Mules... for the uneducated

[mt terry d]

You’re going to be buying hay and feed regardless of which property you buy. If you don’t they’ll be on their 3rd layer of dirt by fall.

 

[deserthunter2016]

You’re going to be buying hay and feed regardless of which property you buy. If you don’t they’ll be on their 3rd layer of dirt by fall.

What do you mean by this? Having irrigated pasture definitely cuts back on the hay bill for half the year depending on where you live and the growing season.


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[mt terry d]

Just how much of that ten acres will be pasture and how much will be used to grow grain and enough hay for winter ?

 

[HighUintas]

Just how much of that ten acres will be pasture and how much will be used to grow grain and enough hay for winter ?

Not sure, but it looks like it could be maxed out at 8 acres if i really wanted to. It's only a 1600sqft house and has zero landscaping.

 

[missjordan]

Personally i would go for the 10 acres. However The 1/2 acre would work fine also. Either way You really have to be committed to equines 365 days a year. If you figured a basic dry lot at a boarding barn the size could be comparable or maybe even a bit smaller. The smaller space is not really out of the ordinary for some people.

To put this in perspective too, the way Ryan got into mules and riding is 100% the way all beginner horsemen should do it. Buy quality animals and not be afraid to spend the money getting educated themselves. And use that trainer to keep furthering your animals education or if it needs a tune up you can lean on them to make the corrections.

In the long run people are way more money ahead than some that buy a cheap animal they don’t have the skills to work through. Then try and piece it together and end up making the horse/mule crazy. Or worse, get themselves hurt really bad . That is not the flex most people think it is and it happens all the time.


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[mt terry d]

You should be able to contact the local ASCS office and see what the carrying capacity of your ground might be.

*EDIT: apparently now it’s called the FSA or something. I’m sure you can find it as obviously you’re much younger than I.

 

[Skerhunter]

5 acres is about as small of a property I would want for 2-3 head! You need some where to store the feed, pile manure, park all your new equipment and still have room for them to move around while having some type of actual yard. Adding acres usually doesn’t pencil out unless you have enough to put up your own hay, even then it might not depending on prices.

 

[Maverick1]

@HighUintas - mules or horses can be exceptionally effective in the backcounty. Getting from point A to B, packing out meat, traveling long distances, traveling in the dark, packing in camp, etc. They are a lot of work before and during the hunt, and come with year-round responsibilities, but can really pay off under the right circumstances. One thing to keep in mind - most hunters that use stock have a story (or several) of their mule/horse throwing them off at some point or another on a hunt, running around going ape-shit for no apparent reason, going berserk when packing meat, or treating them like a flap-jack an an inopportune time. Even the most seasoned veterans, it seems.

 

[HighUintas]

Thanks, guys. That's all really helpful. We put an offer in on the house with 10 acres, primarily because we love the quiet of the area and it's my wife's dream house.

So if our offer goes through, that's great. The neighbors have horses, so I'll have to befriend them and spend some time getting to know the life.

A concerning point is the apparently massive cost associated with training. I could go cheap, but I absolutely would wsnt ro do it right and avoid potentially getting myself or someone else injured or killed. I think it's possible that if i tell my wife it's going to cost 50k for only a small portion of the investment she might tell me I have to get the Johnson account and give up all other hobbies that cost money. I may need to figure out a way to get her interested in doing it

 

[mt terry d]

There are plenty of resources for learning. Sure, tagging along with a veteran packer would be ideal but that’s not possible for a lot of people
There are packing/guide schools
Books , videos I was basically self-taught but we had horses when I was a kid. Just knew the basics. Never did any packing
Just having one to pack and lead into the hills isn’t a bad way to get started. In fact it was one of my favorite ways though I did the pack string with wall tent, wood stove, cots, kitchen sink, etc
Less risk if either you or the horse are inexperienced. You can train any non-knotheaded horse or mule to pack in your backyard. Lead him through your stuff. Let him see it won’t eat him. Practice leading over tarps. Practice with the animal regularly, you’ll both become more confident with each other. If you lose your patience quit. Try another day. Be the adult.
It’s not rocket science. You don’t need high $$ animals. Purebred doesn’t mean Jack Schmidt. Just a gentle sound animal that’s not been spoiled. Shorter is better than taller in your case.
Best of luck on the home offer and keep us in the loop. It’s an exciting time of life for you. Enjoy it.

 

[Tobe_B]

Equine hobbies are wonderful for family time. Horses are our life. I love hunting, but it comes second to the horses. Fortunately at times it crosses over and makes certain things way easier. But if you’re looking for a way to spend more time with the wife and kids horses/mules so just that.