New forever home offers mule a fresh start

The mule, named Jenny, was relinquished back into our care and spent some time living at our Buxton site in Derbyshire. 

She was introduced to a pair of friendly donkeys, one of which, named Ted, quickly became her calming companion. With the support of Ted by her side, sanctuary staff could begin behaviour training, while focusing on building trust and basic handling. 

Mules are very intelligent, and while they make wonderful companion animals they do require an experienced handler with extensive knowledge of looking after them. 

Jenny’s training required time and patience, but with the dedication of her groom Jane Allen she became more confident, consistent and comfortable with daily routines.

Jane spent many hours supporting Jenny and would think of new enrichment ideas to keep her engaged and active, with the hope that one day the 14-year-old mule would find a new permanent home on our Rehoming Scheme. 

Kayna Prescott, Lead Equine Behaviour at The Donkey Sanctuary, explained: “Jenny is a clever mule. She is confident with people for most of her handling, but she could be strong when she was led in new areas.  

“Colleagues at our sanctuary worked with her over several months, building up her confidence and experience of being led in familiar areas before starting to add in more challenges by walking her across different surfaces or past obstacles.” 

Mules are individual in how they show behaviour – some show more donkey behaviour traits and some are more horse-like; they can even switch between the two.

“Jane worked hard to understand Jenny’s character and how she exhibits her behaviour,” added Kayna. “By listening to her feedback, even when there were extra challenges, her colleagues were able to help her learn to remain calm.”

Finding a forever home

While Jenny was being trained in Derbyshire, one of our Donkey Welfare Advisers based in the North West took a call out of the blue, which could be one that the Buxton team had been waiting for. 

Sally Bamforth, Donkey Welfare Adviser, explained: “The call came from a gentleman in Northumberland whose own mule Coco had lost her long-time pony and cob companions. Even though Coco had contact with a pony who was owned by a neighbour, John wanted her to have the lifetime companionship of another mule, so I made arrangements to visit him.” 

John Rutherford had owned Coco for 20 years. He’d also known all about The Donkey Sanctuary’s Rehoming Scheme after helping care for a pair of donkeys many years before.  

Sally continued: “After meeting with John and hearing about his experience and knowledge of mules, I could see the home could be perfect for Jenny, and Coco was the ideal match, so made plans for him to visit her in Derbyshire.” 

John thought Jenny was the perfect friend for Coco too, and it wasn’t long before Jenny was heading north to join Coco at their home near Morpeth. 

A new home for Jenny

Sally explained: “It took a few days for Coco to get used to Jenny. But it was thanks to the patience and experience of John, and his deep understanding of Coco, that after just a week they were both grazing side by side in their field. 

“Over time he could see they were developing a friendship and have now become close companions – they get on so well.” 

Mules are a hybrid, a cross between a male donkey and female horse. Whereas horses are known for their tendency to show flight behaviour when fearful, mules have a donkey side to them, so they are less likely to run away when faced with danger. 

This is an example of their mix of horse and donkey behaviour, which can lead to them showing responses that are hard to predict, making experienced handling crucial. 

Kayna added: “Mules rely on people they know and trust, so spending time investing in a positive relationship with them is a crucial first step of any training. They are much more likely to allow a person they know to touch and handle them if they have a relationship with a good basis of trust.” 

After spending time between temporary homes, Jenny has now landed on her hooves and living the life she truly deserves in the most wonderful home with her new companion.