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  • From: SJC <indexer AT localnet.com>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Draft Horses
  • Date: Sat, 11 Oct 2008 03:43:00 -0400

Robert Walton wrote:
I've thought of a mule, probably more hardy and of the little I know
of them probably the best bet. The one thing I don't like about a mule
is that they can't make me another mule. I like to think that I could
make a replacement.

In every farming community I've lived in where either horses or mules were actually working critters, this tended to be a function of community.....

And James' idea to check out Mammoth donkeys is a good one. Several folks in this area are using them; they are good workers and said to be "almost as easy as mules", although in that conversation I didn't have time to check out exactly what was meant by that statement, but it was made by a guy 80+ who has used mules all his life, still has a beautiful 8 mule hitch that he works in addition to other assorted 4 legged workers.

I think I some time ago put a photo of a team of 8 mules, composed of 4 Maine and 4 NH mules that hadn't known each other, hitched to work at Common Ground for several days, and with all those people and noise (threshers, whatnot), they made one round with the plow and at the end of it looked pretty much like they'd worked together all their lives. Very nice to watch. Rats. Just remembered this list=no photos. It's in the other lists' photos, in album sjinMaine; you can check there if you like.

Susan Jane, in Maine, still up canning pear butter




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