Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Opinions on pack animals..

Looking for a lesson on pack animals.



What is the good and the bad, the preferred as a pack animal. For arguments sake let's discuss pure pack animal to pack in gear, not ride.

Horse, Mule, Ass, Burro, what do you prefer for an exclusive pack animal.

Which are sure footed under load, which can pack the biggest load, which have bad behavior making them not worth the hassle? Can one get by with less water than another?

Thank you.

I haven't been around them too much, but from my limited experience I prefer a mule over a horse. YMMV...

What are you going to pack, how much , and where? I like mules. To ride and pack. I have both and use both but prefer mules. All need the same amount of water to do the work. Water is the cheap feed.

IMHO, a good mule is the best animal for packing. I have done what you're proposing with both. Mules generally can handle more dead weight that a horse of the same size and they are less likely to get into a jackpot.

For just gear, you left out goats. A big one can pack 50+ pounds, they're sure-footed (seen 'em cross streams on a log with a load) they'll eat anything, and they'll follow you around like dogs would. At least the ones I've seen.

Don't know all that much but I can share what I do know

Mules legs are more symetrical (same length) than a horses so they can do down hill better, and tend not to charge uphill like a horse does.

Spot

I am ranch raised, have guided, ranched and been in the hunting business for years and I am still an avid team roper...

Mules are good and carry about 20% of their body weight, a horse can carry about 10%...This is dead weight, not a cowboy in a saddle, so the mule is stonger, the burro is even stronger than a mule, but burros are a pain to handle, they are just too stubborn to suit me at all...

I actually prefer horses as they are easier to be around as a rule, most mules have a flaw and you'll find it sooner or later. the other thing is I hate to get around Mule men, they are generally not well versed and not cowboys and loaded with BS about thier beloved animals....Both animals have good and bad traits, and its probably an individual thing more than a breed thing, but on the whole I will take a horse every time for packing or riding, they are simply smarter and more responsive and more capable of activity.

As to sure footedness the mule men always use this but its fallicy, sure footedness comes from where and how the animal was raised, if both are raised in the rough country then both do well. If they have never been shod then they have equally hard feet, but if you load them your better off to just keep them shod IMO. Once you shoe either then you have to continue to do so in most cases. Also since we pen our livestock these days and they are not constantly in the rocks for months at a time or they are in small grass pastures then the feet become soft and you need shoes.

The length of legs on horses and mules has to do with anything. The height and size of the animal determines the length of thier legs, and neither will charge uphill unless you failed to break them properly, and the same applies to downhill thats utter nonsence.

I like them both and use them both, and I don't waste my time in comparing them as a rule. I judge each animal on his own abilities and so it should be.

Wow, I'm not a 'cowboy' like Ray, but I was raised, and worked in the same area as him. From my observation in a number of hunts in the back country, he is spot on. I've packed both, ridden both, (I prefer the easy riding of a mule,) but he's nailed it. But I really love a 'good' mule. Totally agree.

Goats - a much better idea.

I'm one of the "mule men, Ray loves to hate. Usually the problem is the ignorance or predjudice of those who think mule men know nothing. In reality it is the "cowboy" who is usually short sighted in the superiority of the mule. Thier problem usually comes from the fact that they are use to bullying a horse and then they get up against a mule that will not bully. I have worked cattle,horses, driven, packed ,guided, ridden mules for many years.I will stack my knowledge up againsts others any time as to being well versed.

Usually the undesireable traits attributed to mules comes directly from improper training or handling, not the breed in itself. Hence the statement horses are usualy easier to get along with. The second most common problem is selecting undesireable brood mares or jacks that produce unsuitable temperment in mules. Given that a horse or mule is trained properly and take that out of the equation a mule will excel a horse in about every other capacity.

It is a proven fact that mules eat about 60-75% of what a horse does.They are by nature healthier and not prone to all the maladies that horses are.They will out work a horse of similar stature. They usually have an easier gait than a horse. They can subsist on rougher forage and although they do colic and founder,it is less prevalent in a mule
Due to thier inherited higher sense of self presevation that thay get from the donkey side of the equation, they get into less trouble if left alone. It is true that once you start to use shoes, you usually have to keep at it,but mules in general have tougher and healthier feet than a horse. If both are left unshod, the mule will go longer in rougher country all other things being equal. Mules do better in heat than horses, which is one reason they were used in Death Valley Borax mines. In certain parts of the country like NM St Augustine Plains and the high desert country of AZ,you now can find more mules being used to work ranches than horses, becasue they do better in the heat and rough country. You can work a horse to death,but a mule will stop before that happens( another reaosn" cowboys " don't like mules). Raise both a horse and a mule in the same country and the mule will learn faster and better to be aware of where it puts it's feet, ie,being more sure footed.Take a flat land raised mule and put it up aginst a mountain raised horse and yes the mule will look like a club footed drunk.

The glorified jobs are left to the horses, but when push comes to shove those in the know go get a mule to get the job done. Mules have been trained to do every thing a horse does and then some,however,a lot of folks miss the part about certain mules are bred to do certain jobs better,just as certain horses are bred to do certain jobs better.

Have you ever heard of horse back rides down into the Grand Canyon? There is a reason for that!

I had a coworker that would buy small raw MO mules and break them to bridle/pack each summer. He would take them elk hunting to CO in the fall and sell them to outfitters before his return to help finance his trip. He said that outfitters out there were always looking for them.

My dad and his family were very good hostlers. I still have family that keep draft horses, go to pulling matches, and ride working cattle horses for a living. My dad liked working mules, but we never had any in my time. He talked about their personalities. He always rode one home from the field. He said that once in a while the one that he would be riding would plant his feet and dad would pitch off of the front. He also said that in a hard rainstorm, the mules would go through a single barn door with the harness on, by one holding back and the other going through. He said that he never had horses that could do that.

It has not been mentioned that some hikers use llamas for pack.

And they taste better!

I like mules for a pack string. But if I was just going to lead one pack animal around I'd go more for the individual than breed.

So what would you look for in a mule that would give you a good indication of his behavior? How about male or female, are the the females as a rule usually better behaved?

Thanks for fielding the greenhorn questions.

I think some would say so but it isn't true in my experience. We have 18 or 19 mules that I work with every summer and a couple more in the fall.

For a greenhorn I'd look at spending a bunch of money on an old mule that has been there and done that. We get cheap mules quite a bit but they usually have issues. Hard to catch, hard to load, kicking, not leading, bucking, you name it. After lots of miles of packing they mostly turn into pretty decent pack mules. But the average guy isn't going to have that chance. Spending a bunch now will save you money, blood, and sweat later on. Trust me. And the same is pretty much true for horses although you could probably get a decent pack horse for less than a good mule.

Also most any mule or horse will do much better with a buddy around.

Ditto what Ralphie said.
John mules will seem to test you more,but are more stable. I prefer them to mollies, although the last two I bred came out mollies and you can't shove them back and ask for new plumbing. There are good and bad things to say about both. Get a molly that is bitchy during her cycle and it's not fun.

A 15-18 yr ld mule still has at least 10 years work ahead of it if not more and one of you should know whats going on. My pack mule is 28. It's a darn site easier if you don't know and the mule does vs the opposite.

If packing I prefer one 13&1/2-14 hds. The big ones can't carry all that much more and are a darn site harder to lift packs up on.

Well saddlesore I can't argue with your post and your right I am short sighted on mules! I am prejudice also! but I did say I loved a "good mule".

I sure don't mind hunting off a mule or covering country on a mule, they have always had a place in my remudas, but I hate to cowboy off a mule, they mostly can't run and are not quick enough to suit me and I get agrivated when some mule experts try to challange that statement, it puts them in the mule men catagory that "don't know nothing" IMO.

A mule is a mule and a horse is a horse and they have different diciplines and I see little reason to compare them, but it makes good conversation, and heated arguements!

After a realistic appraisal of my lack of experience, desire to not get hurt, and time available for me to learn and to train animals, I elected to get llamas and this has worked out great for me. I have a string of 5. When they are in shape the carry 70 to 100 pounds each, for 10 to 15 miles a day depending on terrain. Low maintenance, don't eat much, learn quickly, and so on. They keep bears out of camp and love to chase strange dogs out of the pasture. We have had cougars around periodically but as far as I can tell they have never approached the llamas.

Ray, thought you might enjoy this post from another forum from a lady in Alberta.

Hi Everyone
I Inhabit the great white north in the province of Alberta southern portion around Pincher Creek have been riding mules since 92 and feel honored and privileged to have a couple of very nice to ride cattle handling mules we hauled to Drummond Montana a number of years ago and competed in Montana Mule Days having a great time. I also have one that earned the right to go to the Canadian National Finals Team roping and although we did not go I am very proud of Pokey and his ability to compete against top level horses with a rider that is not the most capable. it is with great pleasure that I read the comments of others who have made the mule the riding animal of choice and who also enjoy the advanced personality of the mule of which there are 5 distinct different ones at my place. Am looking forward to reading the posts and comments
Lynn

I have owned both mules and horses and agree with both Ray and Saddlesore.

Mules are only for guys who simply like mules.

If you are not drawn to mules you will most likely not enjoy their quirks of personality enough to get to the advantages they offer for packing and rough country travel.

I switched to riding mules in 2006 and have never looked back. The advantages for me are:

1. Mules travel faster and can go much longer than horses. A quarter horse type mule will beat a quarter horse and a gaited mule will beat a gaited horse in speed and distance when traveling in rough country. The mule can keep it up day after day.
2. I am less tired at the end of a 30 mile ride on a mule than a horse.
3. Mules can get by on less feed and less water. One friend of mine will go 2 � days without water in extreme situations and has never coliced any of his mules. I don�t ever do that but it would kill most horses.
4. Mules can out climb horses and carry more weight. I always felt like my horse was struggling to haul me and all the gear I stick on my saddle up really steep hillsides but my mule doesn�t seem to notice.

It seems to me that the mule has about the same level of advantage over the horse in rough country travel as the horse has over the mule in roping and other speed type events.

Watching someone roping off a mule looks just as awkward to me as watching a horse climb a really steep hill carrying a big load.

I like John Mules (gelded males) for riding and leading the string and mollies (female) for packing and letting friends ride.