Page 18 - AEF-AlbertaBits_Winter-2025

About a Breed
Best of Both Worlds
Intelligence and personality make mules
excellent companions
By Cailynn Klingbeil
Photos supplied
IF YOU’VE EVER wondered what makes a mule more
than just a cross between a horse and a donkey,
spend time with Carla Perry and her mule, Valour,
and the answer becomes obvious. Perry, who lives
on a section of land near Arrowwood, Alberta, has
developed a deep appreciation for the hybrid’s
unique blend of traits: intelligence, versatility and a
personality that makes them steadfast companions.
“I love our bond,” she says.
Perry got her first mule in 2010. But her interest
in the animal goes back much further, to watching
The Merv Griffin Show as a teenager. Perry remembers
being captivated by the show’s miniature mule that
could perform a capriole. “I thought, someday, I’m
going to have one,” she says.
Her current mule joined her in 2016 during spring
calving season. She had matched a mare she liked
with a jack she found in Alberta, and while she’d
heard that some mares ignore or resist the jack, her
mare took to him right away.
The result is Valour, a strong and steady
companion who can anticipate her actions and
communicate his own needs.
“After mules get to know you, they know what
you’re going to do before you do it,” she says. “They
can time things so everything just falls into place for
you. But if they’re not working with you — if you’ve
annoyed them or haven’t motivated them — they can
time it so that it doesn’t work.”
Mules inherit qualities from both parents: the
strength and size of a horse combined with the
endurance and hardiness of a donkey. They’re known
for their adaptability to varied terrain, and their
stamina and calmness make them ideal working
animals. “The mule has been so good for getting jobs
done,” Perry says. Whether moving cattle, checking
herds or spraying weeds, Perry relies on Valour’s
sure-footedness and cheery temperament.
Training mules, Perry says, requires patience
and positive reinforcement — they’re smart animals
with an agenda of their own. “If you want a good
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Alberta Bits Winter 2025