Horses or Mules?

If mules are so wonderful why do most people ride horses? If even half the heralded testimony from mule owners is true we should all be riding mules. But wait how gallant would Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger have looked perched atop mules?
Certainly mules have limitations. The Kentucky Derby will never be a mule race. Despite the title of this article do not feel pressured to make a decision between horses and mules as there are pros and cons to each.
I have been in the business for years have had three mules in my string and traded lead ropes with many mule owners but still I cannot decide which way to swing my loop. Its a good thing Im not a mule expert or by the end of this article you would all be convinced that they look better than Brad Pitt and would be well on your way to forming a local chess club for mule lovers only.

Lets examine some of the attributes of the mule and some similarities and differences between mules and horses. A mule is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse. A donkey has 22 chromosomes a horse has 24 and a mule has 23 which makes it a hybrid which cannot breed although in 1984 there was a female mule that gave birth to two foals when bred to a donkey. Male mules should be gelded as they will try albeit unsuccessfully to breed with mares.
A mule has a larger head than a horse like a donkey and its unmistakeable ears can measure 33 inches from base to tip. Some mules are extremely sensitive when it comes to being handled about the ears a trait that led to the development of a special bridle called a mule bonnet which can be strapped on without touching the ears. This should be your first warning as to the unique disposition of the mule for all of their endearing qualities if a mule does not want a certain part of its body to be handled for example the feet or doesnt want to be handled a certain way or by a certain person convincing it otherwise may be difficult even impossible.
A mule is built differently from a horse. It has more body weight over the front typically good withers and often a deep but not overly wide chest. Mules usually have thicker tough