Jacks tend to account for the temperment of their mule babies. Too much "donkey-ness" in a mule is a PAIN. You also want good conformation, especially in the legs, with good bone and feet. Look at this babies; this is very important when breeding for mules.

2.) Same way as with a mare and stallion. Do they compliment each other? Look at the jack's other babies and see what traits he passes frequently to his offspring.

3.) If it looks nice, breed it. But a standard jack will suffice. 

4.) As care as mare and foal care, not really. Training... That's another story.


Gaited mules usually result by breeding gaited jacks to gaited mares. Double gaited is the only way to "guarantee" a gaited foal. Not everything a gaited mare foals will gait. But yes; they are gaited just like horses. They can run walk, fox trot, rack, single foot... Anything a horse can do.


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## armydogs (Apr 14, 2010)

Poseidon said:


> It would have to be out of a gaited mare and even then, it would only be like a 50% chance it would be gaited. Mules will look as different as different horse breeds, depending on what they're out of. Like the $5k mule I just mentioned was out a QH. He ended up looking like QH with big ears. A lot of people use draft mules for driving and such. Huge differences.


thank you for clarifying that for me.


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## GoWithTheFlow (Mar 9, 2011)

Brighteyes said:


> 1.) You want good temperment and trainability, first off. You want a jack that does something: rides or drives. You want a jack that is good at what he does. Jacks tend to account for the temperment of their mule babies. Too much "donkey-ness" in a mule is a PAIN. You also want good conformation, especially in the legs, with good bone and feet. Look at this babies; this is very important when breeding for mules.
> 
> 2.) Same way as with a mare and stallion. Do they compliment each other? Look at the jack's other babies and see what traits he passes frequently to his offspring.
> 
> ...


THIS!!!!!! lol:wink:


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