This is an email I have received. If this is true I really have respect for a mule. I had no idea they could do this.

This is almost unbelievable!?
This may be a first... ?

A couple from Montana were out riding on the range, he with his rifle and she (fortunately) with her camera. Their dogs always followed them, but on this occasion a Mountain Lion decided that he wanted to stalk the dogs (you'll see the dogs in the background watching). Very, very bad decision.

The hunter got off the mule with his rifle and decided ?to shoot in the air to scare away the lion, but before he could get a shot off, the lion charged in and decided he wanted a piece of those dogs. With that, ?the mule took off and decided?HE?wanted a piece of that lion. That's when all hell broke loose for the lion.?

As the lion approached the dogs, the mule snatched him up by the tail and started whirling him around. Banging its head on the ground on every pass. Then he dropped it, stomped on it and held it to the ground by the throat. ?The mule then got down on his knees and bit the thing, all over, a couple of dozen times to make sure it was dead, then whipped it into the air again, walked back over to the couple (that were stunned in silence) ?and stood there ready to continue his ride as if nothing had just happened.?
?
Fortunately, even though the hunter didn't get off a shot, his wife got off these four pictures: ??

 

You better beleive it. lol Mules seem real passive but they ain't no joke. I seen this a year or so ago and I was amazed aswell.

I do some work for our neighbor who owns a pretty big horse ranch. She has a section with 4 mules and 2 donkeys in a big fenced in area. One of the neighbors dogs squeezed it's way inside and these mules just went bananas on this dog. They didn't harm it but they were kicking & stomping and snorting around. The dog hi-tailed it out of there and the mules went back to being a gentle as can be.

I could deffinetly see a mule taking care of some business.

*Edit* There is a video floating around on the net somewhere. Some poor old guy tries to brand this horse or a mule and as soon as the brand touches it's rear end, all you see is this old man flying out of the cameras view because he just got chest compressed by a big ol' hoof.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=jdlvq4ZP3hM

 

oldie but goodie. I think that was on here a few years back.

 

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/mulelion.asp

 

Even if the description isn't accurate, mules and donkeys are some pretty mean critters when they want to be.

A guy who keeps sheep around here has a donkey in with them. The ol donkey can take care of business with any of the common predators around here.

 

Thats pretty awesome, a friend of mine has a big old draft mule he got from the local amish, it's huge and around people the calmest animal I've ever seen, he has him running with his cattle all the time, he says it keeps coyotes away and after seeing these pictures I believe it.

 

Knew an old farmer that always kept a mule in with his horses for the same reason. He said they can hear better and see farther than any dog, and were meaner. Probably cause their heads are five feet off the ground!

Kurt

 

That's pretty cool that mule would do that. I didn't know they where that aggressive.

 

Thats it Im selling my English Mastiff and buying a Mule .

 

Yup. Anyone who has experience with both horses and mules will tell you that mules are by far the smarter of the two.

 

You betcha. I have both myself and train both for other folks. Mules tend to outsmart lots of owners. And are hard on dogs unless you train them not to be.

 

Of subject; The English Mastiff is defenitly the most gentle of any dog breed however dont ever tempt one. I'll take my Mastiff over any mule

 

I don't buy the snopes article entirely, if that cat is indeed dead then the front half of it's body is defying physics and centripetal forces by reaching his head and claws in to attack the mule...

 

Ah he could be flopping around a bit and result in a position like that.