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THE NATURAL SUPERIORITY OF THE MULE(extract from the article and the book by John Hauer) |
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Let’s begin at the beginning. A mule is the progeny of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). Like most hybrids, mules are sterile. Since it takes about a month longer to make a donkey than a horse, one might expect a certain degree of superiority on the part of the mule. Of course the most obvious physical advantage of the mule is those magnificent ears! Both the mule's hearing and ability to express emotions are enhanced by those graceful and flexible appendages. |
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Some old-time mountain men believed that the mules' ears also account for their great sense of balance on narrow mountain trails, and that the long ears serve the same function as the balance pole carried by high-wire acrobats. Going to the underside of the mule, you will find small, slightly constricted but very hard and durable hooves. One veterinarian compared the composition of mule hooves to ivory, noting that they rarely crack or split. It is often not necessary to put shoes on a mule, and those "bare feet" have great traction. |
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What superior traits does the mule inherit from her sire, the donkey?
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What superior traits does the mule get from her dam, the horse?
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Mule traits of superiority due to hybrid vigor (the tendency for hybrid animals and plants to be stronger, healthier and hardier than either parent, and to inherit many of the good traits of both parents) include the following:
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The General and Johny Reb, just two of the Mules for sale on the Back Country Mules web site |
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