Feed Talk: Finally, Feed Answers for Mule and Donkey Owners

Folks, let’s talk about what’s in the feed bucket.

Here’s what nobody tells you when you bring home a mule or donkey:
You know that animal’s metabolism comes from the donkey side. He don’t process feed the way a horse does.

Folks should be talking about these things, but they don’t.

You walk into a feed store and nobody in there is asking if you have a mule or a horse. Nobody is asking you, “So what is he doing all week? Working cattle? Standing in a pen?” That bag of feed won’t know the difference either.

So you do what most mule and donkey folks do. Ask around. Read what someone posted online. Grab what’s on the shelf that appears to look good… and then hope for the best!

Then one morning you notice that thick, hard crest building on the neck.
Or the fat pockets along the ribs and dock of the tail.
Or your mule starts acting like there is a monster behind every bush (and you can’t figure out what changed)
Or worse, you start dealing with founder and didn’t even see it coming

Folks, mules and donkeys don’t show pain or discomfort the way a horse does. The signs of trouble that you’d look for in a horse just won’t be there the same way in a mule or donkey. If you don’t know these differences, you’ll one day wake up and all you’ll be able to see is trouble.

Here’s the thing, this isn’t your fault. Out of 680 pages in gold standard equine nutrition reference, there are only 2 dedicated to mules. TWO! The research by “the experts” barely exists. The feed industry isn’t built for your animal. And most advice floating around was written for horses.

That changes today!

Feed Talk brings together Steve Edwards — over 40 years of hands-on experience training and feeding mules from the Grand Canyon to the Bishop World Championships — and Dr. Larry J. Smith DVM, a veterinarian who understands the real science behind how these animals process what you’re putting in front of them. Together, they’re going to walk you through what actually works and why!

Here’s what we’re going to cover that you won’t hear walking the aisles of a feed shop or hanging around an expo.

• Why alfalfa might be doing more harm than good for most mules and donkeys — and when it actually makes sense
• Why grass hay is the safer foundation for the majority of owners
• How to build a simple feeding program based on what your animal actually does, not what somebody on the internet told you
• Why a mineral block isn’t giving your animal what it needs — and what to do instead
• How to read the signs your feeding program isn’t working (or failing) from road apples to the body condition
• And why the simplest approach is usually the right one.

Folks, this isn’t a chemistry class. Steve and Dr. Smith are going to keep it practical, keep it real life, and give you a plan you can start using the next morning.

Because here’s what it really comes down to. You want to walk out to that pen and know you’re doing right by your animal. You want to feel confident when you’re standing in that feed store. You want the peace of mind that comes from understanding what your mule or donkey actually needs, not guessing at it. And you want all of that to show up where it matters most: in an animal that is healthy, willing, and a joy to be around.

Folks, you can do this! You don’t need a veterinary degree. You don’t need a nutrition PhD. You just need the right information from people who have spent their lives figuring it out so you don’t have to.