Breed evolution: Mules aren't a species; they're a hybrid between two species, the horse, Equus caballus, and the donkey, Equus assinus. Although both male and female mules have reproductive systems, they're sterile and can't reproduce. That said, on very rare occasions, a mare mule has produced a foal, but it's a one-in-a-million occurrence. There's no record of a male mule ever siring a foal. Even so, male mules are castrated to curb hormones.
To the uninitiated, mule lingo can be confusing, so we went to the good folks at the American Donkey and Mule Association to clear things up. They defined terms (see page 84) and shared interesting mule facts. They also told us that owners of the approximately 250,000 mules in the United States are happy to help newcomers with terms, because by any name, you've got to love those longears!
Mules come in every size and shape, from miniature to draft. Due to what mule owners call "hybrid vigor," mules are often larger and taller than either parent. Mules' beautiful, almond-shaped eyes come from their donkey parent, which has a D-shaped eye socket.
Old-timers called dark-muzzled mules "blue-nosed." Mules come in every color that horses or donkeys do, with the exception of true pinto (due to genetic factoring). Mules from Appaloosa and pinto stock commonly display loud color. Near-tobiano coloration has occurred, but there are no overos on record.
Mules have super-sized jumping abilities; animals only 50 inches tall at the withers commonly clear six-foot-high jumps.
Owners tell us: Steve Edwards is a man with a passion for mules. He and his wife, Susan, live on the Queen Valley Mule Ranch in Queen Valley, Arizona, where they offer clinics on understanding and training mules and donkeys - and their owners.
Steve also travels throughout the United States giving clinics on mule handling and teaches a 16-credit course in "mulemanship" at Pierce College, part of the Los Angeles Community College System, where students earn a Certificate of Achievement in Mule Training.
Steve took his first ranching job at age 12 and began training for the public in 1991. "My earliest memory of mules comes from my cattle ranch experience," he says. "We packed block salt on mules to deliver it to the cattle in the fields.?I thought that mules were dumb and were only to be used at a time such as this, when a decent horse shouldn't be used."
However, over the next few years, Steve came to learn the value of the animal. "A lot of old cowboys told me that the best thing to ride, especially in rough country, is a mule," he says. "I took the old timers' advice, and therefore, I bought my first mule 15 years ago. I spent time studying my mule and found that there are significant differences between horses and mules."
Queen Valley Mule Ranch borders the Superstition Wilderness, which, Steve says, is "extremely rough country with lots of canyons and rocks, with only a few maintained trails. It's a great place to watch a mule work, because the mule is very surefooted. When he puts his foot down, it's right where he wants it. And, as water is scarce in this area, a mule is preferable to a horse, because a mule can go all day without water.
"Mules are extraordinary animals," he adds. "They have the strength and intelligence of a donkey with the beauty and consistency of a horse."
