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Today I was given a mule. He was originally a tescuenfrom what I understand and still looks pretty rough. He is blind in one eye it looks like and seems quite old. With me he will get everything he needs, hes got a place for life here. So, could anyone help me with an approximate age and any health issues you may see. I've never had mule or equine of any kind. I think he's a Hinny? But any advice overall will be helpful. He seems a mineral deficiency but that should change quick as I keep minerals around and he needs some more weight gain, again, should happen pretty fast. Got some good pasture and hay. What else should I feed him?
There is no way to tell a hinny and a mule apart visually. People will say they can, but those who have been around both know there simply isn’t. St the end of the day they’re a 50/50 genetic blend; it’s like when someone says their dog is a Labrador x with a German shep — can you visually tell who was the mother? their temperament and which species they gravitate towards can shine some light though. Either way, it doesn’t really matter.
Keep the feed simple, don’t overload, good quality but low protein grass hay, I like to give them a scoop of high fat/slow metabolism feed if they’re having a growth spurt every couple of days. Good water, good mineral, good working regime and time. Watch him on the lush grass and start finding a farrier willing to work with a mule.
Congrats on giving him a wonderful place to land ❤️
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Trimming, particularly longears, can be tricky. I would absolutely recommend finding a good barefoot farrier and adding them to the payroll — there’s so much to learn, and so much can be told about their health from their feet. It can also be tough to find someone local to you willing to work with mules.
Worming depends a little on location and individual animal, but basically summer/fall we give them a dose of wormer and otherwise treat them individually if required - we don’t harrow shit into the ground until it’s good and dry, and we rotate fields between cows/horses regularly. We also live in a tundra climate so parasites aren’t quite as prevalent.