Lily, Our Mischievous Mule

Lily stands by the fence with her head sticking through it, waiting for me.  With a grumble or a quiet bray, she greets me each morning. She’s a gray mule, with long ears, alert eyes, and a tight, taut body.  It’s early, the sun is low in the sky, and I greet her with a quiet “good morning,” and a rub her on her neck or butt.  She loves being rubbed on her butt and turns and offers it to me to scratch. (Nice, huh?) She’ll even rock sideways as I scratch, helping me get all the itchy areas. 

In case you don’t know what a mule is…she is a cross between a horse and a donkey.  Her mom is a horse, her dad a donkey. That makes mules distinctive equines – they have great qualities from both parents. 

Donkeys are sure-footed and known for being stubborn. But really, it’s high intelligence and a strong sense of self-preservation that gives them that reputation. They can reason and are quick problem-solvers. If something seems strange or dangerous to them, they will absolutely refuse to do it. Totally refuse, no negotiation. They freeze and think before they react. And while we call them inflexible, I think they are just smart.

Horses, on the othere hand, are very sensitive, also athletic and smart, but in a different way. I swear horses know more about us than we know about ourselves. They are tuned into our energy and have a high emotional intelligence. They pick up our sadness, anger, or any other emotion we're feeling. But they are flight animals, and their reaction to unfamiliar things or danger is to leave – quickly. Run first, then think.

So, when you put this together, mules are athletic, sensitive animals that are a bit more considerate and careful of their riders. They are less likely to spook or bolt and are very sure footed. That’s why you want to be riding a mule down the narrow trails of the Grand Canyon, not a horse.  (Frankly, even though I’ve seen the steadiness of mules, I prefer to walk down those trails.)

Lily has a horse-like body, big ears which make her sensitive to sound and a very playful personality. Like many mules, she is attached to her people and her barn mate. Seeing her waiting every morning makes me smile no matter what mood I’m in – she’s cute, and mischievous with tons of energy and reminds me to look around and enjoy the miracle of each day. When we want to be formal, we call her Lily Belle – she rings in the morning with a bubbly greeting, and I can’t think of a better way to start my day.