The Louisiana Democrat., 1889-06-12
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Rearing Mules.

The average mule may De aptiy
compared with what is generally called
the dangerous class Of humanity. AS t
The hand of the rowdy and hoodlum IS t
against every other man. and always
ready to strike, SO the heels OF the
mule are always prepared for action
and at times do serious execution. But
as want of training, or actually vicious
training, is the cause in one case, so 1t
is in the other, and the supposed
natural cussedness OF both these
classes of vicious animals is beyond
question due to wrong bent given to
them in their rearing.
The mule is really a most servlcea-
BILE animal, and as draft beast mas
some qualities which render him pre-
ferable to horses for heavy work. But
horses are usually trained by persons
of greater intelligence than those who
handle mules, the latter generally be-
ginning the education of the long
cared colts with vigorous application
of the .'black snake" and consequent
ly while horses exhibit more docillty'
as a rule, mules are vicious, and the
native stubbornness of the ass Is
heightened by the greater intelligence
of the dam. 1t is quite possible to rear
docile mules. 1t is quite easy to make
them affectionate and OF a gentle. kind
ly disposition. No doubt the training
of a jenny is easier than that OF a jack
but jack mule nay be trained right
ly just as easily as he may be spoiled.
There need be no difference between
the training of horse or mule colts.
Kindness is effective in either case, but
some tact and judgment are required
for the effective application OF kind
ness. There is difference in the dis
position of animals. Some are sus-
picious and averse to familiarity need
ed for good training, some will submit
to be handled with evident pleasure,
and some will resent every touch
of the hand or the brush. But
the most suspicious animal is
readily disarmed by gentleness and
gradual approaches. have been
spending q few years in a mule-breec-
ing locality and have been rearing both
horse and mule colts. The manage
ment of mules was not familiar to me
at first, but always believing that the
mule was amenable to good training !
have been practicing with a pair OF
colts now three years old, one OF which
was very wayward and naturally OBJ
stinaee at first, but is now as gentle as
a net horse colt. There are few
points in the management which re-
uuire consideration, but these are pre-
cisely the same as those needed in the
training of any other domesticated
animal. The first is to disarm all feal
and suspicion; the second is to evoke
some affection by constant kindness
, the third to establish kindness OF dis
position and obedience by gradua
steps; the fourth never to punish, bu
when force is needed to control tn
animal, to use it gently and in such
:, way as to make it effective without an,
. failure.
i Some animals are approached with
o out any serious effort to escape or re
- sist, and once a young mule secure
- by a firm rope halter passed throug
- the mouth, so that it can not get loos
or break the rope, it is only matte
a of a few minutes to conquer it.
~ may be necessary with stubborn al
imal to first drive into narrow stal
Ia with door in the rear to close it II
:. and not wide enough for it to tur
# around in, and then secure it by tt
el halter. This should be done as soc
to as it is weaned, and when one ca
~ easily overpower it if it resists. B'
al if the colt has been reared at hom
lv this is quite easy to be done by putin
III strong leather strap around tt
1e neck. with ring in it, and fastening
to rope halter with snap hook on
VS. and then tying the colt in the stab
N. near its dam. If the education is
gun when the colt is month old, the
will be no trouble ever afterwaro
but to let colts-of any kind-run wi
49, and commit all sorts of faults un
on they are three years old is the mt
~ serious blunder, and gives endle
trouble in unlearning very bad tral
=, ing.
ID When mule-colt has been on
N safely tied any thing can be done wi
it. If it should kick and resist
=, tempts to handle it, its legs should
loo secured by ropes, and it should
- thrown, and whatever was wish
,oo should then be done, and the amin
~ M released. But this lesson should
thoroughly given. A jack colt v
:, kept tied down for an hour, until
nv nv permitted his hoofs to be rasped,
s tail trimmed, his body handl
lss brushed and stroked all over, and wi
~; he was let loose he was given some
''- apples and bran, and did not resist
the least repetition of the brushi
-, and he has not made any attempt
80 , resist since. By gradual approac
ny u mare mule has never made any
:" sistance, and both animals will 1
l.en feed from the hand; come at c
- and are in every way as do