You got good advice, buying at a sale barn is for the experienced.
I have over 100 horses but only 1 mule. He was ok, mostly stupid(as I was told before I bought him!)and I prefered the horse. On the other hand, a good friend has had many mules preferring them over the horse. I did ride a Walking Mule a few times and it was a nice ride, as comfortable as any horse, better than many. I have never driven nor worked mules in harness.
What type mares are used on the nearby mule farms?

There are a couple of good mule books, so keep your eyes out for others.

I have had little to do with mules but know several people who prefer them to horses, esp. for trail riding. They are supposed to handle/react a bit differently than horses, so if that's your prior experience, be aware things won't be the same. If you can spend time with the prospective purchases, or even just with any mules, if you haven't had "mule experience", it would make life a lot easier down the road. I think mules can be a bit more inclined to be escape artists than the average horse (not that some horses shouldn't be named Houdini!) so make sure your pasture fences are in good order, and your gates securely fastened. And if you have lots of experience, sorry for my assumption...

If you can get one that is harness-broke, it would be nice. Even if you don't get a carriage, you can use the mule to move or drag things around on the property - trees, fence posts, etc. Pulling takes a minimal amount of harness, plus ropes or chains to hitch to the object being pulled.

I would agree with the advice to avoid auction barns - it is easy to be burned. As well, I would suggest a pre-purchase exam before you buy, just to be sure the animals are in good health. And if you can get an agreement to take them on trial for a month, it would be great - you can find out if they get along with you and vice versa. I would also suggest saying that you want them as a companion to sheep, as some mules may not be willing to put up with smaller animals.

Mules, as do horses, will need access to feed/grass and water as well as winter feed/hay, shoing, shots, and wormings, at a bare minimum. Depending on the size of the pastures and the quality of the grass, you may end up having to supplement with hay in the fall and late summer, as well as in the winter. Probably you won't need to grain - feed extra hay before grain, and only small amounts of grain - mules founder as easily as horses and ponies. Some of shots and wormings you can do yourselves, but establishing a working relationship with a large-animal vet (one you like and get along with, as well as one who is knowledgable) prior to any emergency, would be nice.

Keep an eye on the feeding situation - I THINK that sheep feeds have copper, which isn't good for horses/mules, but may be wrong. Anyway, make sure the mules can't hog the feed (you may have to build a sturdy "creep" feeder if you feed the sheep supplements), and make sure any shelter is more than big enough for all the animals, as some horses, and I would assume some mules, can play "I'm the king of the castle/shelter" and not let other animals inside or try to dominate the piles of hay. Put out hay in more piles than there are animals, so they can play musical piles and no-one gets left hungry.

My Grandfather and his relatives used mules exclusively for farming and working in the timber/sawmills. My Dad swore he would never work with horses because the mules were too smart to be overworked. (I don't know, that was what he said.) Anyway, what you are probably wanting are mules that will be the size of quarter horses, say 15 hands at the shoulder. The breeder should have some to suit your needs, and will hopefully have some that are saddle and harness broke. Mules this size are usually stronger than a horse of the same size, and require less feed than a horse. As an added benefit you can usually feed lower quality feed to a mule than what you will a horse. I am in my late 40's and to be honest with you, I think I can count on one hand the number of shod horses I've ridden. Here, where I live, if you do not plan on riding down stone covered roads you probably wouldn't need to bother with shoeing if you don't want to. We just keep the animals hooves trimmed, cleaned and routinely inspected for injuries, rot, etc.

As to keeping mules in with smaller stock as guardian animals, I am not sure if they will do it or not. My mother often told the story about the last two mules that were on my Grandfather's farm. For many years after my Grandfather had died, and my uncle had went to using a tractor, my Grandmother refused to sell Kate and Coal. Then one day one of them broke the back of a sow that was just about ready to pig. Mom said the mule did it out of pure oneryness. I don't know whether or not this was the case, but I have always been cautious about putting significantly larger animals in with smaller ones. I understand that Burros make good guardian animals for sheep/goats/alpaca's, and can often be adopted from the BLM.

Sorry to be the naysayer, but large, riding mules, don't make the best protection animals for sheep. Larger mules are haters of small things, can be VERY rough on littler animals, calves, colts and sheep. They both bite and kick them to show dominance. Mules may hate dogs more, but certainly are not the best with small animal, mixed livestock herds.

Locally, the sheep folks use the donkeys available from the Bureau of Land Management that come around with sales. They sell donkeys(burros) and mustangs, usually pretty inexpensively. Donkeys do a superb job of sheep protection. Get along with the sheep well, just are rather small animals for riding. Some are trained to drive, but you need training skills first.
You do have to prevent donkeys from eating the sheep feed (contains urea, will founder or poison equines) and over-eating on rich grass. Sheep and donkey also need seperate salt mineral blocks, no copper for sheep, poison. Horses need the copper but no urea.

Donkey or mule, they WILL FOUNDER if let get too fat, eat rich Spring grass. Once foundered, they founder more easily again at the next chance. Foundered, mules or donkey can't protect the sheep, or be used for riding or driving.

Donkey will need hoof trimming a couple times a year if ground is not hard or rocky to wear hoof off. Best method if donkey is not well trained, is for vet to tranquilize him, tie legs up, then trim by farrier. Sounds rough, but safest for the people, donkeys kick HARD and FAST, can be deadly if they catch you in the head.

Donkeys look sleepy and soft, quite deceiving. They will both bite and kick, like snakes striking when they feel threatened. Well trained, they can be fine pets, live for MANY years.

Mules are pretty special, takes a certain kind of handling to get along with them. You might check for a local Mule and Donkey Association in your state, learn about them BEFORE you invest. Horses are usually easier on beginners, you can always advance to the mules later.

We had a mule, molly about 14,2h, She just was very different from horses. She attacked the sheep, chasing and biting at them, could strike with the front hooves at a full gallop. Tried to kill the dog, who thought she was playing. Dog was fast enough to keep clear, mule was young and inexperienced. My Grandma had warned us about mules and small animals. Said they even went after children, if they were small. This mule was respectful of adult people, but we had a little kid coming along, doing children things including being disobedient. So we sold the mule to a man who LOVED her, trained her to plow in his farm garden. We didn't have to worry about a disobedient child going out in the field (when told NOT TO) to pet the horses. Taking no chance on having the mule decide to be bad. Not worth being sorry about later.

Good luck with your project. Get VERY educated about Mules and Donkey before purchase. They are NOT horses, think very differently. May or may not work for you. We were just not Mule folks, like our horses better.

Thanks for all the personal insight and/or experiences. Are now thinking about searching for those burros or donkeys to keep the sheep or goats safe. Still want to check out mules and would be able to let them graze with cattle. Followup will be in several months.
cella jane

Have never had a mule myself but my Dad and his family raised and worked mules until WWII. Daddy was firm is his belief that mules were smarter than horses, worked harder and were better to ride (and that was before the great crossing of walking horses with jacks to provide "gaited mules".)

I do have donkeys. More specifically mini-donkeys and have no doubt but that they would do an admirable job of protecting sheep. Ours clear their small pasture quickly of any and all interlopers.....put those huge ears back, bare their teeth, snake their necks out along the ground and "go for it"!

Good luck with your plans and let us know how you do, OK?

Judy

On reading the above posts, I would concur that mules and steers or heifers should be fine, but I would think twice about putting them out with a cow/calf herd. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, just saying how I feel about it....

Unless you are totally enamoured of the idea of mules, I think I might go with horses, since the average horse won't attack smaller animals.

I have heard some good and VERY bad results on BLM adoption animals. Folks adopting animals that were not horse or donkey savvy getting hurt. They were just not wary, interacting with WILD animals. There are always the good stories to lead you on to "possiblities" after you rescue an animal.

Most successful folks have lots of equine training skills BEFORE adoption, know how to READ an animal body, posture, put MANY hours into the project.

Be really careful with the donkey handling, cornering it. It is quite amazing how fast, high, HARD, often, they can hit something with a kick if they feel threatened. Other end looks like an alligator coming at you! Donkey jack will USUALLY beat a full size horse stallion in a fight. Donkey just won't quit.

The local sheep folks are pretty happy with their BLM donkeys, say it really gives them ease of mind with herd protection. Mini donkey can be helpful, just out-gunned if the dogs are his size, or there are several. Around here, the pet dogs often are turned out in the evening for long times before bedtime. They run off and pack-up to harass livestock, destroy garbage, run deer. We are talking 3-7 Lab or Golden size LARGE dogs, who can run fast, do a lot of damage as a pack. They can and have destroyed a number of sheep locally, along with tearing up Llama males who were guardians. Even running the flock will abort the lambs or frighten the ewes to death.

We are too suburbanized to make dog-flock protection breeds really feasable. Those dog protectors are too close to other homes, lots of local trespassers who can get seriously bit up by dog protectors. Dogs work good in uncivilized areas, few temptations to leave their family-flock of sheep.

You can check the site:

wildhorseandburro.blm.gov

for adoption locations and dates. This was posted in an adoption advertisement. Prices can be cheap, but deceiving as animals need special facilities for holding until tamed. You spend the money building instead of on buying price.

Perhaps an ad in the local paper, could get you a donkey or two free or at little cost for good homes. At least they would know a little more about people and fences than wild ones. Make sure it is NOT foundered before taking it home. Hugely fat necks, broken crest muscle along neck, muscle under mane appearing saggy or off to the side, are bad signs to observe, even before checking hooves.

Naming the donkey can be fun, I have heard some GREAT play on words, names. Edgar Rice Burro is one rather well known animal in driving circles.