Mule chasing cows

[larryj57]

Advice please,
I traded a pair of geese for a 3 year old mule, the mule I think has been a pass around and not handled very much. He is halter broke but almost impossible to catch out of the pasture. The problem is I only have one pasture to hold him in and I have 7 calves in that pasture. the calves are 7 months old and doing well, Thank you very Much. I would like to work the mule and give him more handling but I can't have him chasing the cows, he does it at feed time and I think just for fun when ever he spots the calves.
Anyone else dealt with this before? Any advice would surely be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[goodhors]

Mules will chase things, calves, cattle, sheep, it is part of being young,
and IS entertaining to the animal. Young horses will do the same. The male,
gelding or Jack, seem more determined about this play, than most female
animals are.

Is the young animal even been gelded? One not gelded can be QUITE
determined, as well as being dangerous like a young stallion. Mules don't
breed, being a hybrid animal, so there is no reason to NOT get it gelded ASAP.

The only way to stop chasing is to separate them. Anyone you know with
a round pen, which you could put up to contain the mule. Maybe
you could put the calves in the pen part of the day, mule in pen
the other part of the day. Mules CAN BE good jumpers, so don't put it
in a pen with a short fence. Penning it up, could let you work with it more,
easier to get your hands on daily.

 

[larryj57]

Thanks for the reply.
I finally got the mule to stop chasing the calves, I sold him to a guy who does not have cows

 

[goodhors]

Sometimes that is just the easiest way for you and the mule! You can't change
their basic nature.

 

[taylorm17]

A mule will be more dominant sometimes in my opinion. I have a few mules. Mules I say are very stubborn. A mule will normally never forget his past. If he was never taught not to do that he will do it. If he wasn't shoing aggression he just may have been trying to herd them or round them up out of instinct or just for fun. Anyway at least your calves are okay!