Mule breeding in the 21st century
- Mules Qui peut
- Nov 19, 2025
- 3 min read
Comprehensive overview – Breeding, trade, and relationships
with mules in France and around the world
1. Study and Observation
As a third-year doctoral student in sociology, I am working on the relationships
of engagement between breeders and working equines.
At the Écuries d’Oz (Erika Pons), I observed the complete reproductive cycle of
mules, the care of newborns, and the dynamics of supply and demand. I conducted interviews with breeders and attended festivals and shows to observe mules in demonstrations.The scientific literature on mules is limited, but some key sources
exist: historical and ethnological works, specialized journals, theses on animal traction, and non-scientific sources (Mule Briefs, American Mule Museum).
2. Opacity and limitations of the data (SIRE and Stats and Maps)
The filters are incomplete and confusing: confusion between mules with and without a book
genetic data, lack of precision on age and vital status. Mules are classified with donkeys, which mixes species, use, and type, limiting statistical relevance.
Stats and Maps: 53 farms in 2023 (most with fewer than 3 births), fluctuations of -12
to +16 between 2016 and 2023, suggesting that these are mostly the same farms, but
not always active each year.
Consequence: limited visibility of the numbers, hindering research and
decision-making.
3. Birth trends
Peak births around 2010 (~500), drop from 2011 (~300), then stabilization
below 200. Since 2020, a slight increase in OC mules, linked to the emergence of breeding farms outside traditional breeding areas, particularly those focused on saddle mules.
4. Imports, Exports, and Prices
Imports:
- According to SIRE: in France, there are 155 mules born between 1992 and 2024
abroad (109 in Spain, 13 in Italy, 11 in Belgium, 7 in Switzerland, 6
in the Netherlands, 3 in Portugal, 2 in Germany, 2 in the USA, 1 in Ireland, 1
in the Czech Republic). Their import dates are unknown.
- According to Stats and Maps: only 5 mules are recorded as having been imported between
2023 and 2000 (2021 1, 2020 1, 2019 1, 2015 2), but the countries
of import are not specified.
Exports: tracked by the TRACES database (data not yet available).
Prices:
○ Weaning: €2,500–€4,000 depending on the breed.
○ Broken in: €4,000–€6,000.
○ Working: up to €10,000.
○ Colored mules (OC) are sold at a higher price from weaning onwards, sometimes €8,000 at 6 months.
○ Prices have generally increased over the last 10 years, particularly
for leisure and colored mules.
5. Constants and Evolutions in Breeding and Reproduction
Hybridization between donkeys and mares has long been a ritualized, sometimes complex, and
secret practice.
Today, practices are modernized: artificial insemination, mannequins
or jennies to stimulate the jack, research on neonatal erythrolysis.
The mule remains an economic investment, with growing demand and
rising prices.
Mules retain their historical qualities: endurance, longevity, strength,
intelligence, and humor.
New uses: hiking, mountain trail running, groundwork, pack work, and pulling with
modernized equipment, adapted to neo-rural life and leisure activities.
6. Human-Mule Relationship
Constants: the mule foal is trained by the mare,
the human, and
experienced animals, based on the principle that "the mule teaches the master."
Developments: gentler, more ethological relationships, highlighting the sensitivity and
intelligence of mules, in contrast to older practices based on force
or coercion.
Mules are now valued and integrated into families and work, with
more respectful and consistent breeding and training practices.
7. Global Situation
According to the Donkey Sanctuary, the global mule population has been declining by 2% per
year since 1997, with increases in sub-Saharan Africa and decreases in
Eastern Europe, linked to economic development.
Conclusion
Mules remain an essential element of the equine industry, but their statistical monitoring is insufficient and fragmented.Breeding has remained relatively stable but is adapting to new uses and markets.
Human-mule relationships are evolving towards greater respect and ethology, while
maintaining the desired traditional qualities.
Despite the lack of precise data, the mule is experiencing a resurgence of interest,
particularly for leisure riding and saddle mule projects, with rising prices and
demand.
Abstract:
Mule breeding in the 21st century is a continuation and legacy of
mule breeding from past centuries, while also incorporating new developments. While, in substance, the breeder's profession has not changed—it still involves producing an
animal that meets a demand linked to a specific region, human activity, and
aesthetic criteria—a new clientele has emerged, and with it,
new demands. Nevertheless, the lack of transparency in the figures makes this breeding sector difficult to grasp and clearly highlights the marginalization of mule breeding, which remains decidedly shrouded in mystery.
Angèle Dequesne, PhD candidate in Sociology, CEMS/EHESS; President of Cheval&Sciences Humaines et Sociales.
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