I've ridden a few horses in my day, but this was really and truely a first for me...

[Kali]

meet my new friend, Molly. She is a real sweetheart even if she is a bit of a joke on me.









Ears to ya!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Is she part mule or donkey, Kali?

I'm wondering!

[Kali]

2. hee hee

or should I say hee haw?

Yes Peggy she is ALL mule, which is half donkey half horse (specifically her mother was a mare and her father a jack ass)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Thanks!

It's been awhile since I thought about the difference between mules and donkeys...

[Kali]

4. I was hoping to work in something about her father and meta

or republicans or something...

yeah I'm sure mule genetics is a popular topic in your neighborhood

[Arugula Latte]

23. Donkeys get together and make other donkeys

but mules can't get together with other mules 'cuz they're sterile. You need horse + donkey to make one.

[marzipanni]

6. So genetically, you'd think her back half would be her ass half.

Yet she inherited those ears from her father.
I think mules are cool. In the nineties my husband and a friend were making some wine each year and there were mules at one of the places where we picked grapes. I love the sound mules make- every time they brayed I laughed- (they were probably laughing at my braying!)

[Kali]

14. oh yeah her "voice" cracks me up

makes my obnoxious laugh (I really do "BWAHAHAHA!) sound like a delicate tee hee!

[HopeHoops]

10. Wait. My wife is a fox and I'm a jack ass - what does that make our kids?

[NV Whino]

13. Foxy asses?

[HopeHoops]

16. Perhaps. I've never really viewed it that way.

But I suppose that would be a good description. They're all slender, muscular, and have "figures", so it might be right. My wife's almost 49 and looks great in short-shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top. I'm pretty sure they've got some of my DNA, but fortunately they got mostly hers. I look like Tommy Chong.

[Kali]

17. hoping they take after their mother?

[HopeHoops]

40. I meant long-term.

[Major Nikon]

15. Sorry to be the one to tell you, but it's not a mule

It's a hinny. A mule comes from a male horse and female donkey.

Either way they are loads of fun. They are smarter than a horse and more versatile. Here's my favorite painting of Napoleon as he's crossing the Alps. If you notice, he's on a mule.

[Kali]

18. I think you have that backwards.

mules are jack - mare hybrids, hinnys are stallion - jenny offspring (and are rare)

[Major Nikon]

20. Bassackwards

Yes, I had to consult the ultimate arbiter of such things (wiki).

My grandfather preferred hinnys for whatever reason. He always had one or the other and I grew up riding them, although we had horses as well.

[Arugula Latte]

24. Poor hinnies ... think about giving birth when you have a stallion as a baby daddy.

[Kali]

32. nah

the size is mostly determined by the female (not all, but small women have babies with big men and so forth)

plus there are all different size horses anyway, so one could have a pony stallion...

[madmom]

28. Hmmm, my father in law was a jack ass....

[MindMover]

5. Sure footed and sturdy animal....much rather be on the back of this

animal going down the grand canyon than any other animal.....

[Kali]

19. I have seen one fall down before!

broke his rider's arm - and it was in pretty flat country. Still I think going down some narrow trail I would rather be on my OWN feet (now climbing back out is another story LOL)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

7. jealous. Mules Are Awesome. want.

[Kali]

21. yeahbut

real cowboys only ride horses

oh yeah not paints either, OK I am already a FAIL

she seems bombproof, but really have to plow rein, she is no cutting horse for sure

I think we will have some fun.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

22. gawd she is a beauty. love those ears. covet!!

Little Joe rode a Paint --- so take that Haters!!

[Ptah]

33. Sadly, Little Joe never hooked up with any of the women that passed by.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

36. it was a tale of woe every time.

[Ptah]

41. As attractive as his (Joe Cartwright's) pants were, I still lusted after the Rifleman's son.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

43. do what?

me too

[Kali]

38. am I remembering one episode where he almost did

but it turned out to be a sister or half sister (and I'm thinking the actress was Linda Evans) ?

[CottonBear]

8. A long ear! I love mules.

I had a English hunter-jumper trainer who rode a client's chestnut quarter horse mule in jumping classes at shows! Floyd, who was a very handsome fellow, won a lot of ribbons! He also competed in western and english classes with his cowboy owner and the owner's sons.

I miss my horse. I had to sell my Oldenburg mare last year. Life hasn't been the same since.

Happy trails to you and Molly!

[Kali]

26. oh I am so sorry you had to sell

you KNOW I know how bad that must hurt

years ago I adopted a BLM wild burro, and at the time got a bunch of literature from a donkey and mule association - I was amazed at some of the stories of the performance animals.

[CottonBear]

46. Thank you. Only a fellow equestrian knows how it feels.

Cotton was my baby. I was with her for 8 years since the night she was born in a barn in Northeast Georgia. I knew and took care of both her dam and granddam. Cotton's maternal TB ancestors include Northern Dancer and Native Dancer and her sire is a champion Oldenburg stallion, Coromino.

I love her so much. She is well cared for now. I wish she was still mine. She's always mine in my heart. I slept in a stall next to hers every night for 3 months (on a haybale bed) once when she was sick and gave her meds 6 times a day. She's fine now.

I will be sure to check out your posts about your beautiful mule!

[era veteran]

9. I would rather seat a mule than a horse any day, better ride.

I have to live dead in the middle of snooty horse country.

[Arugula Latte]

27. Those horse snobs must be High Fullutent! (It's the best new Freeperism around!)

[Kali]

30. the poor asshole that meets all the criteria in that sign must be lonely

the rest of us are at the bar having a great time!

[Arugula Latte]

42. Oh yeah!

[Kali]

29. that might be a good reason to have one

sort of like having Obama bumper stickers in red-land.

[era veteran]

37. Well I do that with gusto too.

I had all kinds of rabid anti Republican stickers on my pick up for the last election. It's what I do for fun.
Cleaned off the canvas except for my DU sticker, time to go shopping!

[riderinthestorm]

11. My favorite field service vet swears by his mules! Their braying might begin to irritate

after a while though the comic factor would probably mitigate that. It helps if your large livestock can make you laugh at least once every day - otherwise the backbreaking work would swamp the good stuff.

[Kali]

31. Her voice is pretty bad, but it does make you laugh!

I think we just need to have one around anyway. There aren't many place I can't get to in the truck, but it might be fun to try a pack trip sometime too.

[Flaxbee]

12. What a sweet girl, Molly is!

And my favorite over-the-ear cam shot

Hey - hope this doesn't raise any bad/sad feelings - how's your old boy Joe (was it Joe?) with the mouth cancer? That was a while back - has the good old boy gone on to his greener pastures?

[Kali]

34. with her it will be hard to NOT have ear-cam shots LOL

aww thanks for asking about Joe. He is hanging in there, it is weird. He looks kind of awful, but he eats and drinks and isn't losing weight - doesn't seem to be in any pain whatsoever. I keep fly repellant on him and so far I just can't do the deed. As soon as he looks like he is in pain or is suffering anything more than appearance or a bit of drool I will take care of him but for now...he is part of the crew still.

[Flaxbee]

44. good to hear old man Joe is still hanging in there

As long as he's comfortable and happily eating, might as well let him enjoy his life and be part of the crew!

[Ptah]

25. Nice photoshop, scofflaw.

[Kali]

35. !

[alphafemale]

39. That's not a horse. Jackass. nt

[MiddleFingerMom]

45. !!!

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