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[SJC <indexer AT localnet.com>]

Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote
> > Mules are the max!  But they are half again to twice as expensive as a draft 
> > horse.   </HTML>
> >     
Ah, but only initially....almost no vet bills, hoof bills, and much 
easier keep than a horse....

In all the years I had Herman (14, I think) I had zip in the way of 
non-elective expenses, and was able to easily feed him from what we grew 
right here (10 A of marginal Maine, part of which is coppiced).  
Elective expenses amounted to some tack, but even that was cheaper, as I 
managed, with some patience, to buy it pretty cheap after somebody got 
some tack for his horses that was "not right".  Since I grew up around 
mules, I recognized it and took my chance and so ended up paying a total 
of $27 for half a wagon load of messed up mule tack, but I have an old 
industrial sewing machine just for such stressful moments...  :)

Boy, James, you are right about the attack tendencies of the donkey/mule 
bunch.  Herm was death on coyotes, made quick work of one (gory 
business, that) and got another a couple of days later (I didn't see 
that, happened at night) and they went so far away after the second one 
that we didn't even hear them around here until he'd been gone for 2 
years!  Took good care of  "his" goats, loved humans after he was 
introduced but before that not much on them either.  Nothing else went 
anywhere near him, either, except for one of my dogs, which seemed to be 
his 'bud' and would walk right under him when he was up to to barn.  The 
other dogs would head for the house as soon as he came to the barn and I 
never saw them venture to the field when he was there.  Even the cats 
(especially the cats, now that I think of it) didn't stick around where 
he was.  Amazing how fast he was, fascinating to watch, really, for a 
critter that seemed to take time to "consider" everything else he did, 
including eat, he'd go into "instant mode" at the sight of any 
intruder.  Crows used to tease him sometimes, funny to watch.

My first lesson on The Territorial Mule happened at the age of seven.  
I'd always been around mules, but at home.  Visiting some friends, we 
thought to take a shortcut from the house to the river, which happened 
to be through a field where their mules were at the moment.  One arrived 
by my side as soon as we were over the fence, picked me up by the right 
shoulder and flung me back over the fence.  For 40 years I still had the 
tooth marks on my shoulder, front and back, but they have mostly 
disappeared now.....the lesson, however, left a permanent mark, as well 
it should.

Susan Jane, in Maine