I have 63 chromosomes, a horse’s tail, a donkey’s body, and ears somewhere in between. What am I?
If you guessed “Mule,” you’d be right! Mules are a very unique combination of a donkey and a horse. Technically, they are known as mules if the father is the donkey and hinnies if the father is the horse. These wonderful animals are some of the strongest and smartest creatures on the planet.
We have one mule here at the sanctuary, and he joined us in April of 2019. Derby Doo is a mini-mule, which means that both his parents were likely miniatures. He is small but full of attitude and excitement. At only 4 years old, he loves to play and annoy his herd mates.
Derby had a checkered past in his short life so far. We don’t know where he started out, but he was purchased at an auction where he had been drugged to appear more docile. Once the drugs wore off, he couldn’t be caught and was very scared of humans. He was sold to a nice family to be a herd mate for a horse, but his fear issues were getting the better of him. It was obvious to his new owner that he had been abused in the past. She wasn’t able to keep him, but didn’t want him being passed around and ending up at auction again, so she contacted the sanctuary.
Derby is a sweet little guy and loves attention as long as you don’t have a halter in your hand. We are slowly working with him on being handled and realizing that people aren’t going to hurt him. He is especially afraid of men, but has made major progress as he actually came up to a man during our summer open house last year and let him pet him! Derby also was terrified to have his feet handled, but with Rhonda’s special blend of patience and a gentle spirit, he has gotten comfortable with hoof trimming. As Derby has settled in to life at the sanctuary, his playful personality has really come out. He can always be found making trouble with his friends. His best pals are Frosty and Gus Gus, and we call them the three musketeers (or the mafia depending on the day).
Donkeys and mules are some of the most abused and neglected animals in the world, sadly. They are thought of as stubborn and stupid. This could not be further from the truth. Mules, like their donkey counterparts, are self-preservationists. They won’t do anything they think is dangerous. They also like to consider a situation before deciding what to do about it. As humans, we need to accept this and learn to work with the long-eared cousins of the horse instead of fighting with them. They are incredibly intelligent and extremely loyal to people who are kind to them.
Derby is one of the most entertaining additions to the sanctuary, and we look forward to seeing his personality continue to grow as we work with him and teach him to trust people again. We are so glad that his mom decided to call the sanctuary so he could have a forever home where he will not ever find himself at auction again.
