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 everyone for the nice comments. My yard is just now "coming into being". We built the house about 15 years ago in the middle of a lot that only had sizable trees at the back of the pasture. We have planted all of the rest. It has taken years of hard work to get the soil in decent shape and for shrubs and stuff to get some size. I've pretty much done it with my shovel and wheelbarrow! And of course, it all takes a lot of $$$ which had to be spread out over time! Now if I could only have a sprinkler system installed my life would be SO much easier!

Gelded horses are neutered males; their testicals have been removed. It's the same as male dogs and cats that have been neutered, but on a larger scale. I'm not sure exactly how this is accomplished; Buck was about 8 years old when I got him and it had been done several years earlier. Young male cattle, destined to become part of our food chain, are neutered very early. They are then called "steers." Steers that grow up to maturity are called Oxen. They're often used as draft animals. I hope someone corrects me if I'm wrong, but here's some of the animal terms I understand. Horse...young male unneutered horse Stallion...sexually mature horse, unneutered Filly...young female "horse" that has not had a foal Mare...female horse that has given birth to a foal Foal...young horse still nursing or up to a certain age (6 months???_ Heifer...young female bovine that has not had a calf Cow...female bovine that has given birth Calf...newborn bovine up to a certain age Steer...young, neutered male bovine Bull...sexually mature male bovine Ox...mature neutered bovine Mule...a hybrid cross between a female horse and a male donkey. Mules are genetically sterile. Oh, and male donkeys are "Jacks," and females are "Jennies." I don't know what their foals are properly called. The male animals we commonly eat, cows, pigs, roosters (capons) are neutered to improve the flavor and tenderness of the meat.

Ok, this is a silly question....how do you pronounce "hinney"? I'm guessing "hihn-knee". The reason I ask is my granddaughter calls horses "hineys" pronounced "high-knee". It would crack us all up to know there's a cross with a similar name. Oh and when you ask her what the "hiney" says, she exclaims....with a whoop and a swirl of her arm....."Yee-HAW"!