Home Forums Gear Horses and ATV's Good buy on a mule...

Anyone got a good mule or two for sale? Looking for both to be 14 hands or so. Must be ready to ride and hunt from. Looking in the Midwest but not afraid to drive.
Thanks

Lot of them for sale, but sure are a lot of dishonest sellers around. $3000 will get you a rideable one, but with more than a few holes.When you get past $4000 you will see a marked difference especially when you want one ready to ride and hunt. A good buy with a mule is not about the money.Have you owned and used mules? Remember the mule that worked great at the owners will most likely not work the same when you get it home until you have it 3-4 months,sometimes even more.Stay away from auctions unless they are high dollar ones,even then you can get bit. Private sellers usually work out better . There are a lot of Mule Groups on FB.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1965889577019093/?ref=bookmarks

https://www.facebook.com/groups/457092961321670/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/291423324756/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/602849243879924/

https://mewe.com/welcome

Look up Paul Garrison III down in Medina, Texas on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/paul.garrisoniii or Anthony McCallister . ( https://www.facebook.com/anthony.mcallister. ) Those two will be honest. Two guys in Arkansas I can tell you to stay away from,but I won't post their names here. PM me if you want .

Jake Clark's sale is coming up on Memorial Day near Cody ,WY, if it isn't canceled. Big dollars though. Most big sales have been cancled this spring.

A friend of mine has one Walker mule but it has some age and is 16hds.He can' t ride anymore.I have borrowed that mule to ride and packed it. I have rode, bred trained,drove, and packed mules since about 1969

How much experience do you have with equines?

My experience would be considered-“some experience”. I grew up in rural Indiana around horses. I assisted a rodeo man with taking care of his horses when he was out of town at rodeos. I would saddle and ride them.
I do however have a background in training retrievers.
My weakness with mules will be understanding what to look for to avoid creating problems.
I have reached out to a large stable near me. I know the owner. He is going to work with me and my wife to get us both up to speed on riding and troubleshooting. He’s a horseman however when he was younger he spent 10 years working and training mules in Tennessee.
I just had major surgery two weeks ago and still in recovery. I’m retired in good shape with plenty of time and resources.
My wife grew up around mules and coon hunted off a mule up until she went to college. She had taught her sale barn mules to jump fences. She is from Missouri.
I have been to a couple of mule auctions in Tennessee prior to the C19 shutdown. While there I had no intention of buying a mule but to make contact with guys who were around mules. I made contact with four guys that I feel I can go look at their stock and and take my time in picking out two good mules.
Right now I’m getting my stable set up and stalls built so when I do get a mule they will have a home ready for them.

Saddlesore thanks for the information. You answered some of my questions.

Sounds like you’ve got a good start. Good luck. Hope you find some nice mules.

Thanks! I will.

Some advice I got when I was looking was dont buy anything in single digit age. Mess with them as much as you can. Their ears, their feet, plastic bags, a hat that’s not on a head... really work to try find a hole in them because chances are they have one.

Sure enough good advice. Last two mules I bred and raised outgrew me.Good enough mules, but at 15+hds and me 5'-5", it was a chore saddling them and packing them. I bought a 15yr old 13-2 hd mule and traded one of the bigger mules for boot and a 18 yr old 13 hd pack mule. We are all pretty happy now. I figure we will all be done in the next 4-5 years and the mules will probably out last me.Unless the older mule has had some abuse or worked too hard, it is always good to have the mule know more than the beginner mule owner. Green on green =black and blue. It isn't uncommon for mules to be workable into their early thirtys

When you go looking for one, beware of the seller that has one all caught up and saddled when you get there and wants you to ride in an arena. If it won't leave another mule be aware that a mule gets buddy sour a lot quicker and are harder get it stopped than a horse and if it is with a mare horse, it gets REAL hard.When you see a mule for sale and it says it lost it's team mate or corral buddy, shy away from that one It might never get over that.

A person will never find a 100% perfect mule.The all have some holes in them. At most you decide what you can put up with and what you can't. Disposition is the most important attribute to have in a mule as long as it is sound. A mule that likes people and has good disposition can be taught a lot a of thins and is a pleasure to work. A sorry dispositioned mule, even trained well is always a challenge to be around. There is a reason it is said a good mule is ten times better than a good horse, but a bad mule is 100 times worse than a bad horse

A lot of folks think they need to have as big a mule as they think they need in a horse.Unless a person 6-6"and 280 pounds+., a 14hd mule will do everything most need to do. Fact is a smaller mule will usually outlast a a big mule. The big ones have to carry all that bulk around. A 14 hd mule will sure out work a 15 hd horse.The smaller mule is handier getting around in the timber and thick places. If one doesn't believe that, look at some of the13 hd-13-2 mules for coon hunting by some pretty hefty guys.

When you go looking for one, beware of the seller that has one all caught up and saddled when you get there and wants you to ride in an arena. If it won't leave another mule be aware that a mule gets buddy sour a lot quicker and are harder get it stopped than a horse and if it is with a mare horse, it gets REAL hard.When you see a mule for sale and it says it lost it's team mate or corral buddy, shy away from that one It might never get over that.

A person will never find a 100% perfect mule.The all have some holes in them. At most you decide what you can put up with and what you can't. Disposition is the most important attribute to have in a mule as long as it is sound. A mule that likes people and has good disposition can be taught a lot a of thins and is a pleasure to work. A sorry dispositioned mule, even trained well is always a challenge to be around. There is a reason it is said a good mule is ten times better than a good horse, but a bad mule is 100 times worse than a bad horse

More good advice!

Thanks again guys! I’m in the process of getting my barn set up with stalls and a corral. Working on it every day. As soon as I have a home ready I’ll be on the highway checking out mules with your suggestions in the back of my mind.
Saddlesore I was warned about arriving to look at mules and having mules saddled and tied up. A couple Ol Tennessee mule guys warned me of that. They suggested arriving earlier and unannounced.

I have an excellent older mule for sale. But he is 15.2

It would be perfect for some one New to mules. 18 years old.

$4250

Probably the FB page Mules USA has more posted for mules to sell but many times FB will take off post of animals for sale.

Again I would start with Anthony McCallister in Illinois that isn't too far from you. ( https://www.facebook.com/anthony.mcallister. )

Thanks!

Saddlesore McCallister is friends with several of my friends on FB. My wife has reached out to him . Waiting to hear back.

I don't know him personally, but have followed him for years and many people who have done business with him. Never heard a complaint

Ten four! I don’t have FB but my wife does. She did a friend request. As soon as we hear from him I’ll give him a call and see what he’s got.