# New Mini Mule!



## Bonny (Oct 16, 2008)

Well as most of you know Sandy surprised me with a mini molly mule this am! I am so excited as I have always wanted a mule! What a way to get one!






She is so curious and sweet and already loves attention! But never having had a foal before and now its a mule!!! I am going to need so much advice! I have always read about mules and had considered breeding for one eventually!

So any handling tips for a mule foal that would be different from a horse foal?

And as time goes on I will be asking a lot about handling and care!

Meet Molly:


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## Bonny (Oct 16, 2008)

I also meant to ask about registration. Can a mule from unregistered be registered?


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## h2t99 (Oct 16, 2008)

Congratulations Bonny!!

Yes you can register, check lovelongears.com I think it is there you can access registrations. They will be closing the books soon so I would go ahead and do it asap!! Although I am not sure about on mules. You will find tons of info on mules and donkeys there!! SHe is very cute!!


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## Bonny (Oct 16, 2008)

Thanks I will!


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## crackerjackjack (Oct 16, 2008)

What a cutie.



I want one!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Bonny (Oct 16, 2008)

:wub I want a whole bunch! LOL


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## minimule (Oct 17, 2008)

She's cute and a unique color. Congrats!

OK.....she's going to need patience with everything. They are very smart animals and can be a handful. You will need to teach her not to kick. They tend to kick out at anything that scares them or angers them. It sounds cruel, but when my mules kick at me, I swat them pretty good on their backend. Meredith Hodges actually teaches to use a buggy whip. She ties them up and plays with them. If they kick out she pops them low on the leg with the whip. Not to hurt but to discourage.

Teach her young to lead. The same techniques used on a horse foal will work on her. They do remember things too.

She can be registered. Lovelongears is a great website and they have all the forms on there you will need. If you have the info, a jack report is helpful for them, even if the parents aren't registered. Leah is very helpful. They are running way behind though. She told me they are about 10 weeks behind.

Lots of love! That part won't be hard.....TRUST ME! You can ask me questions anytime. I tell you anything I know.


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## Bonny (Oct 17, 2008)

I have always been facinated with mules and have read a lot. I agree with everything your saying. She is precious, curious and silly. She already kicked at Sandy for sniffing her when she was nursing, so thats good to know.

Just how do you teach her to lead? And at what age?

You think she is unique colored? Cool! What the heck color is she?!


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## Bonny (Oct 17, 2008)

Ok short list of the questions!

1. Will she ever grow bangs! Silly but ya know! LOL

2. Is her foal coat going to be different from her 'real' coat like most minis?

3. I have a friend sending a mini foal halter, when do I introduce it?

4. I have started touching her everywher, gently and talking softly.I think she is knowing my voice. She love neck scratches! Is this ok? I want her to feel ok with being touched!

5. Any sites on training Mules? I have a book on basic foal training. Is that applicable?

6.She grunts and sort of nickers a bunch. Are mules pretty vocal?

7. I always read that you ask a mule to work and it will be happy to do so but if you force it to work it wont.Like you said the gentle but firm. Also I read mules are thinkers that they think through a situation. True?


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## tifflunn (Oct 17, 2008)

Oh My goodness she is just a cutie



Congratulations!!!!


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## Bunnylady (Oct 17, 2008)

(I had a picture of Betsy that I had put here, but for some reason I got a message that said it was a link that wasn't allowed. Photobucket not allowed? Since when?)

Betsy says, "Welcome to the world, little longear!"

I can't begin to say what color your baby girl is, or will be, but she looks like she may be what the donkey folks call NLP, meaning No Light Points (like Betsy.)

Owning this mini mule has been a revelation! She came to me at about 9 years old, after apparently years of being nothing but a pasture ornament. Everything has been slow going, because we had to work through layers and layers of defensiveness and mistrust. We still have moments when we disagree, but I think she's as attached to me as I am to her, and I wouldn't trade her for the world!

Mules have rather funny voices. The sound they make sorta starts out like a whinny, then finishes like the last few sounds of a bray. I liken Betsy's bray to a cross between the shriek of a train whistle and the squeal of a very large pig! In addition, she may grunt, whimper, produce very soft whinnies like a zebra, or make long, drawn out, wavering squeaks, much like slowly letting air out of a balloon! Mealtimes call out the full force of her repertoire, and always make me smile.

Betsy is a quick study, which I hear is typical of mules. I make sure she understands what I want, and wait for her to decide to do it. I have to be careful to keep the pressure to a minimum, because the harder I push, the harder she resists. Once she has learned something, it quickly becomes "old hat." I find that I mustn't do too much repetition with her, or she gets bored and her whole attitude sours. I can just hear her thinking "WHY are we doing this again?!"

Your baby's mane may be upright like a donkey's or longer, like a horse's. Betsy's is a bit in-between. You can trim it long, trim it short, or even buzz it completely off, anything goes in mule hair styles! IMO, Betsy's mane looks best when trimmed about 3" long, it gets bushy and ratty looking if I let it get any longer. She does have a forelock, but it's short, like a donkey. Mule tails usually have shorter hairs on the dock, longer hairs further down, more like a horse than a donkey (which has a tail rather like a cow.) Once again, just how the tail is trimmed is a matter of personal taste, there are some fancy ways to trim 'em if they have enough hair.

Congratulations on your little beauty, she's adorable!


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## Bonny (Oct 17, 2008)

Thanks Bunnylady! I am looking forward to this adventure! I am also wanting to see many pics of everyones mules!

I think a mule is a good match for me. I havent worked with one before but have worked with some donkeys.

I also bought a Paint mare that had sever trust issues and managed to turn her around. Patience, kindness and firmness.

I have also read that about mules that they are very smart and repetition is boring.

Can anyone recommend a good book on training mules?


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## Celtic Hill Farm (Oct 17, 2008)

Lucky3ranch.com

Meridith is amazing, and e-mail her if you have ANY questions. she is REALLY NICE! and really knowledgeable!


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## Bonny (Oct 17, 2008)

Ok I have been asked a question I cant answer, maybe yall can help.

If she is a mule, why does she look so donkey?

I know for sure her dam is Sandy a mini horse but dont know the sire. I am assuming its a donkey Jack because of Mollys looks. I dont know of anything else that she could have crossed with! And I dont know why she looks so donkey, but genetically she would still be mule with a donkey sire and a horse dam regardless of color. Any others with mules that look so donkey?


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## minimule (Oct 17, 2008)

Bonny said:


> Ok short list of the questions!
> 
> 1. Will she ever grow bangs! Silly but ya know! LOLTypically no. I have seen one fullsize mule that has a forelock. They usually grow a small patch that sticks kind of straight up.
> 
> ...


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## RJRMINIS (Oct 17, 2008)

That has got to be the cutest little mule I have seen in a long time, I would call her Grullo........she is a doll.......She looks tiny too! You should be proud of her, Give her a hug for me!


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## Bonny (Oct 18, 2008)

Tanks so much for answering my questions!

I did rub her ears stick my fingers in and lots of praise and love after. She couldnt care less! She was funny about her head being touched so yesterday we learned that holding her chin cupped in the palm of my hand meant a nice rub and now she loves it! LOL.

She loves my mini dachshund and has already made friends with my GSD mix. He stood guard over her (in his mind) while she napped in the sun.

Molly also met the neighbors as I want her well socialized. I may order a mini foal halter so I can have a few on hand with so many mini foals on the way!


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