Educate me on mule care!

[Taken]

I have quite a bit of experience in horse care, but with a new mule addition coming (~15hh, so not a mini or draft), I’m trying to find out the differences in care vs horses (besides getting less feed). Here are some of my main questions:

• Overall, any differences in vet care routines? Vaccines, deworming, teeth?
• Since they tend to be easier keepers, does that mean I need to use a grazing muzzle on pasture? Or are they not prone to binge eating on rich pasture (someone told me this, but I have a hard time believing it)?
• Is a ration balancer a suitable feed choice or will that be too high in protein? Do I feed the recommended amount or less than that?

[Saffron_Rose]

Following.
Congratulations on your newbie. Of course, pictures are practically a legal requirement when you get a new equine…

[Jazz]

I have never owned a mule personally but from what friends that do have told me you seem to be on the right track. They do need less feed, but as far as I know my friend puts hers out on grass with the horses just fine, although she does ease them into it in the spring with a few hours at a time over the course of a week for both horses and mules. She vaccines same as horses, deworms only when they scratch their tails (but she does this for her horses too). Don’t know about teeth, she feeds her horses and mules strictly grazing and hay, with a bit of sweet feed. The only thing I remember that really stands out is she has to be careful with his feet, they are harder than a horses but she says he is much more prone to thrush etc. if they get wet for long (moreso than the horses)
Hope this helps:)

[Jumpin_Horses]

Hey, all good questions. I own 4 Long-ears, and vet/farrier/deworming (most Mules do great barefoot, even on rough terrain) are the same. But, do keep grazing muzzles on them when out on grass.

They are extremely efficient at processing food. If they get too much, they will store it as pockets of fat, that they will never get rid of. This is actually a very dangerous type of “fat” and (worse case scenario) can lead to laminitis, hyperlipidemia (both deadly) and other serious problems.

I was reading an article (don’t remember where) about how they digest food. What makes them so efficient is that their digestion process is 3 times slower than a horse, thus allowing them to gain more from their food (I think I have this same problem - lol) so, think about that when you feed them. All mine go out in grazing muzzles 1/2 of the day, then brought into drylot at night.

My donkeys had a bad response to last year’s hay. We were in a droubt and the hay was super high in carbs. I ended up actually feeding them straw, plus 1 cup of Strategy per day. Yep, straw… And they did great on that - So, be super careful about how you feed them.

Best thing to do is consult a vet who has experience with the Longies