im gonna do it

DAPNET Forums Archive › Forums › Draft Animal Power › Horses › im gonna do it

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)
1 2
  • Author
    Posts
  • December 16, 2009 at 10:43 pm #41186
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    yes im gonna do it. lets get the debate of horses vs mules going here should be interesting

    December 16, 2009 at 11:26 pm #56158
    Scott G
    Participant

    Mules are too smart…

    December 16, 2009 at 11:27 pm #56159
    Scott G
    Participant

    …and their long ears create too much wind resistance.

    December 17, 2009 at 12:06 am #56167
    lancek
    Participant

    mules remind me of my wife moody ornery and very likely to kick me if she finds out I wrote this:D:D:! Now horses are sweet and innocent like me :D:D:

    December 17, 2009 at 12:38 am #56169
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    yea and ive got some ocean front property for sale in az

    December 17, 2009 at 12:47 am #56163
    jen judkins
    Participant

    I’ve gotta say, I love the long ears!

    But I’ve been told by a bonafide mule man that ‘mules are like horses, only more so’ meaning you had better be good with horses before you try to train a mule. They are smarter and more sensitive than horses which makes them easy to screw up, lol!

    December 17, 2009 at 1:26 am #56160
    J-L
    Participant

    I like them both.
    Mule advantages are: good feet, low maintenance, easy keepers, work for less feed, maybe a longer useful lifespan.
    Horse advantages are: a little more tractable and easier or quicker to train (to me), maybe a little more power.

    I don’t understand the myth of the ‘vengeful, kick your teeth out a month later to get back at you’ thing. I’ve had some awful wrecks with mules and have had to resort to some rough treatment to get out of binds and if anything I find them to be forgiving animals. They don’t stand much mistreatment, but you shouldn’t go there anyway.
    I’ve never been kicked by a mule. I have been kicked and bit by some horses. Maybe I’ve been more careful around mules, but that is a fact.

    I don’t have a favorite between them. I say the best of the two is whichever one you like for yourself and no one else is wrong or right.

    December 17, 2009 at 1:50 am #56170
    MNMULE
    Participant

    Dangerous subject, I’ve had experience with both, I think they both have there ups and downs but I will say when it comes to working in heat I don’t think your gonna find many draft horses that’ll keep up with a pair of mules. I’ve seen on many wagon trains where the draft teams have been about to die of heat exhaustion and the mules aren’t even sweating except for a little under the collar. Now I do think draft horses can be a lot easier to work with as they are not near as persnickety as a mule is. One thing I’ve noticed with mules too is you rarely have any trouble with them interfereing or forging, no matter how you shoe them they usually adjust their gait to compensate.

    December 17, 2009 at 1:08 pm #56157
    Gabe Ayers
    Keymaster

    Not too dangerous. I will agree there are some differences, but not enough to push one ahead of the other. Plus, you need horses to make mules. I treat it like another draft breed. If you like Belgians, drive Belgians, if you like mules, drive mules. If you are like me you will drive them all together. Donn Hewes, AKA Mulemandonn

    December 17, 2009 at 4:46 pm #56171
    MNMULE
    Participant

    Yeah I run into a lot of people that like to give me a hard time because I have mules and horses. I stand by my philosophy on that matter. A good broke mule is good broke, a good broke horse is good broke and just as long as we’re dealing with that good broke we’re doing alright.

    December 18, 2009 at 12:05 am #56164
    near horse
    Participant

    When comparing the types of various steeds
    You have to consider – “what are my needs?”

    If grace, beauty and power are your course
    Then most certainly, choose the horse.

    But if long ears and a beautiful voice
    Are things that really influence your choice

    Pick the animal considered “no fool”
    That stubborn and ornery wonderful mule.:p

    I love my horses but nothing sings like a mule!

    December 18, 2009 at 12:15 pm #56166
    TBigLug
    Participant

    I’m a horse man. No problem with mules, almost bought a mommoth jack the day I bought Dottie. I just prefer horses. That and the mule song at 5:00 AM from the neighbors farm is enough to make me wanna drive a spike through my temple! 😀

    December 18, 2009 at 3:07 pm #56161
    J-L
    Participant

    Wow, now the poems are coming out of the woodwork. Good one Near Horse.

    December 18, 2009 at 7:47 pm #56165
    Joshua Kingsley
    Participant

    My first draft animal was a donkey… I have often thought of having mules and then I end up with a new pair of horses. Mules are one draft animal that I may have at some point but right now I have my drafts and other horses and am happy.
    Now I think that any critter that is Broke is good enough for me to work. Heck I would even be happy if the critter has been started well enough to pair with a good animal. I have been considering a mule to pair with my drafts just can’t stand the ribbing I would get from my better half about finally getting the long eared critters. :rolleyes:
    Joshua

    December 19, 2009 at 2:57 am #56162
    grey
    Participant

    I think a good mule will beat a good draft horse in many situations, but I just don’t think I have what it takes to be a mule-user, much less a mule trainer. I’ve used mules a bit and they aren’t as intuitive for me as horses are. I would need some education before I would own mules.

    I really respect folks who can git ‘er dun with mules.

    But I like the looks of horses better… can’t get past the square blocky mule body. Love them ears though!

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 17 total)
1 2
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.